Arjun's eyes became wide after hearing the reward.
They both looked at each other, not being able to hide their shocked expressions.
Not only him but also Subha, who always remained calm in every situation, was also shocked.
Arjun, to confirm, asked, trying to speak normally as much as possible,
"Is the reward part of Sudarshan Chakra?"
Subha added,
"But wasn't the Sudarshan Chakra part that was in Dwarka stolen long ago?"
Som replied, as he was also shocked,
"If you didn't know about the reward, you just came for competing.
There are quite less people like you now," His voice full of admiration.
He continued,
"Yes the part of Sudarshan chakra that Dwarka had was stolen.
During 1st Vatsaras."
Arjun asked,
"Then how will they reward the winner?"
Som said,
"The competition was declining for many years, so the ruling family decided to reward the Sudarshan Chakra.
We also don't know whether it's a part of it or a mantra for it."
The cart was still moving at a decent speed.
They were in the forest, and it seemed that in less than half an hour they would reach a town of Dwarka.
Arjun asked,
"A mantra of the Sudarshan Chakra?"
Som replied,
"We also don't know much about it. We just know it is an Ashtapada Mantra."
Hearing this, Arjun was stunned.
He repeated slowly,
"An Ashtapada Mantra… the highest grade of mantra…"
Subha added,
"There are eight grades of mantra, and Ashtapada is the highest among them. Mantras of this grade are so rare that they are almost impossible to find, and they were said to be controlled by elite people"
Subha asked,
"But why would they give away something this precious in just a competition?"
She whispered silently to Arjun,
"Something is going on here."
Arjun listened carefully and nodded.
They finally entered a city.
Som said,
"We have entered Sagar. It is the city where you can register for the competition."
As they looked outside, they were mesmerised by how grand everything looked.
The fragrance changed the moment they entered, the rich scent of sandalwood filling the air.
Every house they saw was built with sandalwood and topped with large, elegantly curved roofs.
It was a wood so expensive that most people couldn't even afford a single log, let alone entire houses made from it.
The town seemed to be just at its outskirts as they arrived, but even from here they could see massive structures rising in the distance—tall halls, training arenas, and ancient stone towers carved with symbols of Shankha.
As they moved further in, the paths grew broader and a water canal flowed alongside the road.
Fountains adorned with gems stood at intervals, and engravings decorated every surface—walls, pillars, and arches—depicting waves, mythic creatures, and ancient scripts unique to Dwarka.
They ignored all conversation and questions, completely absorbed in the beauty of Dwarka.
Sometimes they even saw places made of gold passing behind them.
This was Dwarka — a land founded by Lord Krishna.
It was prosperous at that time.
However, it slowly started to decline.
It could only be considered a downfall because Dwarka was once said to have almost 50,000 places decorated with gold.
But that clearly isn't the case right now.
Still, not having gold didn't make Dwarka poor.
They were still the richest in this continent.
Subha said,
"That makes sense why everyone needs permission to enter here," and appeared to be lost in thought.
Arjun nodded.
The cart finally came to a halt.
Som spoke for the first time in a while,
"We have reached."
Arjun and Subha both got off the cart.
In front of them stood a tall building with walls gleaming white, the material was most likely polished marble and it was reflecting the sunlight.
Making the palace look very majestic.
They slowly made their way inside, following Som, who walked a few steps ahead.
Som said,
"This place is owned by the ruler of Sagar, and they are responsible for all registration and accommodation of participants."
As they entered the palace hall, the white marble gleamed under soft light from high windows.
Around them, they saw long tables that were filled with people, many of them looking a bit anxious, like they were waiting for something important.
A small whisper filled the whole palace.
Arjun finally saw a board that said Registration.
He told Subha he would go for registration and as he left, he felt a bit uneasy, but what had to be done had to be done.
At the counter, a person stood with a peacock feather for writing and ink beside him.
Arjun noticed the surface he was writing on — it looked like a thin leaf, but didn't feel like one.
Arjun asked out of curiosity,
"What are you writing on?"
The man, who seemed around twenty and had a face almost feminine but a heavy physique, said,
"This thing?"
He picked it up and continued,
"It's a new invention created in Dwarka called paper."
It's made using very thin wood. And of course, we can't reveal the whole process. But it's very useful for documentation."
Arjun agreed and added,
"I would like to apply for the competition."
The man gave him a paper and a peacock feather.
There were some questions written on it.
He said,
"Fill it and come back here. If you can't write, you can go to that counter over there."
Arjun thought, Do I look like I don't know how to write?
But he ignored it and sat at a table.
He wrote the basic questions like name and origin that were asked.
He returned the paper to the man again.
The man asked, "Fifteen Nishka"
It was the currency used there in fact in the whole continent.
Arjun gave him the registration fee.
The man said,
"Come. First you have to undergo a trial."
Arjun asked,
"Trial for what? And why?"
He looked stunned but decided to go on with the procedure.
He replied,
"To remove weak contestants and remove the frauds."
They kept walking and came to the backside of the place.
Sunlight fell harshly, giving a sense of heat.
The noises they had been hearing earlier suddenly vanished as they entered the backyard.
Arjun asked,
"What do I need to d—"
Before he could finish, the man suddenly threw a punch.
Arjun dodged it and said in an angry voice,
"What happened?"