The winter nights seemed longer lately.
Cold silence stretched across the Mauryan capital beneath pale moonlight while thin layers of snow reflected silver along rooftops and palace walls. Torches burned steadily near distant corridors, their flames moving softly against the dark.
Inside his chambers, warmth from the brazier filled the room slowly.
Rudura sat alone beside the low table once more.
Échecs Humains rested open before him.
The black pages had begun feeling heavier with each chapter. Not because the lessons were difficult to understand, but because every new idea seemed connected to something he had already witnessed in both lives without truly noticing before.
Tonight, another title rested before his eyes.
Make Other People Depend on You
Rudura frowned slightly.
The title immediately felt uncomfortable.
Almost manipulative.
His gaze lingered on the words for several silent moments before he finally lowered his eyes toward the opening lines beneath them.
The strongest chains are not forged through force, but through necessity.
The brazier crackled softly nearby.
Rudura continued reading.
When others require your presence, knowledge, skill, or stability, they become reluctant to lose you.
That line stayed with him immediately.
Because almost at once, memories surfaced naturally inside his mind.
Not royal memories.
School memories.
Ordinary situations.
Yet suddenly they felt different when viewed through this perspective.
Rudura leaned slightly back while staring quietly into the firelight.
He remembered a student from his previous life who was exceptionally organized.
Not especially popular.
Not academically extraordinary.
Yet strangely, almost everyone relied on him.
He kept schedules.
Shared notes.
Reminded classmates about assignments.
Helped coordinate group projects.
Teachers trusted him.
Students sought him constantly.
At the time, Rudura simply thought:
"He's responsible."
Now he noticed something else.
The student possessed quiet influence.
People treated him carefully because losing his cooperation created inconvenience.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Rudura lowered his gaze toward Échecs Humains again.
Men protect what remains useful to them.
The sentence felt colder than the previous chapters.
Yet realistic.
Another memory surfaced.
A top-ranking student during examination season.
Normally, classmates barely interacted with him.
But before tests, people suddenly became friendlier:
asking for notes
requesting explanations
seeking help
After examinations ended, much of that attention disappeared.
At the time, Rudura found the behavior somewhat shallow.
Now he understood another layer beneath it.
Usefulness altered social value.
Not always maliciously.
Simply naturally.
Humans depended on valuable things instinctively.
Outside, winter wind brushed softly against the palace windows.
Inside, the brazier flickered steadily.
Another memory surfaced afterward.
A class representative.
Teachers relied heavily on her to maintain order, collect assignments, and organize communication.
Eventually, even students avoided arguing with her unnecessarily.
Not because she was frightening.
Because she controlled important functions within daily school life.
Interesting.
Dependence created influence quietly.
Rudura rested one arm lightly against his knee while continuing to read.
Affection may fade. Gratitude may weaken. Necessity endures longest.
That line lingered heavily.
Because it connected sharply with palace life too.
The Mauryan Empire itself depended on networks of necessity.
Kings depended on generals.
Generals depended on soldiers.
Officials depended on scribes.
Merchants depended on roads and protection.
Human systems survived through mutual reliance.
The realization slowly softened Rudura's discomfort toward the chapter.
At first, the title sounded manipulative.
But perhaps the chapter wasn't truly about manipulation alone.
Perhaps it was about understanding how relationships stabilized socially.
Another memory surfaced from his previous life.
A student skilled with technology.
Whenever computers malfunctioned during presentations or events, teachers immediately called him for help.
Eventually, even older students treated him differently.
More respectfully.
More patiently.
Because he solved problems others could not.
Rudura stared thoughtfully into the firelight.
Useful people naturally became harder to discard.
The realization felt simultaneously practical and slightly unsettling.
Another line from the chapter caught his attention.
Power grows safest when your absence creates difficulty.
That sentence connected deeply with leadership itself.
A ruler who could easily be replaced possessed unstable authority.
An advisor whose knowledge became indispensable gained protection naturally.
Even servants within palaces probably survived longer when their roles became essential.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Rudura thought briefly about Chandragupta again.
The emperor commanded enormous authority not only because of title, but because the empire itself depended on his leadership stability.
If an empire relies heavily upon one figure, removing that figure creates uncertainty.
Dependence strengthened power structures.
The brazier cracked softly nearby.
Rudura slowly exhaled.
Then another memory surfaced unexpectedly.
Friendships.
There had been classmates in his previous life who stayed close mainly because they constantly depended on each other emotionally or academically.
Some friendships survived through shared support more than similarity itself.
At the time, Rudura barely considered it deeply.
Now the idea felt clearer.
Dependence did not always emerge from selfishness.
Sometimes humans simply feared losing stability.
The realization made the chapter feel more human than manipulative.
Outside, clouds drifted slowly across the moonlit sky.
Inside the chamber, silence remained warm and steady.
Rudura turned another page.
The wise understand that value creates influence more reliably than force.
That line interested him greatly.
Because force created fear.
But usefulness created protection.
The distinction mattered.
People obeyed force temporarily.
But they protected valuable individuals voluntarily.
That difference felt extremely important politically.
Rudura remembered palace attendants speaking carefully around certain elderly officials.
Not because those officials held military authority.
Because they possessed decades of administrative knowledge.
Removing them would damage palace operations significantly.
Useful people became difficult to replace.
The same principle existed in schools too.
Students valued:
reliable classmates
skilled teammates
knowledgeable friends
emotionally supportive people
Human relationships constantly involved exchange in subtle ways.
Not purely transactional.
But interconnected through value and dependence.
Another memory surfaced quietly afterward.
A student athlete injured before an important tournament.
Teachers became unusually concerned.
Classmates visited constantly.
Not only because people liked him.
Because the team depended heavily on him.
His absence threatened collective success.
Interesting.
Dependence intensified emotional response.
The realization settled quietly inside Rudura's mind.
He lowered his gaze toward the next passage.
Become necessary, and others will defend your place themselves.
That sentence lingered deeply.
Because it explained many social behaviors naturally.
People protected:
skilled workers
influential leaders
reliable allies
emotionally supportive individuals
Necessity encouraged loyalty.
Perhaps more consistently than affection alone.
The thought felt uncomfortable at first.
Yet reality supported it repeatedly.
Even within families, responsibilities often strengthened bonds.
People relied upon one another constantly.
Another realization surfaced slowly afterward.
Perhaps this was why some individuals feared becoming "useless."
In his previous life:
retired workers struggled emotionally
unemployed people lost confidence
students felt insecure after failure
Because usefulness affected self-worth socially.
Humans wanted to matter.
And being needed proved importance tangibly.
The thought made the chapter feel unexpectedly sad for a moment.
The brazier burned lower beside the wall.
Rudura leaned back slightly against the cold stone behind him.
Then another memory surfaced.
A quiet student from his previous life who became unexpectedly popular during examinations because of excellent handwritten notes.
People constantly approached him:
asking questions
borrowing materials
seeking explanations
For once, the student seemed more confident socially.
As though usefulness itself changed his place within the group.
Interesting.
Value altered treatment immediately.
Rudura slowly closed his eyes briefly.
Then thought about the palace again.
Every structure within the empire relied on dependence:
soldiers depended on supply lines
cities depended on administration
nobles depended on imperial stability
rulers depended on loyalty
No one truly stood alone.
The realization felt important.
Especially because Échecs Humains often sounded individualistic initially.
Yet many of its lessons actually revealed interconnection beneath power.
Humans influenced one another through necessity constantly.
Another line from the chapter caught his attention.
To become irreplaceable is to secure one's position without demanding it openly.
That sentence connected strongly with palace politics.
Openly demanding importance invited resistance.
But becoming genuinely valuable created influence naturally.
Rudura thought about Malavatas briefly.
His mentor possessed enormous influence despite rarely displaying authority aggressively.
Why?
Because his wisdom and strategic understanding made him valuable.
People listened because they needed his insight.
Not merely because of status.
Interesting.
True influence often appeared quieter than force.
The room remained silent except for the steady crackling of charcoal.
Outside, cold wind moved softly across the sleeping capital.
Rudura lowered his eyes once more toward Échecs Humains.
Then another realization surfaced gradually.
Dependence existed even within emotional relationships.
People protected those who:
comforted them
listened to them
supported them
Emotional reliability itself created necessity.
Perhaps that explained why loneliness affected humans so deeply.
People feared losing emotional anchors.
The chapter suddenly felt much broader than simple political strategy.
It was describing human attachment itself.
The realization lingered heavily.
Rudura slowly turned the final page of the chapter.
Men may abandon admiration, promises, and even affection. But they hesitate to abandon what they still need.
The brazier flickered softly.
For a long while, Rudura simply stared at the sentence silently.
Because despite its cold wording…
the idea felt painfully true.
Kingdoms protected valuable generals.
Teachers favored capable students.
Families relied on dependable members.
Friendships strengthened through mutual support.
Necessity shaped human behavior constantly.
Not always selfishly.
Often unconsciously.
The room remained quiet beneath the warm glow of firelight.
Rudura finally closed Échecs Humains slowly.
Thump.
Outside, moonlight stretched across the silent palace courtyards while winter wind drifted softly through distant corridors.
Rudura rested his gaze upon the closed black cover before him.
Then quietly murmured into the stillness:
"…People may forget admiration or promises with time… but they rarely let go of what they still depend upon."
(Continued in Chapter 79)