October 1675
Vijay set foot in the Manila Port for the first time in his life. The crows of the seagulls could be heard above his head, and the breeze from the South China Sea could be felt on his skin. Letting out a deep breath and looking around at the capital of the Philippines, he was left amazed. The size of the Manila Port was not smaller than any major port in the empire at all; it was as big as Mumbai, and its cargo throughput from the number of ships alone was catching up with Kolkata.
"Welcome to the United States of the Philippines, Your Majesty. Your arrival has brought us great joy," President Tamblót came forward with a namaskar as he greeted Vijay with a cordial smile.
Vijay did a Namaskara, "It's great to be here, President, this is a beautiful country with welcoming people. Especially your capital Manila, I dare say that it is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen."
