Three weeks since arrival, the week after the opening ceremony happened, in the school grounds. This was the most crucial time. When Wit and other students were gathering information, gathering friends or contacts, but in her brother's case, he was just being an anime protagonist at this point and managed to build a harem that surprisingly included a sexy big sister type teacher… This was enough.
Martha was busy with other things. It took nearly two weeks for the factories to assemble what she requested, but easily, the quickest parts to come by were mag parts and 7.62 cartridges. Lately came all the other parts like wooden stock or under the barrel, a rifle, other spring mechanism parts… Bolt carrier. All of the 65 parts Martha made details about and asked them to make them. After putting them together, Martha was able to accomplish something she knew will revolutionize the world. AKM. Real, working AKM with all the parts that were done on her request with ammo for 5 magazines total. Will be especially useful, after later attacks on the students. This time, victims were two noble girls and one peasant boy. The one who did it is still unknown to the guards, but all were killed in the same fashion. By the poisoned magical arrow.
These assassinations, happen twice before but these were isolated cases. Imperial Army's Intelligence Bureau personally took over the case of the murders mainly because of Martha and Wit's presence in the city. Otherwise, the Imperial Bureau of Internal Security – or IBIS – would normally handle the case. Which would be the equivalent of the infamous Security Bureau. Some call it cruel but in reality, their methods are justified in such high tensions in and outside of the Empire as a whole.
Students were made by decree to carry any weapons for self-defense they saw fit. Some could make themselves new ones, as Martha did. Guns were a popular choice among some, but the king was blades, like sabers worn by the nobility and katanas, worn by peasantry for self-defense but mainly, they were hunting tools as well when the crossbows were not enough and men had to come close and personal.
Martha packed a few of the mags into her bag and put in the AKM to the bag, going to the shooting range. The room itself was a big underground room. The smell of gunpowder, and visible black smoke, that covered the area, was noticeable. The latest inventions – the 6 barrel revolvers, got her attention.
'Revolvers huh? Let's see how they fare against the AKM.' She said as she got in the shooting range that was maintained by an orc. Green huge monster, high on 2 meters, with quite a musculature, got her attention. 'Yghm. That is a lot of striking power.'
"Good morning… Sir…" Martha said as she looked at the orc. "I want to test my new invention – Woulfe's Automat." Her naming of the weapon was just perfect for the ork.
"Automat Kalasznikova… I will notice that construction anywhere." Orc said as he smirked, smiling as well, making her realize that he must not be local.. Fully that is.
"Resurrected?" Martha asks as many guns fired at the firing range, making the perfect concealment noise.
"Correct. I died in 1953… But I personally approved the adoption of the rifle back in my glory days." He said as he made Martha grin.
"Joseph Stalin," Martha said as she looked suspiciously on the ork.
"Correct," Stalin said as he looked at her. "And you? What is your real name?"
"Nuclear Science and AI specialist, Ishikawa Youji.." Martha said as the firing range's noise was keeping the conversation unhearable between these two.
"Well.. Should I make place for you, Doctor? Also.. My name here, is Zurogh Vogn, your highness… I know your name, not needed to introduce."
"I would like to preserve the manners. Martha Wolfe. Nice to meet you." She said as she put the bag on the table that was in the middle of the room, where the orc stood, and pulled out the AKM, alongside the curved mags.
"Ah. Memories." Zurogh said as he smiled, seeing that rifle being produced here of all places.
"Could I?" Martha asks as she takes the ammo with her to the nearest shooting spot.
"Mark. Move away, you finished your ammunition supply. Come next day or have a look at something new." Zurogh said as he proudly announced something new. Mark made the place for the princess who put the gun at the table and alongside it – a few magazines. The construction took the attention of the rest of the shooters who wanted to see how the new invention operated. "Behold. Imperial Automat."
Martha took aim, and put the stock against her shoulder, as she aimed down sights, firing two times at a target, hitting it in the head, making a very loud noise. Then she let out a small burst of sustained fire, using 10 bullets. 13 out of 30. New small series of 7 bullets total were fired, spending a total of 20 out of 30 bullets. Then, she made a small show of marksman skill as she took down far-reaching targets with the last 10 bullets. When the bolt carrier blocked on the place, she took a mag, and put the box against the holding pin near the mag, throwing it away, forcefully putting in a new mag, reloading it, making Zurogh smirk.
"Magnificent rifle, isn't it?" Zurogh asks as he thinks loudly too.
"Wow… So much firepower in hands of a single man." One of the girls in the firing range said as she looked at her now empty double-barreled rifle. "Mine is junk compared to this."
"Somebody wants to try this assault rifle out? I got a few more mags left." Everybody tried to jump in, however, Zurogh tried to calm down the crowd.
"If I May first?" Zurogh asked as she lets out a sigh. "Fine. One mag one person." She says as she throws him the ak, that is reloaded as he approached the firing spot, taking a prone position, greatly improving the firing capabilities. He did fire 10 bullets in a marksman style, only to switch quickly, to pay and spray, quickly spraying the entire room.
"That worked like a maxim." One of the students said. "Damn.."
The line to fire the rifle lined up with both Martha and Zurogh acting as instructors on how to use the AKM that the princess brought with herself to the firing range.
After 20 more minutes, everyone left when they heard the bells ringing for new lessons to start and the break is over.
"Well… I have to say I am impressed. Ordered parts?" Zurogh asks as he looks at the now depleted mags of the gun as well as the rifle itself.
"Yes. I ordered everything separately. I am still surprised that in a world where people ride dragons and use swords and shields, modern weapons are a thing. Modern in a sense we know them, that is.." Martha said with a smirk.
"Indeed. I am still surprised that they were able to manufacture it. Let me know if you could get me 20 total of these rifles as well as the ammunition." Zurogh asked as he kept admiring the rifle.
"Sure. Have something as a backup?" Martha asks as Zurogh nods, acknowledging the issue of the lack of self-defense weapons as requested by the treaty, and approached the wall, opening the metal doors, widely, revealing a collection of revolvers, early rifles, shotguns, double barrels and blades, and military sabers. "Enjoy your choice, Martha."
"Hmmm… I will take the katana." She said as she lifted up the blade from the rack. "Just curious is this normal for orcs to be around the academy?"
"Yes.. Orcish Clans are mostly obsessed with science and innovation so they decided to hire us as a rating third party that will rate students' finishing projects. If you will push the AK through as your project, I will personally support it with all influence I can muster." Zurogh said as he made her a bit uncomfortable.
"Damn… Being endorsed by the most brutal dictator from my world, in a new one.. Veles is playing cruel jokes on both of us."
"Indeed he does. But I want to ask for one thing. Let's use both of our current names, shall we?" Zurogh asks as she turns around to look at him in the eyes.
"Deal." She says as she extends her hand to him. "I trust you will keep the rifle around when the ammo will come in?"
"Yes."
"Great. I will go to my lessons now." Martha said as she ran out of the room to get herself to the announcement board, when Zurogh stood and looked at the rifle, hypnotized. Brought to his past once more but in a pleasant way.
'Good old times. Maybe you will see some use, my sweet rifle.' Zurogh said in his mind as he put the gun on the sword rack that previously held the katana.
At the announcement board, she searched her class. 1C with 30 other students. Floor 7, class number 40F. 'Damnit, how I am going to get up.' She thought to herself as she was looking at the crowd behind her. What got her attention was three huge wooden doors, that were slidable on the sides. Martha approached it and opened it, noticing an elevator based on runes and charged lodestones.
By pressing button 7, the elevator closed the sliding doors and lifted her up on the 7 floors, where the lessons are about to begin... Or specifically, a meeting with the class guardians as they call the position. 'Eh… Why this reminds me of my childhood.. Almost? I hate school… ugh.'
As Martha sat near a free desk somewhere at the end of the classroom, the guardian let out a sigh of annoyance. "You are late, Your Highness." The teacher said as he pointed at the princess.. "But whatever.. Everybody is around?" He asks as at this moment, Wit runs into the classroom.
"Sorry for being late, teach!" Wit said as he sat nearby Martha's desk that was also free. "Sup, sis."
"Okay everyone is here."
"In one class!?" Martha asks herself as she looks at her brother.
"Yup, looks like it. I heard about a new test with Zurogh. How was the prototype?" Wit asked her in a whisper.
"Well.. I managed to impress him so much, he is willing to support that as a finishing project. But I do not feel right about it." Martha said as she lets out a sigh of sadness.
"Damn, that's actually good news. Wait. Why?" Wit asks as she looks at him with a bit worried eyes.
"Let's say… His previous life is not as clean as you think."
"What do you mean previous?" Wit asks her as the teacher hits the book with materials that he wanted to quickly recapture.
"YOU TWO, MARTHA AND WIT! I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR UPBRINGING, YOU ARE AT SCHOOL, AND IN THE ACADEMY, WE ARE IN CHARGE. STICK TO THE RULES AND YOU WILL MAKE IT!" The man yelled out as he was dressed differently than the students around who wore various clothes. His dress was a 1920's choice of clothing. Trench coat, elegant trousers, leather boots, white shirt. He was definitely in his 40s. "As much as I wish to start teaching you magic from the start, and immediately… I have theoretical knowledge to work with you, so before we will start linking your bodies with your guardian spirits, to unlock your full potential, I want to refresh the history of the Tiritium Empire. Quick recap, okay?"
"Yes sir!" Students said in one voice as Martha lets out a sigh of disappointment.
"Good. So. It all began 1300 years ago, when the three brothers of small warlords, sent them out in the country so they can form their own states. Their names were Tirit, Yan, and Isane. Three brothers went out to search for the land they were promised to them by all of the seven deities."
'I think I heard this one somewhere.' Martha says to herself in her mind as she listens to the recap.
"All right back to the brothers. They went separate ways. Yua went deep to the south, through some of the most dangerous deserts on the continent. When Tirit and Isane went on the north, with Tirit, founding the Kingdom of Tiritium. Beginning the empire. Isane was then later formed on the other side of the continent. There is a reason, that Tirit's capital, Vord, is so far on the north. The beautiful white eagle was taken by the brother as a symbol of our Empire. Things came and go, wars were thought, for resources, farmland, but then, the king Tirit, accepted the faith of the seven deities, exchanging them for their own, the faith of their ancestors. This created a set of rebellions. Isane, who was a much bigger kingdom watched as Tirit accepted the help of the Ezirian Order of Medics. A crusading order."
'Similar.. Yes I did hear that somewhere 100% indeed'
"This was meant to combat the rebellions since the Tiritium's forces were split and stretched beyond the capacity of sane management. This sadly resulted in a treaty that was falsified, called the Treaty of Vongern. North's most prized possessions. The rich trade city. The war happened, and Tiritium won but had to make a radical move at the time, It made the Isanians convert for Tiritian's faith, expanding the influence of the Kingdom of Seven Deities which represents the faith here on this world."
'So an equivalent of a papal state.'
"Creating Tiritium-Isane Commonwealth, it was probably the only unique time when the Nobles had a right to elect the ruling monarchs during the meeting of the congress. Smaller Tiritium, incorporating larger Isane into their sudo-federal structures, to combat the Eziria's best Crusading Knights order. Tiritium-Isane Commonwealth won after they were pushed back from the capital. Then it changed. The Commonwealth went into the offensive alongside its legendary shock cavalry and dragon riders." The teacher told the history of the Empire, with Martha making a smirk.
'Nobleman's democracy.'
"Before I will continue, let me remind you that Tiritium-Isane Commonwealth was the only constitutional monarchy at this time when all the countries surrounding it, were totalitarian states."
'knew it.'
"Few of these problems were created by the introduction of Liberum Veto - a law that allowed for breach of the whole Congress meeting, as long as the senate member will provide a rightful explanation."
"Sir if I may ask. Why Liberum Veto was introduced, if it was such a bad law?" Some girl asked as she raised her hand.
"Well.. It is simple. To keep the noble families loyal to the throne, of course. This did not work for long, however." The teacher said as he kept expanding on the Empire's history. " After the conflict, the Empire regained control over the northern access to the sea. Later, the Yan's countries, including the Ivangradian Yan, went to war with us, losing greatly. This however left out the dispute of the lands. Yankees would accept Tiritian rule on one condition: Adoption of their home faith. Faith in Veles. The god of creation, wealth, death, good harvest, family home, life, and weather. Their only god."
'So you got a nice fan club here, Veles. I am impressed.' Martha said as she lets out a smirk when she heard about Veles's cult here.
"They accepted. Faith of seven deities was abandoned which caused the Yun nations to be absorbed peacefully into the country, but managing such lands at this size, 32 944 012 kilometers square to be specific.."
'This is huge as fuck! Bigger than… Wait.. Even the soviet union was not that big, including their satellite states… Jesus!' Martha yelled out in her mind, with an open mouth at the size of the country. She knew it is big but did not know it is this big. '33 million kilometers square.. How I EVEN COULD EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THIS!?'
"I see somebody got surprised over what you will inherit." The teacher said as he chuckled a bit.
"Well.." Martha said as she rubbed her hand against her neck. "I did not expect it to be this big?"
"And how big did you expect our empire to be.."
"22 000 000 square kilometers?" Martha said with a bit of uncertainty in her voice, making the teacher laugh.
"Well, your highness that is a big underestimation." The teacher said as he lets out a sigh of sadness a bit as the class laughed a bit. "Well back to where we ended." After the reunification with the Yankees, the Empire went through an interesting change. Realizing the Emperor can't even rule such lands effectively with the current system, called in what is called the Silent Congress and anybody who will yell Liberum Veto, will be publicly executed by use of bonfire, and it will be done when the bills will be read in front of everybody."
'Fuck that's brutal.'
"So this is why Edward the Third is known as Edward the Impaler?" Another girl asks as she raises the arm.
"Yes. This is why Edward the Third got the name Impaler." He said as he revised the changes done to the empire.
'So I am told a bit different story than they are.' Martha said as she thought of it.
"This included the changes to the constitution, reformation of the federal system, return to the hereditary monarchy under the Woulfe family, abolishment of elections on the federal level, preventing foreing powers from abusing the fact that any noble could run for a King, which happened once during the war with the Ezirian knights I mentioned earlier.. Ah. I knew I forgot about this. The reason why the deal was easily written in a way that It was a Loss-Loss, for us, was that Gunther the First was elected using our electoral system. For the benefit of the Ezirians." The teacher said as Martha noticed the clock.
'20 minutes. This really took this long?' Martha asks herself as she wonders why she never took interest in the history of this world more. It is so familiar yet so distant.
"But back on track. After these changes, one of the Yankie nobles, Ignis C'araboth, together with his brother, Cecil C'araboth, became infuriated with the state of legislative changes that were introduced, and the fact their agents were also burned on this trial for treason that happened at the same time during the Silent Congress. He decided to declare himself a Dark Lord. It required us to dig up ancient rituals that were used in times that were long thought to be gone, and mostly happened in other countries like the Voogan federation. It was only done when the C'araboth duo and their armies were in an advantageous position. We decided to summon the Hero. Arthur the Gunslinger, with his two pistols on his back. Back then everyone used swords, shields, and the peak of the military tech was a catapult." The teacher explained as he went into the depths of it. "This period was known as C'araboth rebellions. Some call it Komarov's rebellions due to the fact that Cecil and Ignis married into the Komarov family – a loyal house that without its help, we would not have insider help to fight the rebel. After the rebels were defeated with help of the Gunslinger, he was offered to be transported back to his world, but the family he made, was more important for him, and decided to stay. This is where the noble family of Argun was founded. And up until these times, that is how our history looks in a short form."
He said and with perfect timing, the school bells ringed.
"Okay stay for a minute before you will leave. We have to organize some stuff. Every student will receive uniforms adequate for their respective gender. Also, the badges and identification documents, represent from what home you are. The home assignment ceremony will happen in two days. So please kindly go to Zurogh's workshop. He will handle the paperwork.
'Damn.. Working with Stalin again. Eh. It is going to be interesting.' She thought as the teacher finished explaining the history of the Empire and the protocols, and let everyone out.