February 23, 2016, Augustopolis, Legio Urbana Military Academy, room No. 05 "Julius Favarus", a few hours ago
It was a cloudy Tuesday, Julius and I were talking about Eastern Europe and how rapidly it was changing, and I asked.
"Do you think that if Romanians and Moldovans unite, the Romanian mafia will become weaker?" I asked Julius.
Julius then replied in an ironic tone and then, a little more seriously.
"If the leader behind this is someone of the ilk of Stephen Corvinus II, who defeated the Ottomans at Vaslui, the Romanian mafia will rather end up in one of our super-prisons than face the new ruler. Otherwise, the Romanian mafia will rule from behind the shadows in this new unified government, and it will become something like what happened in Venezuela." Julius replied.
Considering that a large portion of Moldovans speak Romanian, the likelihood of unification tends to be faster.
Then the lieutenant entered the room. Paulus Antonius Nicephorus, one of the most demanding in theoretical military tactics, he is definitely not an active-duty military man, as Heinz Guderian said, 'no military plan lasts in a real battle'.
He then gave the order.
"Cadets, return to your places. I have a surprise test for you, and I demand silence." Paulus orders.
Julius returned to his seat and Paulus began handing out the surprise test, the theme of which was the transition from the Pronatus System to professional armies.
After a few minutes, Paulus hands me the test, and I immediately see what kind of test it is, and honestly, only the best get into this one.
In what year did Megadux Carolus Licinius Cicero attempt to impose pikemen on the Roman-tropical army? What were the correct percentages of black powder according to Leo Marinus? What was the difference between a Magister Militum and a field marshal? On what year was the last book defending the System Pronatus, the Legatus Legionis Optimus, completed? What was the first flintlock musket used by the Roman-tropical army? And finally, what was the accuracy of the iron cannons used in the Seven Years' War campaign by the Roman-tropical army?
He's really not holding back, but nothing could be more difficult than calculating the amount needed to transform an aircraft carrier into an airship in the 25th century – now that's tough!
About an hour passed, and after reading military treatises and books from the 17th and 18th centuries during the end of the year, he had knowledge of the past and finally finished the test and said.
"Lieutenant Paulus, I finished the test." I said.
Then Lieutenant Paulus gave the order.
"Leave the room for now, until the end of the test." Paulus ordered.
I got up and left the room.
Garden "Claudia Maria Helena", now
I was in the hanging garden waiting for the test to finish when Julius waved from afar, came closer to me, and asked.
"How did you manage to finish the test in one hour?!?! Are you by any chance the new Maximilianus Augustus Quintus?!?!?! My father used to say you were the equivalent of Louis XVI in the 21st century. Did the attack in Madrid change anything about you?" Julius asked.
If he had taken a test to become an officer in the aerospace force, he would say that this was just a simple elementary school test compared to the extreme difficulty they put on the aerospace exam.
Then I replied to Julius.
"I will be the future Roman-tropical emperor; I must know such matters. Imagine an emperor not knowing the exact date of publication of Legatus Legionis Optimus, which was in the year 1790. I decided to wake up and see that the fate of 790 million Roman-tropical citizens depends on what I will do in the coming years, so I cannot make a mistake. Washington is anxiously waiting for me to if, during my reign, I am weak and a lapdog to them, then I must show that Washington will follow in the footsteps of Augustopolis, for I will not be a mere ornament emperor." I replied to Julius.
Julius then replied in a stern tone.
"Good to know, but the court still thinks you're a pushover. You'll have to work harder than I did to earn respect at court and in the army as well." Julius replied.
He's right, the court probably just sees me as a new "Louis XVI" who speaks Latin. Even though we're in the 21st century, the court still has some influence, and they probably find other things rather unpleasant to say in public.
However, the Roman-Tropical army is always the last to embark on adventures, with the exception of Julius IV. The Roman-Tropical army has always been loyal to the emperor, but by tradition, perhaps one way to gain influence in the army is through the most renowned military academy in Italia Australis, a place where Emperors Titus I and Titus III were cadets.
So I asked Julius a rhetorical question.
"What if Washington or Beijing don't turn the 21st century into a second Cold War? What if something comes from space and does the same thing Attila the Hun did in the 5th century, only on a global scale?" I asked Julius.
Julius did not answer, he remained gazing at the horizon, reflecting on such a threat.
Julius, wanting to change the subject, then pointed to the last cadet and said.
"The last cadet left, I think it was Lieutenant Antonius, he'll give the results next week." said Julius.
The test is really difficult, but for someone who was once a space marine, nothing is that hard, except maybe the entrance exam for the aerospace force, which only someone with unwavering conviction can pass.
So, to change the subject, I asked about something related to football.
"Who do you think will be the champion of the Imperial Cup? Palestra Italia is putting together a super team to win everything, even the intercontinental club championship. Santos and Corinthians are fielding promising young players from their youth academies in their respective province's championship, and by all indications, they could be favorites to win the Imperial Cup title. So, which of the three do you think could win the Imperial Cup?"I asked Julius.
Julius then replies.
"Palestra Italia is like a chariot racehorse from Asunción; it can run as much as it wants and still lose to the Spanish or English horse. They still don't understand; it's not just about money, it has to have tradition. Santos and Corinthians are teams that can truly change and surpass Palestra Italia's titles in the Imperial Cup, and I sincerely hope they overtake Palestra Italia, the Imperial Football Federation needs its most successful team to have at least one Intercontinental Cup title." Julius replies.
Apparently, Palestra Italia, just like in my timeline, never won a world championship title, meaning that even in another timeline, the Roman Palmeiras doesn't have a world title, lol.
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Ongoing Roman-Tropical projects:
Project "Imperator Solis" (practical nuclear fusion): 43.9%, made in the secret underground base of Nova Istria.
Project "Conflictus Titanum" (neutron bomb): 40.5%, made at the Nuclear-Physical Engineering Center of Nova Chersonia.
Project" Fulminatrix"(first firearm designed for space): 29.9%, made at the Fabius Licinius Military Space Engineering Center in Saint Louis.