On one side of the training ground at the Ludus Magnus, there was a man who was fiercely swinging his sword.
The sword's power with a wooden sword is so magnificent that you can't take your eyes off it.
The man wielding the sword did not stop his sword even after seeing Spartacus appear on the training ground. Instead, he turned his head and gave a short greeting.
"Are you here?"
"Crixus, you don't take a break from training even on the day of the match."
"If I had done this in the first place, I wouldn't have been overtaken so easily."
Perhaps because it was the day after the gladiatorial match, no one except for the two was seen.
"You are always like my teacher, Crixus. You've improved my skills more than any other doctore."
"Then I should develop my skills even more as a teacher. Even if it's to come back to Capua's No. 1 position that I left you for a while."
"I mean... I don't think I can mix swords with you for a while."
At that moment, the wooden sword, which was making a flashy movement, stopped.
Crixus narrowed his eyes and turned to Spartacus.
"What? Why?"
"You know that the aristocratic children of the Roman Senate came to this match, right?"
'Of course, I know. I wasn't asking you to let you know because I didn't want to know.' Crixus replied, though.
"How can you not know that Batiatus has been so eager to play a spectacular game?"
"There is a young master named Marcus among them. I came to follow him."
"...…Did Batiatus sell you?"
"It's my will, too. The young master is fundamentally different from other aristocrats. And I think my trip to Rome will lead to improvements in the treatment of many gladiators."
Crixus' face hardened like plaster. Spartacus is always like this.
Even if he becomes a slave with no longer a bottom, he thinks of others before himself.
At first, he thought it was a charade, but now it is not.
"Are you going to become a rattle to the Romans in order to improve the treatment of the other gladiators? Even at the cost of your pride?"
"No. The young master I'll follow is never that kind of person. I'm going to trust him and do everything I can."
"...…it's the first time you've ever spoken of a Roman like that. But I don't believe it. The hope that something will change is now just a luxury."
Never in Crixus's life have his expectations been rewarded.
Something will change if you become a veteran gladiator. There will be hope when Capua becomes the strongest.
There was a time when he naively thought that, but it was all in the past.
Hope gradually disappeared from his eyes in inverse proportion to his increasing skills and accumulating multipliers.
Spartacus sincerely asked him, his teacher, and his close friend.
"I won't ask you to expect too much. But don't ever give up in desperation. I promise you that I will achieve my results in three years at the longest and two years at the shortest. I'm sure that'll change something even a little bit. The young master also told me to tell you so."
"The aristocrat you decided to follow? He told you to tell me that? Why?"
"I don't know that either. Maybe he guessed my relationship with you and cared for you. Didn't I tell you? Something is different about him."
Crixus briefly glistened his eyes but soon shook his head and regained his coldness.
"I don't believe it. Still, I pray that you will achieve your will there."
"Thank you. It bothers me to leave others behind, but with you I can rest easy. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have left my comrades here."
"...Stop talking nonsense and do your job right. Your defeat is not your own defeat. We must never forget that it is a defeat for all our Capua gladiators. Since you're going to Rome, be prepared to eat everything. What's the big deal about Rome? I'm telling you to write a myth of invincibility even when you go there."
"Of course I intend to do so."
Spartacus laughed meaningfully.
* * *
Marcus sent off the aristocrats who had come with him and stayed two more days at Capua.
It was feared that if Spartacus went with them, there would be a great uproar.
"Have you gotten used to the outside now?"
"It's still a little awkward. There are so many people who recognize me in downtown Capua anyway, so I can't go around."
Spartacus, who was freed from the Ludus Magnus, was not yet fully aware of his situation.
However, if he goes to Rome, where he can walk freely, Spartacus will have no choice but to feel it even if he doesn't like it.
The fact that he is no longer a captive slave gladiator.
"You must have told Crixus what I said, right?
"Of course, but may I ask you why you even cared about Crixus?"
"Half of the consideration to ease your mind, and the other half is insurance just in case."
Spartacus tilted his head, but Marcus did not bother to explain why.
It's not something that he can explain anyway.
He achieved the goal of recruiting Spartacus.
However, because of this, there is a possibility that one event will develop differently from actual history.
It is the rebellion of Spartacus.
Of course, the prediction that a rebellion would not occur just because Spartacus was absent is far too flimsy.
There were three main culprits of the Spartacus rebellion in history.
They are Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus, who died in the early stages of the rebellion.
Only one of the three main culprits of the rebellion was left out.
It may end up as a small rebellion that they will soon suppress, but it was quite likely that gladiators would rise up.
Strictly speaking, it was better for Marcus that a rebellion broke out.
Although the Crassus family had plenty of money, they lacked military prowess compared to their competitor, Pompeius.
The incident that made it possible to fill this lack of military service was the rebellion of Spartacus.
Crassus, who suppressed this rebellion with overwhelming military power, rose to the position of consul.
Marcus had a thorough plan so there would be no problem with the way the situation unfolded.
Still, if you have to pick one or the other, raising a rebellion is more helpful. This is an undeniable fact.
Sending a meaningful message to Crixus was the minimal lifeline that Marcus had thrown.
If Crixus catches this lifeline, there will be no rebellion, unlike history.
Even if there is no rebellion, there is a way to supplement the military air force; in that case, he can recruit an outstanding unmanned man named Crixus. It is also possible to mobilize talented gladiators to earn more economic profits.
Even if it happens, it doesn't affect the general trend much.
It's a little more cumbersome for the rebellion to happen.
In fact, if Marcus really wanted to, he could have ensured that there would never be a rebellion. But it only went so far.
This is because if history is changed at will, it is impossible to know what kind of butterfly effect will occur in the future.
He had a hunch close to certainty that Crixus would miss the lifeline he had thrown him.
The moment to intentionally twist the big thread of history will be when Marcus feels everything is ready.
Until then, even if it feels heartless, he only uses everything available thoroughly.
He warned Spartacus, who still looked puzzled.
"You'll have a lot to learn when we go back to Rome. It's a battle, you just have to do it as it is now, but you shouldn't worry about it anymore. You have to learn how to heat up the audience not inside the stadium but outside."
"I'm confident if I win by fighting, but I honestly don't think I'll do that well other than that. It's a field I've never thought about before...…."
"It's okay. The interview before the game...…. No, the Coloquium (pre-speech) and the tone you need to pay attention to will be prepared by people who help you. You don't have to think about anything and squeeze it out."
"If that's the case, that's fine. I'll do my best."
As Marcus climbed into the carriage, he organized the things he had to deal with in his head.
First of all, it is necessary to persuade Crassus to obtain approval for the project.
Then you have to partner with many Ludus Magnus in Rome and get people to help you create the story out of the game.
He would need a plan for the title match and the talents needed to handle the ranking system and overall administration.
And besides revamping the gladiator fights, there were many other things to worry about.
At first glance, it seemed that there were many areas that he could reform with Marcus' knowledge, but in reality, the limits were clear.
This is because there needs to be more specific knowledge that can reach that point, even if you provide an idea.
If you make a mistake, you may be ridiculed as a great sage only with your mouth.
It is necessary to present inventions that can be implemented with the technology of the present era.
Marcus was lost in thought in the rattling carriage.
"First of all, is the stirrup and the horseshoe the most representative?"
A stirrup is a stand attached to a saddle and is very useful for balancing horses.
Some say that the invention of the stirrup made cavalry no longer the exclusive property of a few aristocrats and made it possible to operate large-scale cavalry forces.
These stirrups were already developed and used by northern nomadic peoples in Asia since B.C.
On the other hand, it was in the 8th century that it entered the West.
There is a theory that it came in around the 5th century, but this hypothesis has yet to be officially confirmed.
In the case of the current Rome, the saddle was improved and used instead of stirrups, and the wealthy equites (roman knights) learned horsemanship from an early age to become familiar with horses.
Marcus personally wondered why the most sensible Romans hadn't come up with something like stirrups.
Surprisingly, the answer came back quickly.
This is because the children of the aristocracy responded uniformly.
"Hmm~ It will definitely help people who are not familiar with words. But I'm already used to horsemanship, so I don't think I need such an object."
Another aristocrat said this.
"But wouldn't wearing such a thing give the impression that you're not confident in horsemanship? I think that's going to be a huge obstacle to getting ahead."
When he judged from these reactions, the idea was conceived but not developed because they did not feel the practical necessity.
Marcus pondered this point seriously.
Even if you make a stirrup, people don't accept it because it's a joke.
There were two main reasons why Marcus organized it in his wax tablet thorough investigation.
1. In any case, the equites or higher do not feel the need for a stirrup because they learn horsemanship from a young age. There is a high probability that things like stirrups are necessary for beginners with poor skills.
2. Northern nomads did not directly plague Rome, but it was late to recognize the power of the stirrup. Initially, people feel fear with their bodies only once they are robbed.
To solve this problem, he has no choice but to show how powerful the cavalry is by using actual stirrups.
Fortunately, Marcus had that much knowledge.
People who are good at horseback riding without using stirrups can show similar power, but there is one vastly different area.
It is the charge of a lancer who uses a couched lance to charge with a spear inserted in the armpit.
There is no comparison between the charge of a lancer who does not use stirrups and the charge of a lancer who uses stirrups and is able to carry the full weight of a horse.
This is definitely something other than an area that they can cover with horsemanship.
Of course, some may show rejection because it is a different method from the current Roman army's cavalry operation.
But the more cards you can use in a war, the better.
Once properly made, geniuses like Caesar and Pompeius will appreciate the value.
And fortunately, the horseshoe was easier to introduce than the stirrup. A horseshoe is a metal device that attaches a horse's hoof so that it does not wear out.
Running bare hoofs without horseshoes only wears slowly if the road is maintained.
However, the story differs in places where solid roads like Rome are laid on all sides.
If you roll a horse without a horseshoe here, the horse's hoof does not remain.
The Romans knew this, so they had already made shoes for horses made of metal.
However, compared to the modern horseshoe, convenience and efficiency are different.
Modern horseshoes originated in the 10th century B.C. and can be produced with Roman technology.
In fact, when he asked Septimus, he received a very positive response.
"It's okay? I think it'll be money. Young master often come up with really ingenious ideas."
"Then can I say that the technology to make this is sufficient?"
"Of course. It's not something you can't make if you just tell me the principle, structure, and purpose. If we leave it to talented craftsmen, we will have products that can be commercialized within half a year."
"Okay, then let's start developing as soon as we get back."
Just as he was about to feel better for the first time in a while, the carriage rattled and shook.
Marcus felt a solid shock to his hip, gnashed his teeth, and repeated it to himself.
'And I have to improve this worst ride-hailing carriage and cart somehow.'
There will be many things to go around in the future, but he can't ride a carriage like this forever.
Actually, it wasn't the time to relax.
Even if he thinks about it for a moment, isn't it a reality that so many problems can be dealt with?
Above all, no matter how positive he thought about it, it was the most challenging thing to deal with anything quickly.
When he considers the distant future, the difficulty has almost doubled.
The basic goal of the current plan, hiding in the shadow of Caesar until after his death, was not wrong.
However, considering that, his head has already been pounding.
'Even if Caesar dies, if Octavianus is alive, the competition will be pretty tough...….'
In terms of political power alone, Octavianus is a monster-level figure who is chosen as the best in all of Rome.
He was a genius who became more tongue-tied the more he read the book he got from the library.
To put it bluntly, with equal forces, the odds of Marcus winning are simply zero.
If only what is planned goes well, it is possible to cut Octavian's power in half, but the threat remains the same.
Marcus asked the three people in the carriage together.
"Septimus, Danae, Spartacus. What should I do to beat an opponent I can't beat when I grow up usually? It's just a family, so let's talk about each one of the ways that come to mind."
The first person to speak was Danae, who was sitting right next to him.
"Isn't the best way to prevent it from growing?"
"That's definitely the case."
But there's no need to hear more because he has already thought about it.
Next, Spartacus, in the driver's seat, opened his mouth with a serious expression.
"In fact, it's most obvious to improve your skills. There's no better way than this."
"It's a very definite and good way, but if it was possible, I wouldn't have asked in the first place, would I?"
"...I'm sorry."
According to the records, Spartacus also used a surprise strategy, but people change depending on the environment.
The last one is Septimus, which is at least reliable. He scratched his head with a troubled look at Marcus's expectant eyes.
"Persuading in advance. Assassination if it doesn't work. I think about this much."
"The assassination is too risky. It's not easy to handle the aftermath. Even if you conciliate, it may be like raising a lion's cub."
In the end, no matter which side you choose, you will feel uncomfortable.
It's better to have a blank sheet of paper together, but in the end, it's a piece of white paper.
Marcus, who couldn't give a proper answer, just leaned his back on the chair and closed his eyes.
'I don't know. A guy who's not even born anyway. We can take a little more time to come up with a countermeasure.'
There are still ten years left before Octavianus is born.
At that time, the extent of response Marcus can take will also vary depending on his position.
If he makes a hasty decision now, it is likely only to limit the thinking framework.
If he could draw only the library's books indefinitely, it would have greatly reduced the worries, but it is just regrettable.
'But there must be a way. It's not like I don't have anything in mind.'
It's a pity, but you must hold on to the irresistible part until the end.
Once he knew the big events and key figures that would happen in the future, he didn't feel the urgency.
Whether he explains or fails to explain the library's capabilities, Marcus needs to go his way.
There is no reason to stop and worry.
Inside the carriage, it still rattled to the point of irritation.
Marcus muttered in a voice so low that even Danae, sitting next to him, could not hear.
"Augustus... The first emperor of Rome...…."