Marcus went around Syracuse and Messana, recruiting all the people on Dion's list.
Lucius, the governor, found out that Cicero had collected evidence and only returned after they had left Messana.
It was because he heard that Hicetas, the representative of the clientes, was calling witnesses, and he focused all his nerves on that side.
Lucius felt suffocated when he heard that Cicero was heading to Lilybaeum.
Unlike Quintus and Hortensius in the capital, he was secretly aware of Verres's embezzlement.
Hortensius was preparing to defend Verres, knowing that he had received only simple bribes like other governors.
He can't help it.
If Hortensius had known all about Verres's corruption, he would not have been in charge of defense.
Quintus knew that Verres had committed great embezzlement, but he did not know the whole thing.
On the other hand, Lucius knew everything he had done because he was able to cover up Verres's illegal activities.
To be honest, no matter how much he was his brother-in-law, he wondered if he should protect such a person.
But there was no choice.
The Metellus family had already received some of the money Verres embezzled, so they were accomplices.
If Verres loses, Lucius may also be prosecuted for concealing evidence.
"Shit... do I really have to do it?"
The anxiety worsened because it was impossible to know how much evidence Cicero collected.
"If I had gone straight to Lilybaeum as expected, I could have set it up for one reason or another...… If you're sneaky and clever."
Lucius tapped the table nervously and muttered to himself.
It is said that Cicero is heading to Lilybaeum now, but it is unknown when he will change his course.
Anxiety crept up as if something was going on abnormally.
An order was issued to destroy all evidence, but no guarantee they would be followed.
If Cicero continues to roam Sicily like this, his tail may be stepped on somewhere.
Lucius was seriously considering the final measure proposed by Verres.
Even if things go wrong anyway, Verres will be responsible, and it is enough to say that he did not know.
Lucius, who had made up his mind, secretly called in his henchmen and gave them orders.
"Go and tell them. Do exactly what you've been commissioned by the former governor. But you should never kill him. You can't hurt him too much. We must stress that we should never forget that our opponent is a member of the Senate."
"Yes. I'll tell them to serve you politely two or three times."
As the subordinate left, Lucius clicked his tongue.
"To think that even after stepping down from the position of governor, you still have ties to the pirates.... After this is over, I need to distance myself from that person."
Lucius shook his head with an expression of disgust.
* * *
Marcus and Cicero continued to move in a carriage.
The previous city did well, but there was no guarantee that it would go smoothly until the end.
The problem was that he had to move on the assumption that they had now exposed his whereabouts.
All over Sicily, watchful eyes are flashing, so any disturbance may come.
Inside the rattling carriage, Cicero suddenly opened his mouth.
"When I go back to Rome, I will introduce a new trial method that I devised."
"Do you think the trial method will work unfairly?"
"Well, it's similar. In fact, the current Roman courts are too advantageous for defenders. No matter how thoroughly we collect evidence, there is no foundation to present it efficiently."
"However, if you ask them to change the trial method to our advantage, wouldn't it be over if they refuse?"
"No. Hortensius won't think the way I'm suggesting would be against him. He has absolute confidence in his defense skills."
The court proceedings in Rome were as elaborate as they were in modern times. However, it also had the disadvantages of being slow and complicated as much as it was sophisticated.
The trial is divided into the first and second. The jury enters the verdict as soon as the second trial is over.
The problem was that the end of the second trial ended with a final speech by the defenders.
He doesn't know if there's enough time for discussion, but the jury wasn't given time for that.
In other words, the jury will make a decision while the defender's beautiful speech is clear in their minds.
For this reason, the majority of lawyers judged that the court was more advantageous to the defender than the prosecutor.
Of course, Cicero did not intend to insist on making a change in this second trial.
This is because it is obvious that the defenders will not accept it. He was aiming for not the second trial but the first one.
"If Cicero has a clear target in this trial, I can only focus on evidence and witnesses."
"You're doing well enough now, too. I don't know how Lucius will interfere with us yet, but we can cope enough."
"It's not yet time to be relieved. You don't know what kind of weird things people will do when they get nervous. You may not be that stupid, but you may be thinking of using force."
"Haha, don't tell me you're that stupid."
But did you say words make a living?
It was when the conversation between the two was not even over.
The carriage slowed down abruptly, and they heard the voice of Spartacus from the driver's seat.
"Young master, there are people in the way in front of you. The atmosphere is unusual, so I think we should be careful."
Marcus and Cicero exchanged their eyes once and laughed almost simultaneously.
"You're stupid."
"I can't believe it. I didn't expect to go out like this."
When they peeked out of the carriage, there were almost 20 people in the way.
They prepared even the horses so they could chase them at any time if they tried to run away by turning the wagon.
"You prepared more people than I thought."
The one who appeared to be the leader was a tough guy with one eye covered with an eye patch.
All of his subordinates were armed with well-sharpened weapons as if they had been prepared and waiting.
Although the road passing by now is a deserted place, they have not heard of a thief coming out.
Nevertheless, the purpose was obvious when they saw him come out like this, as if he had been waiting.
They immediately thought that it was wrong to pass gracefully.
Amid the subtle tension, Marcus calmly stepped out of the carriage and talked to him.
"If you're blocking the road like that, I can't pass by, so why don't you step aside?"
"What? Can't you understand the situation?"
The leader, wearing an eye patch, asked back with his big eyes open.
Even in the bloody stares of the twenty-year-olds, Marcus did not shrink at all.
"Are you trying to catch us and get a ransom? May I ask how much do you have in mind?"
"You should come with us for now, since it's enough for you to pay for your body. I won't treat you badly, so don't be too rebellious. I'll take you out for a few months and release you."
"Looking at the costume, it looks like a pirate, not a bandit...… Someone must have told you to bring us here?"
"You don't have to know that. You just have to follow us calmly."
Ordinary pirates ask for a ransom, but they don't tell you to be locked up for several months.
This alone has already solidified his suspicions to almost certainty.
He could guess why they didn't attack the ship but rather blocked the road like a clumsy bandit.
Attacking ships from Sicily to Rome is too risky.
Unlike the south or east of the Mediterranean Sea, the west is somewhat under Roman control.
That's why he chose this method so that he doesn't step on as much as possible.
'I didn't expect to have this worst self-destructive. Was he that conscious of Pompeius?'
Marcus scratched his head and sighed lightly.
"I don't think you've made a wrong choice, but I'll give you a chance. I'll add an additional fee to the commission fee you're supposed to receive, so stick to me. Either way, that would be a benefit."
"...you'll give me more money?"
The pirates' faces were momentarily embarrassed.
But the chief pirate didn't give a thought. He raised his hand and seized all his agitated men.
"Even though it is a tempting offer, I cannot accept it. It's not just about money."
"Is that so? Are you saying that when you know that the person here is a Roman senator?"
"That's why I'm listening to you like this right now. But I don't have time to chat anymore, so just follow me. Otherwise, we have no choice but to use a rather rough method."
The pirate's response has already given him all the information he can get.
Even knowing that Cicero is a member of the Senate, he tries to kidnap him and refuses the offer of additional money.
In other words, there is a man with more power behind the pirates.
In the first place, Verres was the only one who would do this nonsense, so there was nothing more to look into.
Marcus also knew all about it and took time off purposefully.
Normally, the pirates would have attacked without questioning or answering, but because of the order to never inflict serious damage, they got caught up in Marcus' words.
That sealed their fate.
"I definitely gave you a chance, so don't blame me too much."
As soon as the leader felt strange about Marcus' sudden change of tone, the subordinate who was watching from behind rushed to him.
"A considerable number of wagons and carts are coming from behind you, boss."
"What? It's originally a place where traffic is rare during this time...…. Tsk, there's nothing I can do. If there is a witness, if you are a Roman citizen, you either take him or kill him. And get the senator and the young man over there. If the driver is a Roman citizen, don't kill him, but capture him alive."
"Yes!"
Two pirates took out their weapons and approached Cicero and Marcus.
Nevertheless, Marcus did not seem to feel a sense of crisis at all.
Spartacus stood proudly in front of him with a carefree expression.
He spoke to the pirates in a calm voice.
"If you come closer than that, your life is not guaranteed."
"What are you talking about, the coachman? If you want to do it for your real master, don't rebel and just follow me gently."
A pirate took a threatening step with a sword pointed at him.
On the other hand, the other one felt unusual when he saw Spartacus' physique and aura.
He tried to tell him to wait a minute, but it was too late.
The pirate, who had already approached Spartacus's nose, flew lightly.
It is a foolish act of suicide that only those who do not understand the other person's skills can do.
Cheack!
He just felt something flashing. The pirate's head, which had been split into pieces by the sword that extended like a flash, flew through the air.
The blood and corpses of pirates helplessly disintegrated and covered the ground.
Human flesh and bones are not as easily cut as one might think.
It was a shocking sight even for pirates to cut a person's neck so neatly with a single sword.
The equipment exposed through the shabby tunica glistened in the sunlight.
The quick-witted leader had a hunch that things were wrong.
At the same time, the wagons and carts that were following Marcus at a certain distance arrived.
In case of a possible situation, the accompanying guards appeared one after another, fully armed.
They were not mere slaves.
They were all well-trained and skilled soldiers.
After Marcus quelled the slave rebellion, he absorbed large numbers of semi-private soldiers into his family.
It was not a waste of investment because there are times when force is needed to do business anyway.
The subordinates formed a rank and waited for Marcus' command.
"Let those who lay down their weapons and surrender live. Kill the rest."
"I will do as you command."
Marcus' escorts, led by Spartacus, rushed toward the pirates.
The pirates, completely confused, gave the boss a resentful look.
"It's a different story! You said you could kidnap three to four people!"
"They're trained soldiers, obviously! How can we win!"
"You stupid people! Before you say that, stop them first!"
The leader tried to give an order, but it was too late.
In an instant, two pirates were cut and sprawled by Spartacus' sword.
The pirates ran out of morale and were torn down without even fighting a proper battle with the systematically organized guards.
Spartacus was the first to get rid of those around the horses so that the pirates could not escape.
Cicero, who was watching and admiring him sweeping the pirates without any blockage, suddenly opened his mouth.
"Did you expect this to happen? That's why you purposely told them to keep their distance and follow us."
"No way. I brought them here to prepare for what might happen. The reason I told them to follow us at a distance is to avoid being noticed."
"To be honest, I was a little dissatisfied with the guards hiding too much armament. But I think my thoughts were short because I was able to overcome the danger thanks to your caution."
"I was just lucky. But thanks to you, things will be easier."
When his men suffered near extermination, the leader, who judged that he had no chance of winning, abandoned his weapon and surrendered.
They have swept away so quickly that fewer than five pirates remained.
The face of the leader, who fell flat on his knees, was terrified.
He looked up at Marcus, who approached him with a desperate look on his face.
"Now, have mercy...."
"That's why you should have cooperated when I said I would pay you quietly."
The cold tone shook the leader's eyes. Marcus, who was watching the frightened reaction for a while, continued.
"Still, it will still be useful, so let's decide on your treatment after hearing the answer. What do you think? Are you still going to keep your loyalty to the one who hired you?"
"Of course not! If you save me, I'll do everything I'm told."
"Really? So first of all, the one who asked you to kidnap us, in all likelihood, Verres? Can you bring me proof that he has commissioned you?"
The leader nodded madly.
"Absolutely. Of course, you can!"
"Good. And one more. Tell your employer. The request was successful, and he said he would take care of the kidnapping target and release it in a few months. Of course, I can't trust you, so we'll have to hold you hostage here until we know you've followed the instructions properly. To deliver the letter, send a subordinate instead."
"What? That's it, of course I'll do as you say, but...…."
Unlike the bewildered pirate leader, Cicero noticed Marcus' intention.
"That's a good idea. Verres and Lucius believe that we are in captivity and they will show little vigilance. From now on, I will be able to move freely without being noticed."
"Yes. Let's give them a cool blow to celebrate their victory."
Cicero, imagining the face of Verres, who would be taken aback by the unexpected situation, burst into laughter.
It was a trial that everyone expected to lose. The evidence collection was smooth, but Cicero confirmed that weak anxiety did not leave.
But now it wasn't.
It's been a long time since he has been looking forward to the trial date so much.