After being captured by the soldiers, Verres was almost thrown into custody at his mansion.
His mansion was located on Palatine Hill, where only the richest people lived.
The size of the mansion was as large as any aristocrat, but it felt cramped because he filled it with all kinds of sculptures and artworks.
He painted all the walls and decorated the chairs and tables with gold.
Rather than a mansion, it was just a huge treasure trove.
Hortensius, who requested an interview with Verres as a lawyer, entered the tablinum.
He looked displeased at the view of the space, where there was no room for various antiques.
However, Verres had no time to consider the feelings of the lawyer.
"Hortensius! Welcome! How can I get out of here?"
"What do you mean, escape?"
Hortensius asked back in an absurd tone.
"A trick to reverse the situation in the second trial. Don't you have such a thing?"
"Turn the tables? What have you seen so far? Look at all the evidence that's been flooded! How can you reverse the situation when your crimes will be mentioned for decades to come!"
"But you are the best lawyer in Rome!"
"I cannot acquit you even if the goddess Minerva comes, not even Rome's best lawyer!"
Verres opened his mouth wide.
"Then why are you here? You must have asked for an interview because you have some means. Can't you apply for a year's recess after the first trial? If you do that...."
"Even if you adjourn for ten years, not a year, the ruling that you will make will not change, so give up. Why the hell didn't you tell me about the crime you committed beforehand? If so, I would have just recommended voluntary deportation."
"I knew you'd say that, so I didn't tell you...."
"And that's why you lost everything. Now that it's impossible to escape at night, it won't be possible to run away with a certain amount of money. Just stay trapped here and get ready to forfeit all your property and be deported to a remote island abroad."
Roman citizens could choose deportation instead of being executed, no matter how serious a crime they committed.
When faced with such a situation, most aristocrats run away with enough money to live on for the rest of their lives.
But Verres couldn't have done that. He was really forced to be kicked out without a penny.
"Nonsense! Are you saying that Gaius Verres should spend his life as a beggar! Did you come all the way here just to say something like that?"
"I want to argue with him. Because of you, this Hortensius has become a complete laughing stock. I, the best lawyer in Rome, have been reduced to a scaffold for a local greenie like Cicero to step on! The kid who absorbed all my fame and career will be called Rome's best lawyer in the future. It's all because of you!"
Hortensius raised his voice by pointing a finger as if his emotions were furious.
"So I should at least get my commission fee. If you're broke, you won't even be able to pay me the fee."
"You're going to get paid for not even giving me a chance to escape, let alone be innocent?"
"It's not remuneration, it's compensation. Let's talk right. But let me give you one last piece of advice. Kneel down and beg Crassus for forgiveness before the judgment is made."
Verres snorted with an exasperated expression.
"To Crassus? Why should I beg him for forgiveness? To the traitor who made his son go after me."
"What a fool! When Crassus' eldest son was with Cicero, did you forget that the pirates you sent attacked him? You are now trying to kidnap the eldest son of a family that is the current consul of Rome and has the highest wealth."
"Hmph! Would I have known that and given instructions?"
Verres, who had already been cornered, could not accept Hortensius' rational advice.
All that was left of him was a lump of resentment and anger.
"If you're going to ignore my advice, do as you please. But I'll have to take my share."
Just in time, the tablinum with two people was piled up with valuable items.
Hortensius searched for something that he could hide in the hem of his toga. A golden statue of Mars, the god of war, was chosen as his reparation.
Hiding the statue under the toga, he looked back at Verres for the last time before leaving the tablinum.
"It was a mistake to do something stupid to keep all of your property in a mansion like this in the first place, so of course you should have dispersed it and hidden it."
"Ha! What's here is only a small part of my property. Except for the best art, the rest are in my villa."
"Ha... This isn't everything? This is driving me crazy. Verres, I'm telling you, you were the most vicious and deranged criminal I've ever seen. The greatest misfortune of my life is that I accepted this defense without penetrating your essence."
"If I had been so good at defending, I wouldn't have been detained like this. The best lawyer in Rome? You're just a loser who's been played by Cicero!"
Instead of answering, Hortensius turned away with a cold sneer.
After he left, no one looked for Verres until the end of the second trial.
The verdict came out as everyone expected.
Verres was sentenced to death, but by law, he chose to deport and confiscate property instead of the death penalty.
However, he did not have time to siphon off some of his assets, so he became a complete proletarian.
In addition, he was deprived of his status as a member of the Senate as well as his status as an aristocrat.
Verres ignored Hortensius's advice and cursed Pompeius and Crassus until the end.
He did not repent of his sins until the moment he was expelled.
Did he receive a reasonable price?
Verres, who was driven to the Greek province, was discovered by the pirates he had instigated and faced a tragic end.
The body found later was said to have left traces of serious torture.
It is not known how the pirates found Verres.
Of course, no one in Rome was already sorry for Verres's death, neither a senator nor an aristocrat.
All works of art and statues that Verres accumulated without permission were returned to Sicily.
The people of Sicily praised the name of Cicero and expressed their gratitude to Rome for giving a fair judgment.
The Verres trial, which had been at the center of the talk in Rome for more than a month, indeed ended now.
* * *
The Verres trial was over, but the trial's aftermath rattled Rome for a longer time.
The person who benefited the most from this incident was, of course, Cicero.
Having absorbed all of Hortensius's stock price, he has now been called the best lawyer in Rome in name and reality.
On top of that, Cicero confirmed the reduction of wheat prices floating around the port.
"Next year, when I serve as an aedile, I will be able to import wheat from Sicily much cheaper! All thanks to your support."
Citizens gathered in the square and chanted Cicero's name and praised his name.
Other aediles also announced their pledges for next year, but they were buried by Cicero and did not attract much attention.
Even Crassus, if not as much as Cicero, raised the stock price again without realizing it.
Senators positively evaluated Crassus's appearance at the end of the trial.
Thanks to this, it was possible to draw a structure in which the Senate directly stepped forward and punished the corrupt member.
At a time when he was almost humiliated, he could save the least face.
In addition, Crassus helped the Metellus family to draw a line with Verres.
Feeling that the atmosphere was unusual, Quintus and Lucius Metellus apologized to Crassus as Hortensius advised.
Quintus did not directly sympathize with Verres's misdeeds but said it was a shame just to receive the money.
Crassus had them return all their money to Rome's citizens and allowed them to deliver an apologetic speech.
In particular, Lucius swore to the god Jupiter to restore order in Sicily, which Verres had ruined.
Although he was in cahoots with Verres, he managed to escape impeachment because he offered to spend his own money to try to restore Sicily.
Of course, the influence of Crassus, the consul, played a significant role here.
With this pro-senatorial move, the aristocrats did not doubt that Crassus was still on their side.
Lastly, there is one more person. There was a young man who left a strong impression on the Romans.
"Another person to note in this case is Marcus Licinius Crassus, the eldest son of the Crassus family. The rumored eldest son of the Crassus family finally appeared in front of the crowd. His oratory was powerful, just, and had an intensity that grabbed the attention of the audience. I hope that he will grow into a strong tree that will support the Senate in the future. That's what it says."
Septimus, who read a thin book aloud, had a satisfying smile on his face.
The book he brought was 'In Verrem' written by Cicero.
He has already published a memoir not long after the trial.
"The guy who likes to get attention...… One real speed is like lightning."
"He said he was close to Atticus, who runs a publishing company. It is said that he was already preparing to release a book before the trial."
"The last eloquence that condemned Verres must have been prepared in advance. Anyway, he's a shrewd person."
Marcus flicked through the memoirs handed over to Septimus and read them.
It was a very Cicero-like sentence that seemed calm but suddenly showed off.
As Pompeius and Caesar did, he thought that enjoying self-praise might be a characteristic of the Romans.
Still, he secretly put up his name, so he thought it would be better to thank him later.
"Your name must have been clearly imprinted on the citizens for this incident."
"My name is the same as my father, so there was no one who didn't know."
"Well... that's true. To be precise, this time it clearly reveals the presence of the eldest son of the Crassus family. But didn't you say that you avoid getting too much attention?"
"It's okay to receive positive attention from senators like this one. The important thing is not to be checked."
"I understand. What shall we do with this invitation?"
Septimus took out a piece of luxuriously decorated papyrus and handed it to Marcus.
"Mr. Caesar has been elected quaestor, so he wants to invite you to his house to thank you. Aren't there many senators who don't like Caesar?"
"That's because Caesar has been touching the wives of senators so much. Politically, very few people still consider him a threat. Wouldn't there be more people who sympathize with me? I was wrongly caught by a bad debtor."
Marcus smirked as he read the invitation.
He could see the intention of the invitation, but he was willing to let it go because it was his wish anyway.
When Septimus replied that he would accept the invitation, Caesar immediately set an appointment.
He did not invite others because it was only a place to thank Marcus.
Marcus, accompanied only by Spartacus, headed for Caesar's house.
Septimus and Danae couldn't come together because of business problems to deal with.
Marcus rode down the Palatine Hill in the sumptuous chariot that is now the hallmark of Rome.
Unlike other prestigious aristocrats, Caesar did not have a house on the seven hills of Rome.
His house was in Suburra, where the plebeian lived mainly.
Of course, he didn't live in an apartment house called Insula.
A famous aristocrat, he lived in a detached house on a fairly clean street in Suburra.
Those who knew the scale of Caesar's debt wondered why he was still living in Suburra.
He was neither a hater of luxury nor a man of little vanity. Nevertheless, he did not think of leaving Suburra to go to a hill where the wealthy were close.
Marcus thought this was all a planned show.
Why didn't Caesar have the desire to live in a luxurious mansion?
Rather, he must have been more desperate than others.
However, Caesar was considered the center of the populare faction from an early age.
He must have intentionally not left Suburra in consideration of his image to be reflected in the plebeian.
When Marcus arrived at Caesar's house, to his surprise, Caesar himself came out to meet him.
Caesar put his hand friendly to Marcus' shoulder as he got out of the carriage.
"Welcome. I've been waiting for you all the time."
"Thank you for the hospitality that you have to come out to meet me."
Caesar loudly grinned as Marcus greeted him politely.
"Haha, thanks to your loan, I won the election by a landslide, and of course I should show this much sincerity. The food is also made with very high-quality ingredients, so eat and drink as much as you want. Of course, as you requested, lead-heated soft sugar was not added as a condiment. I heard it's not good for our health."
"Yes. We are currently developing a seasoning to replace it. It's almost done, so we're going to have a tasting event later. I'll give you an invitation, so please come and taste it."
"Of course I'll go if you call me. That's about it between us."
How long has it been since they met? He has already emphasized his friendship by emphasizing the word "us".
Caesar, who let Marcus into the house, introduced his family very casually.
"This is my wife Cornelia. She's a wise wife that I'm not worth."
The elegant lady greeted Marcus warmly.
Marcus also smiled and politely bowed.
"Nice to meet you. I am Marcus Licinius Crassus."
Marcus saw Cornelia's face and was inwardly surprised by her beauty.
She must have been in her thirties, but she was young enough to believe that she was in her early twenties. The atmosphere of the aristocracy was also lovely.
Even with such a wife, Caesar, who was having an affair with other married women, did not understand.
Perhaps it was quite heartbreaking for his wife.
Perhaps that's why Cornelia looked tired and a little pale.
'Come to think of it, I know that Caesar had an experience of being separated from his wife.'
Marcus stared at Cornelia's face for a moment, and Caesar smiled cheerfully and patted him on the back.
"As expected, you're a long man, too. Speaking of which, I'd like to brag about my daughter's beauty. She looks like my wife. Besides, she looks like me and is very intelligent, so I think she'll be a good match for you. Oh, it happens to be there."
As he turned his eyes in the direction Caesar pointed, he saw a girl walking calmly in this direction.
She wore simple and neat clothes, but the luxuriousness of her appearance was as good as any prestigious aristocrat.
Caesar did not brag too much like a fool.
Even though she looked only 12 or 13 years old, she was beautiful enough to attract attention.
Marcus thought he was used to a beautiful woman and was deeply impressed.
She was a very impressive girl with a noble atmosphere and intelligent eyes inherited from her mother.
Although the term "cute" is still more appropriate than "beautiful," it was difficult even to imagine what her beauty would look like six or seven years from now.
According to history, Pompeius, who married Caesar's daughter, was completely in love with his wife.
It is said that he loved his wife so much that he distanced himself from politics by spending time with her.
Marcus could easily guess why.
However, Marcus, who made eye contact with the girl, tilted his head at a strangely familiar feeling for a moment.
The girl also opened her eyes wide and looked at Marcus for a moment.
Soon a clear voice came out of her mouth with a soft smile.
"I'm Julia Caesaris. Nice to see you again."
"Have we met before?"
"Don't you remember?"
Marcus narrowed his brows at Julia's smiling face.
It seemed like they met somewhere, but there was no exact time or place to pinpoint.
Strangely, a girl who stood out like this should have clearly remained in her impression.
'Did it pass by somewhere? No, that's a little weird, too.'
Then Julia shouldn't have remembered Marcus either. Saying that it was nice to see you again means that they definitely had time to recognize each other, even for a short time.
Marcus wasn't the only one who was puzzled.
Caesar's expression was unexpected.
"What, have you two already met before?"
Julia replied with a fresh smile instead of Marcus, who was trying hard to remember.
"Didn't I tell you before? I was a little embarrassed three years ago when my father returned to Rome from Bithynia."
"Oh, did you bump into someone in front of the amphitheater? You're not the one to do that, so I remember how you did it."
Caesar, in his 20s, spent more time fleeing from abroad than he did in Rome.
As soon as he became an adult, he defied dictator Sulla's orders and wandered around Asia Minor for four years.
Thanks to this, Julia saw her father's face for the first time when she was four years old.
And Caesar, who returned to Rome at the age of 22, went into practice as a lawyer and failed again.
Defeated by Hortensius in Dolabella's trial, he went on another escape study abroad at the age of 24.
After staying in Greece for three years, Caesar could return to Rome only after being appointed a priest.
No matter Julia's precociousness, she couldn't contain her excitement as her father's return date approached.
When she came out to buy a gift for her father, she bumped into someone and fell down in a crowded place.
Marcus, who heard the word amphitheater three years ago, had a sudden realization.
One day when he came out to receive a report of the newly reorganized gladiator match, he helped a girl who fell down after colliding with him.
The child who had grown taller than her age must have become a little more mature girl now.
In Marcus' mind, the image of Julia in front of him and the girl he had seen before overlapped.
"Really, that kid at the time...…? Haha, it's amazing that the world is so small."
"It really is. I never thought I'd see you again like this."
Fully aware of the situation, Caesar looked back and forth between Marcus and Julia.
"Was the kind aristocrat you bumped into talking about is Marcus? Yes, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, so you two should talk. Honey, let's go to the room and talk separately."
Caesar also spoke to Spartacus, who was guarding Marcus.
"You're the famous Spartacus, aren't you? I've watched your game a few times, and there's no one like you in Rome. If you don't mind, why don't you come with me and tell me your story?"
Spartacus turned to Marcus.
As Marcus nodded, Spartacus followed Caesar inside.
Julia shook her head lightly as if embarrassed when she left only two so that she could see clearly.
"Father is also...… You're too explicit. If it was inconvenient, I'll apologize instead."
"No. This kind of position is supposed to be made explicit."
When he first meets Caesar, he asks Marcus if he has a fiance.
And as soon as he heard that there was no answer, he offered to invite him to his house later.
Since then, he has already been expecting this kind of position.
However, he did not think that Caesar's daughter was such an eye-catching girl and that she had already met him.
Marcus added a word with a faint smile.
"But three years ago, it was only for a short time, and I didn't expect you to remember me right away."
"For Marcus, I would have been a kid who bumped into me for a while, but it was a very embarrassing memory for me. I've never bumped into anyone else while running around like that in my life...…."
"Anyone would be so excited to hear that my father is coming back after a few years at a young age."
"Still, it was like a first impression, but I was a little worried that you showed such embarrassment. I was wondering if I was recognized as a tomboy by Marcus."
Markus's eyes glazed with interest.
Even three years ago, he felt that he was calm enough for his age, but now he feels even more so.
"What do you mean tomboy? At that time, I was already calm and proud. Of course, it's still. How old are you now?"
"I'm going to be twelve now."
"I'm going to have an coming-of-age ceremony soon, so there's a five-year difference. But you're so mature that I can't feel the age difference."
If she turns 12 soon, she will be just the age of a middle school student in modern times. Even so, it is not unreasonable to say that the way she speaks and the atmosphere she exudes is already close to that of an adult.
"Since I was little, my father was rarely in the house. Although he was an aristocrat, he was not very wealthy materially. Should I say that it couldn't help but be like this?"
"It was an environment where you had no choice but to become a mature."
Marcus could deeply sympathize with the situation. Maybe it's because he remembered that he had to solve everything alone in his previous life.
He felt a strange affinity for the girl with a bitter smile.
"But I don't blame my father. Thanks to my father, I can continue my life like this."
"Well, that's true."
Caesar's wife, Cornelia, was the daughter of Cinna, a populares leader.
Of course, Sulla, who took power and dried up the seeds of populares figures, also tried to deal with Caesar.
But Caesar was just an 18-year-old man who had just become an adult at the time. In addition, since he was a prestigious aristocrat, petitions were pouring from all sides to save his life.
Conscious of public opinion, Sulla set the condition that Caesar is divorced from his wife in exchange for his life.
Even those who asked for Caesar's life to be spared considered it a reasonable request.
At that time, he uprooted the Populares faction, and Cinna was already dead. There was no reason for Caesar to cling to his estranged wife.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Caesar flatly rejected Sulla's order.
Naturally, the furious Sulla tried to kill Caesar, and Caesar fled the country.
At that time, Sulla already wrote more than 5,000 people in the murder book and purged them without exception.
The young man, who is only 18 years old, refuted the heartless dictator's order.
"My father said he couldn't abandon his mother, who was pregnant at the time, but there was probably a separate reason. But anyway, my mother is deeply grateful to my father for that. So am I."
"That's understandable. Anyway, Caesar's guts must have been unique since he was young."
"That's why you're so carefree even if he is so indebted."
Julia secretly seemed to have accumulated something from Caesar.
She liked and appreciated her father, but apart from that, there seemed to be something she didn't like.
In fact, as a daughter, she has no choice but to hate her father for leaving her mother and playing with other married women.
"Haha..... You definitely have a bit of an overly free-spirited side."
Yes, I want him to live with just a little bit of confidence. Oh, but he's a father who has a lot to admire. It's surprisingly family-like. The provision department always looks at it in person."
"Didn't you go to school?"
"My grandmother taught me until secondary education. Now I'm getting a higher education from my father. Besides that, we often talk about various topics. Sometimes we discuss and share opinions."
Caesar's mother, Aurelia, comes from a prominent scholarly family.
While Roman women usually received no more than elementary education, Aurelia possessed more than a decent male aristocrat.
Her grandmother's influence must have contributed to Julia's ability to receive higher education.
Within Marcus, the evaluation of Julia rose once again.
In addition to her beautiful appearance, her personality was also family based on their conversation so far.
Above all, it was a great strength to have an intellectual level that could be Caesar's debate partner.
Of course, there is no way she, only 12, can debate on par with Caesar.
Perhaps he is teaching his daughter for the purpose of gifted education.
"I'm also curious about what topic you're talking about with Caesar. Do you talk about politics or military affairs?"
"I am not familiar with the military, so I mainly use politics or social issues as my subject. Recently, we talked about the trial of Verres and Cicero. Ah, the story about Marcus has often been a hot topic."
"My story?"
"Yes. My father is very interested in Marcus. Thanks to that, I naturally became interested in what kind of person you are."
This means that it did not come out simply because Caesar created it.
Her smile somehow made me feel comfortable.
It was a different type of charm from Danae, which exudes a seductive atmosphere.
Marcus was not in a bad mood at the attention she was showing.
It was because he liked Julia too.
After that, Marcus and Julia continued to talk about various topics.
This time, Julia mainly asked questions, and Marcus gave the answers.
The conversation lasted longer than expected and ended only late into the night.
It was a satisfying time, both publicly and privately.
* * *
Even after Marcus returned, Caesar's mansion was still busy.
Caesar sat across from Julia while Cornelia hired her servants to clean the messy house.
The friendly smile, which seemed somewhat exaggerated, had long disappeared as if it had washed away.
Julia opened her mouth first.
"As expected, it looks more suitable for you with that expression. Didn't Master Marcus think so too?"
"It was the attitude I showed to make you think that way in the first place. Since we will continue to cooperate with each other, we have to show our human side often. To make it look sloppy, I sneakily show the gaps."
"I see. I was wondering why you were so clumsy, but it was all a plan...."
"Marcus must have noticed that too. But the important thing is that he did that kind of acting, and he must have seen through all of my intentions. As long as my will is communicated, it doesn't matter to me."
Julia's eyes narrowed slightly. She was still innocent and did not like the idea of making such calculations in relationships with people.
Caesar, who understood her daughter's heart, gently soothed her.
"You don't have to care about this part. Every man has a temperament. You're wise, but you don't have any insidiousness, so it doesn't fit in with this. So treat people the way you want to treat them as you do now. Then everyone will like you."
"I don't really interact with people to get good feelings."
"Still, your eyes are extraordinary. In some ways, you might be more accurate than me. That's why I purposely attached you to Marcus."
As it was a fact she had already guessed, Julia also nodded lightly.
"I knew it. I was also very interested in him, so I had no complaints."
"How was it talking to you in person?"
To the father, who repeatedly asked questions, the daughter answered in a tone without hesitation.
"He was flawless, regardless of his personality or ability. I could clearly see why my father cared so much."
"Anything special?"
"It's hard to say it's a special thing...… I also felt that he was a very dangerous person."
"Danger? Didn't you say he were a person with no personal problems?"
Julia closed her mouth for a moment to find a suitable expression and then took it off.
"Danger doesn't mean that it's violent or that it's different inside and outside. He's essentially a gentle and rational person. And yet, he has a shrewd and cool-headed side. But if I think that's it, I'm sure I can make a fatal mistake. We have different values."
"When it comes to values, aren't all people different?"
"Yes. However, as we talked, there were times when I couldn't really see the inside of him, and I think it would be best not to use him at all until you fully understand him."
Caesar understood what Julia was trying to say.
Certainly, the most difficult types of dealing with people are neither the smart nor the cunning.
Those who did not respond as intended on this side were the most troublesome and dangerous.
If Marcus was such a person, he needed to be more careful, considering his background and ability.
Even if you consider it an ally, you may touch the reverse without knowing it.
"I will take your advice to heart. But then one of my plans goes a little awry...…."
"Are you talking about an arranged marriage?"
"Did you know?"
"It's strange not to know."
Julia didn't show much displeasure.
In any case, the majority of marriages at that time were political marriages, and it was not unfortunate to have a political marriage.
Objectively, Marcus was such a suitable groom that it would be strange to complain.
"I was going to marry you to either Pompeius or Marcus, although I haven't fully decided, of course."
"Are you Pompeius? I know he has his wife."
"Oh, well... I thought he might get divorced soon."
Julia glanced at Caesar, who was vaguely speaking. A sigh escaped naturally from her mouth.
"Father, don't tell me...…."
Caesar slightly turned his head away from Julia's gaze.
"That part is something you don't have to know yet."
"I'm so glad I didn't go to school. You had a relationship with my friend Claudia's mother before. I was so ashamed that I couldn't look Claudia in the eyes."
"Hmm... let's talk more about it later, and anyway, your candidates for the groom are the two, so think about which one would be better from now on."
Caesar's pilgrimage to women wasn't going to be fixed by what his daughter said. Knowing that Julia shook her head as if resigned.
"If you listen to my opinion, I think Marcus would be better than Pompeius."
"You said it was dangerous".
"Yes. Pompeius is definitely a person who was born with the prize of a hero that will never happen again. But I don't know what direction Marcus is going to go. Actually, that's why I'm a little more attracted."
"Yes, I also think that Marcus will be better if we look a little further into the future."
Caesar planned to keep Marcus on his side until the end. In order to do so, the most obvious way is to tie up a relationship with marriage. However, there was one problem.
Caesar continued explaining, rubbing his index finger and thumb with his eyes.
"Marcus is different from Pompeius, who can be handled by moderately raising him and stimulating his desire for fame. Rather, it could be a structure where you are dragged around."
It was entirely thanks to Caesar's education that Julia was overshadowed by her age of 12. Of course, he didn't put so much effort into his daughter for no reason.
Caesar saw right through that Julia resembled him and had genius qualities.
She was a daughter, so she could not be used as a successor, but she was a child who could be of further help.
No matter who she married, she taught with thorough care not to lose the initiative in the marital relationship.
However, if she married Marcus, that advantage might be overshadowed.
Caesar decided to weigh Marcus and Pompeius a little more.
* * *
The chaotic 70 B.C. has ended, and a new year has come.
As soon as the year changed, great good news came to the people living in Rome.
It was the news of victory that Lucullus, who was winning a series of victories in the East, had finally captured Tigranocerta, the capital of Armenia.
According to rumors, the number of troops led by Tigranes exceeded 100,000. This large army suffered a devastating defeat by Lucullus's force of less than 20,000.
Lucullus, a rising general who wins when he fights, is pushed all the way to the Caspian Sea.
As the East showed signs of calming down, naturally, the spirit of the pirates also slowed down, and the price of wheat began to drop tremendously.
In addition, the wheat price in Rome fell by almost half as wheat was coming in cheaply from Sicily.
Most Romans expected the price of wheat to fall even lower than it is now if he completely pacified the East.
What is the possibility that a miracle tactician who wins 100,000 with 20,000 will lose in the future?
Perhaps that's why people focused on consuming wheat without storing it.
Marcus finally decided that the time was ripe.
Warehouses built on a massive scale throughout the country were also completed immediately.
Marcus wrote a letter to Thaddeus, who would resell the wheat on his behalf, and handed it over to Septimus.
"Tell this to Thaddeus. Start immediately."
"How much do you want to buy?"
Markus' answer was concise.
"All of it."