Cicero's mansion was located on the same Palatine Hill as that of Crassus.
Of course, he didn't live here from the beginning.
After coming to Rome from a rural area, he first lived in the house of Suburra, which he received from his family.
Still, he, who gained the reputation of being the best lawyer in Rome, cannot stay in Suburra forever.
Shortly after the trial of Verres, he acquired his longed-for home on Palatine Hill.
Although he owed a large amount of debt, it was not burdensome, thanks to Marcus' interest-free loan.
"Haha, but I didn't have anything to do with no interest at all...…."
"We have to do this much between us. You don't have to be burdened."
Impressed by this favor, Cicero went around praising Marcus whenever he had time.
Perhaps thanks to the establishment of a mansion on Palatine Hill, Cicero's house was crowded with huge daily crowds.
Clientes who want to counsel, young intellectuals who respect Cicero, and even clients who have come to complain about their injustice have come to his mansion.
Cicero listened to everyone who came to him.
However, the gate of the mansion, which was always open, did not accept outsiders as much as today.
This is because a meeting of young intellectuals hosted by Cicero was being held.
The faces of the participants were spectacular.
Most of them were children of high-ranking aristocrats in Rome.
Several senators of the same age as Cicero were also seen.
As soon as they received Cicero's invitation, they were also in a hurry to comply.
To that extent, Cicero's reputation in Rome today was great.
The young men scattered around the spacious mansion to talk and enjoy meals.
Among them, the promising ones, whom Cicero was paying special attention to, had a separate dinner in the main house.
Marcus, of course, had a meal with Cicero.
The food was all fresh and of good quality, but not as colorful as Cicero's reputation.
This was not because Cicero was stingy or lacking in vision.
This is because he intentionally excluded fancy food in consideration of the aristocrats' tendency to attend the meeting.
The aim was exactly right.
Many of the young people currently in this space were adherents of Stoicism.
This was not a coincidence.
Among the young aristocrats who were obsessed with republicanism, there were many people who fell for the Stoics.
Many of those who followed the Stoic philosophy abhorred hedonism and pursued a restrained and frugal life.
In the case of Cicero, he was not a Stoic, but he was close to the Platonic Academy influenced by him.
Perhaps that is why he maintained good relations with the Stoic philosophers.
Of course, a native of the plebeian, he did not like those who were prestigious aristocrats from the root.
Even if they were members of the same senate, they did not recognize plebeian senators as equal opponents.
Cicero has been twisted inside, but on the surface, he has been trying to keep a good relationship.
He would not have had enough influence to host such an event without such efforts.
There was also this reason why Cicero maintained a close relationship with Marcus.
A plebeian with a poor political base should have a strong supporter.
Marcus was an ideal partner for Cicero.
'He has a clear personality and he's into republicanism, so there's no ideological conflict.'
Cicero claimed to be Marcus' ideological guardian and introduced him to various aristocrats.
Marcus also had little interaction with the young aristocrats of his age, so he matched himself with Cicero.
"You must have heard a lot of rumors about the eldest son of Crassus, right? This man is too busy to come to meetings like this, but he finally gets to attend like this."
"Cicero personally invited us, but of course we have to put everything aside and run."
"Hahaha, I'm shrugged to hear you say that. Now, let me introduce you to the others. This is Decimus Brutus. A young man who is intelligent and determined."
A young man who looked one or two years younger than Marcus politely extended his arm.
"I'm Decimus Brutus. I'm familiar with the rumor. It's nice to meet you like this."
Marcus smiled kindly and grabbed Decimus' arm.
"Nice to meet you."
It lined up information about Decimus Brutus in Marcus' mind.
Decimus Brutus is known as a capable commander of the Gallian War under Caesar.
He is the same Brutus but different from Brutus, who led Caesar's assassination.
Of course, he did not lead but also participated in Caesar's assassination.
He is a distant relative of Caesar and has been on the rise with Caesar's halo. Nevertheless, he participated in Caesar's assassination, was criticized as a symbol of ungratefulness, and eventually fell miserably.
In any case, since he participated in the assassination of Caesar, he would have been a person who basically pursued the republic system.
It wasn't strange to be in this meeting.
The next person Cicero brought was a face that Marcus knew well.
Without waiting for the introduction, he approached with a welcome smile and put his hand on Marcus' shoulder.
"Long time no see. How have you been?"
"How many years has it been, Cassius? I heard you went to Greece to study, but are you back now?"
"I've been studying in Rhodes and just came back a year ago. When I came back to Rome, I heard quite a lot of your rumors."
Cassius Longinus was one of his childhood friends.
He also accompanied him when he went down to Capua to capture Spartacus.
In childhood, he enjoyed a life of debauchery and decadence, but when he was reunited after a long time, he was completely different from before.
Totally absorbed in Greek philosophy, he had become a passionate republican.
'Come to think of it, this guy was one of Caesar's assassins, right?'
Cassius did not come from such a great family, but he was a man of exceptional ability.
The fact that Cicero invited him to this kind of event made it possible to guess that the reputation around him would be quite good.
The two people, who met after a long time, talked in a quiet place.
Cassius poured directly diluted wine into Marcus' glass.
"I'm so glad to see you again. And most of all, I'm most glad that you and I are not the immature ones before."
"Because I was young then."
"When I think about it, it was pathetic days. But I'm glad I woke up late. From now on, I'm going to use everything I can to protect the values of the Republic. How about you? To be here means you feel the same way as us, right?"
An incomprehensible smile crept across Marcus' lips.
He brought the glass in his hand to his lips, drank it down, and put the glass down proudly.
"I have no intention of saying this or that with my words. Wouldn't it be enough to show it with action?"
"As expected, you had a big-hearted side from before. In fact, it can be said that there is no need to say anything about being close with Cicero. My thoughts were short."
"By the way, what is your relationship with Cicero?"
"He's a man I respect. To be honest, I had a slight sense of inferiority in the fact that I'm not a great family. However, he is not even an aristocrat, so he proudly came to this position only with his own ability."
Cassius' eyes, telling the story of Cicero, were full of envy and yearning.
He clenched his fists and spoke in a tone full of conviction.
"And wouldn't the greatness of this republican system be explained just by the fact that a successful case like Cicero comes out? If Rome was still a monarchy, a commoner like Cicero or a simple aristocrat like me wouldn't have dreamed of getting ahead."
"Well... that's true."
Marcus had no intention of denying the merits of a republic.
In fact, the extreme republicans in Rome were largely divided into two categories.
The first is the elite aristocrats, who have been the top class since birth.
Among the faction commonly called the Optimates, they are also known as the powerful.
And the second, like Cicero, are newcomers whose ancestors have never passed through a high-ranking official. They were often called Novus Homo. In this class, where the majority were plebeians, there were surprisingly many deep-rooted republicans.
The reason is simple.
This is because those who have reached the upper class of society with their own abilities have no choice but to have affection for the system that gave them a chance.
Even in modern times, it was not uncommon for the self-made rich to become conservative.
To these republicans, dictators would be seen as demons trying to destroy their precious homes.
Cassius asked in a subdued voice, filling Marcus' empty glass.
"By the way, don't you have any thoughts of getting married? Usually, everyone is getting news by now, but you're the only one who doesn't have that kind of rumor."
"I have to. I am thinking about it carefully now."
"If it were you, there would be marriage talks coming one after another from an enormous family, so it would be hard work just to choose. Oh, by the way, is the Thracian girl I saw before also a candidate? I think she'd be a great beauty by now."
"Well..."
No matter how freed slaves were, they rarely married aristocrats.
Such cases sometimes occur, but they are extremely exceptional cases.
"Other aristocrats will suffer, but I don't think it's something to be criticized for. In fact, the person I admire is also has a great-grandmother as former freed slave."
"She doesn't want to marry me anyway. To be exact, I don't think I should."
"That's true... If you're in your position, you'll have to choose a bride more carefully. A smart kid would consider all your circumstances."
Marcus nodded, slightly puzzled.
In fact, he, too, was seriously thinking about deciding on a marriage partner.
He had already spoken to Danae about this matter.
Even so, recently, she has taken off her girlish shirt and begun to acquire a woman's charm.
Quite a few people among the equites wanted to marry her.
Even his younger brother, Publius, tried to touch Danae once.
It wasn't the first time or two that Marcus also felt awkward when being attended to in the bath.
To be honest, he felt the same way. That's quite a lot, too.
In addition, the younger brother's work made his possessive desire boil even stronger.
While attending a bath, Danae met Marcus' eyes and guessed his feelings.
She was intelligent and did not want to monopolize Marcus from the beginning. She knew from the start that it was impossible.
Feeling a sense of crisis over her work with Publius, she expressed her honest feelings.
"I know well that I can't be your wife. But I want you to be my first, young master. It won't...… would you?"
Who in the world can say no after hearing such a thing?
Marcus did Danae a favor.
The next thing was so intense that it was a little difficult to recall in front of Cassius.
Marcus, who escaped from his thoughts, intentionally changed the subject.
"But didn't your wife come from a fairly prestigious family?"
"Do you mean Junia? That's right. She changed my life. Oh, there was someone I was going to introduce to you, and he's just over there."
Cassius jumped out of his seat and waved at the young man passing by nearby.
"Brother-in-law, this way!"
The young man, who was called a brother-in-law by Cassius, was a handsome man with a flowing charm.
The clothes he was wearing were not very fancy, but the quality of the fabric itself was very good.
Anyone could tell that he was a young master of a prestigious aristocratic family.
"Here you are, brother-in-law."
The young man greeted him with a bright smile.
He was a man who people naturally liked because of his elegant tone and good impression.
Cassius brought another glass and handed it over to the young man.
"Did I ever tell you before? This friend is the eldest son of the Crassus family. Come to think of it, his name is Marcus, just like you."
"I know. I was watching the Verres trial closely."
The young man turned to Marcus and held out his arm.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Marcus Junius Brutus. I was very impressed by your testimony at the Verres trial. It's an honor to meet you like this."
It was a polite and respectful greeting. It revealed high dignity from the way he spoke.
However, Marcus was more interested in the young man's name than that.
Marcus Junius Brutus.
This is the name that caught his eye when he received an invitation from Septimus.
It had to be.
He is one of the key figures who would later lead the assassination of Caesar.
Although he conspired with Cassius, the name handed down to later generations was overwhelmingly famous for Brutus.
Even in modern times, there is no one who does not know the affinity of 'Brutus, even you' left by Caesar.
In fact, it is widely believed that Caesar did not say such a thing, but it was true that Caesar cared for Brutus.
This is because he was the son of Servilia, the most beloved of Caesar's lovers.
However, Brutus did not like Caesar's kindness.
This is why he had to suffer from rumors that he was Caesar's illegitimate child all his life.
Brutus' family was the gens Junius, which was praised as the most prestigious family even at the end of the Republic.
The blood of Lucius Junius Brutus, who overthrew the Roman monarchy and founded a republic, flowed through his body.
It is said that Brutus took great pride in his bloodline, and this led him to become a zealous republican.
Marcus looked at Brutus and Cassius alternately and smiled inwardly.
'Decimus, Cassius, Brutus. This is all the original assassins.'
Should the gathering of young Republicans be considered unique from the beginning?
Putting them together like this made him feel a little creepy.
In any case, considering the future, he should have as good a relationship as possible with them.
Marcus took Brutus' arm and smiled at him.
"It is an honor to meet the heir of the Junius gens, who can be said to be the root of the republic."
"What do you mean an honor? Unlike Crassus, I haven't achieved anything yet. I deserve to be reprimanded to work harder in the future so as not to be ashamed of my great ancestors."
Brutus called Marcus, Crassus. Maybe it is because his name is Marcus, too.
"You're too modest. Cicero must have invited you because you have an abilities worthy of the family name."
"I am grateful to Cicero for taking good care of me. I intend to do my best to live up to your expectations."
"Have you known Cicero for a long time?"
"Yes, I'm personally acquainted. But he's a little awkward with my uncle...… I'm wondering if I can't play a mediating role in the middle."
If it was Brutus' maternal uncle, Marcus was also familiar.
It is a character called Marcus Porcius Cato, otherwise known as Cato the Younger.
Cato the Younger was also one of those whom Marcus was keeping an eye on as a person of interest.
He is called Cato the Younger because he has the same name as his ancestor, Marcus Porcius Cato.
Therefore, the ancestors were called Cato the Elder and descendants as Cato the Younger.
Cato the Elder is a famous commentator for keeping the famous Scipio Africanus in check.
He lived to the age of 80 and later freed his slave Salonia and married her again.
The genealogy from Salonia flows directly to Cato the Younger.
Suddenly, the words Cassius had just said flashed through Marcus' mind.
'The respected person Cassius mentioned must have been referring to Cato.'
Cato the Younger, like his ancestors, was also a man with a strong belief that he should protect the republic.
He was such a staunch republican that he criticized Sulla for his dictatorship to strengthen the republic.
"Both Cato and Cicero have the same belief that they are for the Republic, but they seem to be at odds with each other. It's a pity."
"Yes. There seems to be a delicate conflict of pride between the two."
"Hmm.... Still, since both of them truly have the same heart for the sake of the Republic, they will be of the same mind later."
"Yes. I hope so too."
The more he talked, the more Brutus' image was different from what Marcus had imagined.
He was much more humble than he thought and a good-natured young man.
He could see why he was highly evaluated for his poor military talent in Rome, which values military merits.
It was hard to believe that such a sincere young man later failed to grasp reality and chose the worst means of assassination.
But if you think about it differently, that's what faith is.
Killing one person over ideological differences would be counted as a rather trivial conflict in human history.
More than 2,000 years from now, mankind will start wars due to ideological differences, and millions of people will die.
It wasn't very pleasant, but this was the reality.
Marcus, Cassius, and Brutus talked about various topics for a long time.
Among them, by far the most talked about was the pirate problem that is now troublesome in Rome.
Cassius sighed heavily and lamented.
"Pirates have recently appeared on the Appian Way. Of course, they were beheaded immediately, but it was not difficult to understand how proud the pirates were."
"It is as the brother-in-law said. And the biggest problem right now is that these pirates show no signs of slowing down. I'm honestly not sure there will be enough wheat coming into Rome next year. To the extent that people around me are buying wheat at random, no matter how expensive it is."
Marcus sipped the wine pretending not to know.
"But fortunately, it didn't seem to be a close shortage."
"As Crassus said, we are holding on somehow. But when I thought about the future, I couldn't help but feel anxious."
Most of the aristocrats in Rome now thought like Brutus. No matter how expensive wheat was on the market, no matter how much it was, the aristocrats opened their pockets just in case.
Thanks to this, even if Thaddeus gradually increased the supply of wheat, the price remained unchanged.
At this rate, he might be able to sell all the wheat before next year.
Cassius and Brutus, who never dreamed of this situation, are just anxious about the reality of the moment.
"This is all because Lucullus could not finish off Mithridates."
"That's right. Oh, my gods, to think that even though he had won such a battle, his subordinates went on strike. How on earth did he build his reputation on a daily basis?"
"Only when Lucullus ends Mithridates will these pirates calm down...…."
It was an open secret that everyone in the world knew that Mithridates supported pirates.
The situation will definitely be better than it is now if they destroy Mithridates and cut off the pirates' purse strings.
However, it cannot be a complete solution unless the root cause is rooted out.
Marcus made that very point.
"Cassius, even if Mithridates dies, the ships and navigators that already prepared by the pirates will not disappear. So it would be better to wipe out the pirates first than Mithridates."
"But now the pirates have advanced bases all over the Mediterranean. How can we wipe out those who are running around in all directions?"
"Well... it's a specific means, I don't know. But we all know who can devise that means."
Cassius' eyebrows twitched upward.
"Surely...?"
"Yes, it can't be helped, but Rome will have no choice but to rely on another hero. To a great strategist named Pompeius Magnus."
Brutus and Cassius' expressions were stained with misery. But they couldn't even refute a word.
The reality doesn't allow it, even if you try to stop one person's dominance.
The wind of the times was blowing toward Pompeius again.