CH 35

Chapter 35:  Gaius Julius Caesar 1

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Marcus couldn’t let go of the parchment for a long time.

Gaius Julius Caesar.

That name had various meanings for Marcus as well.

Caesar was an outstanding politician and a great strategist that ancient Rome had produced, as well as the best writer.

He had military talent that could rival Pompey, and literary skill that could match Cicero.

And yet, he used all his actions and even wars for political purposes as a born politician.

There were many people who showed exceptional talent in certain fields, but it was hard to find someone who was excellent in all fields like this.

In one word, he was a genius.

And he was one of the greatest geniuses in history that was hard to find.

The last book that Marcus had read in his previous life was also a heroic tale about Caesar.

Maybe that was why.

Marcus felt a different emotion when he saw the name Caesar.

‘Come to think of it, Caesar was also one of the most famous debtors in Rome.’

He had entrusted all his money lending business to someone else, so he didn’t notice it until later.

Danae mistakenly thought that the reason why Marcus was silent for a long time was because of the amount of money that Caesar had borrowed.

She apologized in a dejected voice as if she was ashamed.

“I’m sorry. I thoughtlessly kept lending him money… I’ll find a way to take responsibility and recover it somehow.”

“Huh? No, no. It’s okay. You don’t have to do that. Lending him money was actually a good thing.”

“Really? But still, isn’t the amount of money he borrowed too excessive…?”

“Well, it is, but I’ll be able to recover it all later.”

Marcus calmly answered and checked the amount of money that Caesar had borrowed.

And he momentarily wondered if he had seen it wrong, so he counted the digits again.

‘Is this guy really sane…?’

Marcus’s eyes twitched slightly as he pretended to be calm.

He understood why Danae was so restless when he saw the amount.

In fact, debt was not a big flaw for Roman politicians.

Unless they were very wealthy nobles, everyone had debts before they became successful.

Roman elections were practically money elections, so they couldn’t run without money.

And there were many times when they had to generously open their pockets to gain popularity among the citizens.

Sponsoring gladiator games or road repairs with their own money was quite common in Rome.

That’s why everyone thought it was natural for a politician to have a considerable debt.

The problem was that Caesar was still a rookie who hadn’t started politics properly at the age of 30.

He was just a young man who was about to run his first election.

How could he have such an absurd amount of debt?

‘He borrowed almost 20 million Sestertius and he’s asking for more money here?’

This time, Cicero demanded 40 million Sestertius as compensation from Verres.

That was the amount that the former governor of Sicily had to pay after committing an enormous embezzlement.

But a newcomer who hadn’t even stepped into politics had half of that debt.

Anyone could see that this wasn’t normal.

Rather, it was admirable that he had the guts to ask for more money shamelessly after having such a debt.

“What did he spend all the money he borrowed on?”

It wasn’t a question that he expected an answer, but an answer came back right away.

Danae had already done a lot of research on Caesar, who she marked as a person of interest.

“He mainly buys books and indulges in luxury, and uses them to buy gifts for his lovers.”

“That’s amazing. In many ways.”

“He said he would use the money he borrowed this time for the election. So he asked me to lend it to him as soon as possible…”

Danae couldn’t hide her disbelief as she spoke.

It was absurd that the person who borrowed money was not begging for it, but demanding it quickly.

“He seems to be a more cheerful person than I thought.”

“Cheerful? Isn’t he brazen?”

“Rather, he must have confidence. He is sure that he can pay back the money, so he is that bold.”

“…He certainly looked very confident.”

“But did he say anything else? Was that all he said, just asking for money?”

Danae quickly corrected herself with a surprised expression.

“He said he was grateful for lending him money and he would treat me once. He asked me to tell you that.”

“Does he want to meet in person? I’ll have to think about it.”

Marcus paused and organized his thoughts.

He had already decided what kind of relationship he would have with Caesar.

The problem was timing.

He wasn’t sure yet if meeting him now would be good or bad.

The meeting with Caesar would be different from Pompey or Cicero.

It was most important not to let him see through his disguise.

‘Well. There won’t be much difference if I delay it anyway.’

He had to go to Sicily with Cicero in a few days to collect evidence.

He wanted to finish everything that bothered him before that.

Marcus made up his mind and handed back the parchment with Caesar’s name on it to Danae.

“Keep lending him as much money as he wants. And I have to go to Sicily soon, so tell him I’ll see him before that.”

“Yes. I’ll do as you say.”

Danae quickly left the room without hesitation.

Marcus sighed lightly and picked up his reed pen again to deal with the piled-up work.

※※※※

The promised date came quickly.

Caesar strangely chose a large tavern as the meeting place, not his own house.

The upper class of Rome usually held banquets at their homes when they entertained someone.

They thought taverns were low-class places, and there were many people who never went there.

That was why Marcus had received cold stares when he often visited taverns in the past.

Maybe because of the social perception, Rome didn’t have many high-end taverns or restaurants.

There were popinas where they could eat a simple meal or take out food, and tavernas where they could enjoy drinks, food, gambling and prostitution at once.

Of course, not all tavernas were shabby places.

There were always some nobles or upper class people who preferred outside rather than home.

There were a few luxurious tavernas in Rome that met their needs.

The place that Caesar had chosen as the meeting place was also one of the most splendid tavernas in Rome.

Marcus headed to the designated place as usual with Septimus.

He was going to leave Danae behind because of the place, but she wanted to go with him, so he allowed her to join.

“There it is. That’s the taverna run by Tullius. I heard it’s the most popular place among the upper class.”

“Does that mean it’s good?”

“No, if you mean by quality. The food and drink are better at Zephyrus’s taverna across the street. This place is known for having the prettiest girls. And they are very good at entertaining.”

“I get what kind of place it is.”

Marcus chuckled and followed Septimus.

As they entered the lavishly decorated building, a row of slaves greeted them loudly.

“Take us to the fourth floor.”

A middle-aged man bowed politely and answered Septimus’s words.

“I’m sorry. The fourth floor is rented out by a VIP. There are seats on the second and third floors, so why don’t you enjoy yourselves there?”

“Ahh, that’s fine. We have an appointment with that VIP on the fourth floor.”

“Oh, you’re his guests. I’m sorry for not recognizing you. I’ll take you upstairs right away.”

They received a grand welcome from the slaves as Marcus climbed up the stairs.

He could hear the laughter of women and music from above.

‘So he rents out a whole floor and enjoys himself like this? No wonder his debt is piling up.’

There was no record that Caesar always drank with women.

But from his spending like this, he could indirectly guess how extravagant he was.

It was amazing that this person was a frugalist in public.

Marcus and his party reached the fourth floor.

Women in thin clothes that revealed everything danced, and musicians played tibia and lyra.

It was no exaggeration to say that he was enjoying a private party by himself.

When Marcus arrived, the music stopped and the women also stopped dancing.

On the other side, there was a man who was lying down and exuding a decadent atmosphere.

The neatly arranged toga hem stood out in the messy scene.

He was talking to a woman sitting next to him, and he slowly lifted his face.

He wasn’t as handsome as Pompey.

He wasn’t a masculine beauty like Marcus either.

But his eyes were intellectual and wild, and they caught people’s attention.

His mysterious eyes watched Marcus walking towards him.

A languid but powerful voice came out of his thin lips.

“Is this the first time we see each other in person? You’re more handsome than I thought, moneylender.”

He didn’t sound like a debtor at all.

He was confident.

Marcus’s eyes sparkled.

The man’s voice continued slowly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Gaius Julius Caesar.”

Marcus nodded lightly and sat down across from Caesar.

“I’m Marcus Licinius Crassus II. I’m glad to meet you in person.”

Caesar smiled and gestured to the woman next to him.

She poured wine into the cup in front of Marcus.

“I’m glad to see you too. You may not remember it because you were young, but I’ve seen you once before.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It was when I went to borrow money from the Crassus family. I ran into you then, but you’re a completely different person now.”

There was a strange tone in Caesar’s words.

He couldn’t have known that Marcus’s soul had changed, but he still had a keen eye for something different.

“I hear that often. I’ve grown up and matured a lot.”

“Not only in personality, but also in ability. The whole Rome is buzzing about the things you made.”

“Are you talking about the carriage and the harness?”

“Of course, those too, but I was more amazed by the stirrups and the horseshoes.”

Thud.

Marcus’s body froze for a moment as he was about to bring the wine to his mouth.

The stirrups and the horseshoes were not officially his inventions.

He didn’t want to attract too much attention for military items, so he gave all the credit to Crassus.

Pompey had doubted that Crassus had that kind of talent, but he dismissed it as a coincidence.

But Caesar casually saw through that the stirrups and the horseshoes were Marcus’s inventions.

‘Is he bluffing?’

Marcus tried to act as nonchalant as possible and tilted his head.

“Those were made by my father and Septimus here behind me. I just helped them.”

“Is that so. That’s because those are military items, so you don’t want to draw too much attention. You’re very thoughtful.”

A shiver ran through Marcus’s body.

He wasn’t bluffing.

He felt like he had unraveled all his intentions with just one conversation.

It was a strange feeling that he had never felt before in his life.

He was awed by his opponent’s insight, and his lips dried up.

He was different from anyone he had met before.

He couldn’t even be aware of the gazes of Septimus and Danae behind him.

Marcus focused all his attention on the person in front of him.

He had tried hard to keep his expression and voice from falling apart in any situation.

Thanks to that, he could maintain his calmness even if he was inwardly confused.

“What is your basis for such a deduction?”

Even though he hit the mark, Marcus’s attitude still seemed relaxed.

Caesar’s eyes showed a hint of admiration.

He smiled and lifted his cup.

“I know your father very well. He’s a decent politician and a brilliant businessman. But unfortunately, his military understanding is dismal… no, a bit lacking.”

“But you don’t need such deep knowledge to develop a stirrups or a horseshoes.”

“No. Those are things that you can’t even conceive without understanding horses. Invention requires knowledge to back it up. You can’t make something out of nothing. I met your father occasionally after the slave revolt and talked to him, and I was sure. The stirrups and the horseshoes are not his work.”

“……”

“Besides, you followed the rebel suppression even though you were underage. That’s why I was sure that you made those things. You wanted to observe the performance of the items you introduced, and find possible improvements, didn’t you?”

He sounded so confident as if he had seen it himself.

Marcus chuckled inwardly and nodded.

“That’s impressive.”

“I was very interested in you. I wondered how you could come up with such things at such a young age. And when I saw that you revamped the carriage and the harness as well, I was more amazed and curious.”

Caesar emptied his cup and asked with an unfading smile.

“You, how far can you see?”