A Downpour of Silver

A skilled farmer pays special attention not only to sowing but also to harvesting.

Marcus meticulously took care not only of the new business he was about to implement but also of the existing business entrusted to Septimus.

"How's the gladiator-related business going? Didn't you have an exhibition match a while ago?"

"Yes, I chose a gladiator who will play as a representative in the regional competition. When he entered the national team selection, citizens' interest was different from before. He benefited greatly from the recent ranking match and Titulus (Title) match. This was a huge contribution to Spartacus."

"That's the result I expected. Spartacus is the best Stella in Rome right now."

After the Spartacus-themed play was performed, his popularity could not be expressed in words.

On the day of the game, people flocked to the amphitheater to the extent that they couldn't handle it, and there was a fight to get a good seat.

Thanks to this, Spartacus had to cover his face when he went out on the street.

Of course, there were times when things were troublesome because of people who recognized and followed like ghosts.

Marcus smiled pleasantly and told him that it was a popular life, so he had to live with some of it.

Spartacus was initially awkward about gaining such enthusiastic popularity, but now he's much used to it.

Marcus has now drastically reduced the number of Spartacus matches.

It was for the rarity of the game.

Because using this popularity as a stepping stone, it was possible to achieve exchanges between regions.

From the selection of gladiators to represent Rome to the movement and conditioning of gladiators, it has become to promoting the game and coordinating schedules with the opposing cities.

Septimus, who is in charge of the auctors, had his eyes full of overwork.

Still, unlike his tired body, his expression was full of vitality because the results were amazing.

"The biggest problem was getting in touch with the region where we will be hosting the exhibition matches, but fortunately Pompeii showed quite an interest. Thanks to that, the publicity was good, and the match went very smoothly."

"So what is the reaction? Was there quite a response?"

"It wasn't that much. To be honest, I thought that something could happen at this rate."

Septimus shook his head with his tongue sticking out.

Pompeii has been an ally of Rome since more than 200 years ago.

However, about 20 years ago, during the Social War, it was conquered by Sulla and completely subordinated to Rome.

Did such a background arouse a strange sense of competitiveness?

The reaction of Pompeii citizens was different from the previous gladiatorial games.

"Because fighting on behalf of the region is symbolic. Isn't that what you expected?"

"It's not to that extent. You'll never understand this unless you've seen it in person. First of all, the number of safety personnel must be increased. When Pompeii was defeated, I was nervous that the citizens might be riot."

"Anyway, I guess the result of the match was Rome's victory."

"Yes, we did win in the end. Still, the game went pretty tight, maybe Pompeii sent out the chosen elite. In the game we won, I was so excited that I thought the amphitheatre would collapse."

"That's how hot the response is...…."

Marcus crossed his arms and nodded his head.

It seems that the people's love for their hometown of this era differed from that of the present day.

'Did I give birth to Italy's first hooligan?'

Septimus reported that the amount of silver coins poured into the gambling table was incomparable to the usual.

The amount of money that was taken as a commission alone was eye-opening.

The defeated gladiators were cursed with a rip-off, but they did not tell them to die.

Even if he lost like an elite gladiator, it is not only because he fought fiercely and played a good game.

Citizens remained calm even though blood rose to their heads.

It was because it was not something to ask gladiators who came on behalf of other regions to kill their local representatives.

Besides, being angry means being angry, but shouldn't we win the next game first? Only Killing them weakens their power as a result. Citizens urged the Ludus Magnus to grow stronger gladiators.

This part was what Marcus expected exactly.

"It seems that the result of the regional competition has already been rumored here and there. I have been contacted first by Capua, Aprutium and Tarantum. I am begging you to include them as well. Even Mediolanum in the north and Agrigentum in Sicily are showing interest."

"Really? This is going to be much bigger than I thought. But Agrigentum and Mediolanum are too far away...…."

Mediolanum is located in the northernmost part of the Italian Peninsula, and Agrigentum is located in Sicily below the Italian Peninsula.

Even if you don't know about modern transportation, it was impossible to use the means of transportation in ancient times.

However, throwing away cities that expressed their intention to participate was also a waste.

At that moment, a brilliant idea came to mind in Marcus' head.

There doesn't have to be one regional league, right? Like the modern U.S. and Japanese baseball leagues, it's enough to divide them into two.

Marcus spread the map and drew the line with his hands.

"Let's divide the Foedus (League) into the north and south. And let the winners of each region play the final match at the end. It's hard to go back and forth between the north and the south several times, but it'll be possible if it's about once."

"Indeed... the final match will be a showdown that will determine the true strongest city. I can't imagine how hot the atmosphere will be."

"Silver coins will pour as much as the atmosphere is heating up. We can enjoy watching it."

"The young master's skill is amazing. These days, I'm so surprised that I'm afraid I'll become rather calm."

In fact, Marcus, who is only using the wisdom of mankind accumulated to the present day, is slightly guilty.

He coughed up and naturally changed the subject.

"Let's stop talking about this, and how are the preparations I said going?"

"Are you talking about preliminary preparations for the bulk purchase of wheat? I've found the right merchant as you ordered. And we're also purchasing large quantities of wheat storage in dry areas."

"All right, good job. We are going to buy wheat as soon as we have it at the end of this year, so please be sure to prepare it so that there is no problem. And above all, you have to pay attention to storage."

"Wouldn't it be better to wait a little longer? If the East settles down anyway, wheat prices will stabilize over a long period of time, so why do we have to jump in right away next year?…."

Septimus challenged Marcus' opinion after a long time indeed.

He followed what the young master told him, but he couldn't understand it, no matter how much he thought about it.

Marcus did not blame Septimus for this.

Anyone with a cool-headed mind should, of course, react like this.

He needed blind followers like Danae and Spartacus, but the presence of subordinates like Septimus was essential.

Marcus is not a god, so he sometimes makes mistakes. At that time, the existence of a person who could objectively point out was very precious.

"I fully understand what you're thinking. You may well feel that way. But everyone has that idea, so you can make a huge amount of money."

"I know that the gamble rule always ends badly."

"This is not a gamble. It's a business with confidence. You'll understand naturally by next year. Trust me for now."

"...Yes. Actually, I'm still not convinced, but I'll carry it out as you say."

This is why accumulated trust is an important law.

Septimus, who would have opposed it if it had been a few years ago, followed Marcus' words for now.

Wheat has low moisture activity, so it can be stored indoors for two years and is enough for three years to maintain in a dry environment.

If you make good use of this opportunity, it will be possible to double your assets.

However, Marcus decided to resell the wheat through other merchants rather than himself.

Because wheat was the staple food of the Romans, there was a concern that if you inflated your property with these essential groceries, you might get a bad look.

In management, it is important to make high profits in a short period of time, but you need to know how to look further than that.

It seemed much better to find someone who would take the blame instead, even if he slightly reduced the rate of return.

"Now, lastly, the carriage and wagon...…."

Marcus tried to continue the conversation, but he glanced away.

It was because of Spartacus' wife, Cellini, who cautiously poked her head through the crack in the door.

She was waiting at the room's door, holding a steaming bowl.

Perhaps because she was officially married to Spartacus and felt more at ease, she regained almost all of her former beauty.

Seeing that Danae became more beautiful as she grew older, he wondered if all Thracians were originally pretty.

"If you're busy, should I come back a little later? I brought it because I thought it would be better to taste it before it gets cold.…."

"No, I'm glad you came. Let's take a breather and talk about the rest."

When Marcus gestured, Cellini placed the bowl she was holding on the desk.

The bowl contained a soup that looked very similar to Marcus' favorite gukbap.

The smell was subtly different, but you passed once you looked at the visuals.

"It's hot, so be careful. It will taste much better than last time. I'm not sure if it's the taste you want yet."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you for the food."

Marcus carefully picked up the bowl and took it to his mouth with half expectation and half worry.

Although it was slightly different, it felt much closer to the taste in his memory than before.

Marcus emptied the bowl with satisfaction. He asked, handing the empty bowl to Cellini.

"Although it is a little different, I am very satisfied. It's incomparably better than last time, so how did you do it?"

"Last time, I didn't take the blood out of the bone properly, so even if I sprayed pepper, the smell didn't get caught properly. So this time, I thoroughly drained the blood and put in the fragrant bay leaves and pepper. And when it boiled, I lowered the heat and removed the residue from the top."

"Wow, it must have taken a lot of work."

Marcus, who was ignorant of cooking, thought that all he had to do was boil pork bones and make soup.

When he asked for a favor like that, the smell was so strong that he couldn't eat it.

Cellini improved the result with her own knowledge and achieved this level of achievement.

Of course, considering the price of pepper in Rome, this gukbap was never for the common people.

'Gukbap that is not for ordinary people is meaningless...…. Since there's no rice in the first place, it's not gukbap, right?'

Rice began to be produced in the Italian Peninsula around the 15th century.

Marcus thought of Risotto and was under the illusion that Italy would have rice.

So, in a hurry, I made a substitute for rice in a similar way to couscous, but there was something subtle about this.

'Yeah. Shall we just bring in rice from the east and grow it? I think the Romans will like it if they make and sell dishes like risotto.….'

Marcus, who had been delusional for a while, soon shook his head to correct his priorities.

Now was not the time to lose time to rice or anything.

This is because there were a lot of crops that had to be brought in.

Marcus decided to double-check the topic he had talked about before.

"Septimus, what's going on with the crops I told you to bring in?"

"Oh, that thing called sugarcane. I sent the merchants, but as you know, they haven't returned yet because it's too far away. I told them to bring as much quantity as possible, so they will be able to grow it here."

"Yes, yes. It really needs extra care. It's an important item that can change Roman food culture to its roots."

He still used the method of using sucrose collected by weaving the stems of sugar cane in India at that time.

It was in the future, long after the Crusades, that sugar made using it was delivered to Europe in earnest.

But Marcus felt that, above all else, he had to bring the sugarcane into Rome first.

It wasn't just to sell sugar to get money.

It was because of the lead poisoning problem that it seriously spread among Roman aristocrats.

Rome produced so much lead that it was equivalent to Europe during the Industrial Revolution and used it in real life.

Even the aqueducts that brought water were made of lead.

But it didn't matter that much. This is because water with a calcareous component coated the surface.

So the plebeians rarely suffered from lead poisoning.

The problem was the wealthy who used this lead as a food ingredient.

When wine is put in lead containers and heated, it produces soft sugar, which the Romans used as a condiment in cooking.

If you continue to eat these foods, you will naturally develop lead poisoning.

Marcus was horrified to see the actual use of this part in cooking.

As of that day, all lead-based cooking at the Crassus mansion was banned.

And Marcus devised a way to kill two birds with one stone to solve this problem and make a lot of money.

That was the introduction of sugar.

Fortunately, the northern cultivation limit of sugar cane is near the Mediterranean Sea, so it was able to harvest enough in Rome.

"Septimus, investigate as many people as you can who have been seriously ill from eating annual sugar around the time the sugarcane is growing. People will find alternatives only when we show them the harm of lead poisoning."

"Yes, but does the reed of such a plant really taste sweet?"

"If you look at the Greek records, it is clear. Alexandros the Great was also surprised to hear that there was an area where he got honey from reeds."

"I think that would surprise anyone."

"So it's a revolution. Why would I have sent people all the way there by pouring money?"

The price of early sugar will inevitably be high, but the class that will consume it will be aristocrats and equites, so there is no problem.

Instead, plebeians will enjoy the superiority of eating expensive products that they cannot eat. It's historically the same.

The regional gladiatorial competition and food court, plus sugar production.

The illusion of silver pouring down like rain naturally passed through Marcus' head.

Of course, this is not the end. There was still one more improvement that Marcus made with all his heart and soul.

He got up from his seat after cleaning his mouth with the fruit Cellini had brought.

"Since we had enough rest, shall we go back to work? Cellini is here just in time, so it's better to see it in person and hear what you think. Both of you come with me."

"Yes?"

"Oh, is the prototype already out?"

Unlike Cellini, who is puzzled, Septimus shows considerable interest and follows Marcus.

"Yeah. I just got a call that they finished it today. You can count on it. Soon all the wagons and carriages that exist in Rome will be replaced by this new model."

Marcus led the two to Vitruvius' lab with a confident smile.

A new carriage equipped with a leaf spring suspension has finally been completed.

Following the stirrups and horseshoes, the moment has come to give another great shock to Roman society.

At first glance, there was no structural change in the new carriage that Marcus was so confident of.

Septimus and Cellini, who were called to listen to the impressions, as well as Danae, who joined in the middle, could not readily find out what had changed.

Danae, who had been looking for a long time, opened her mouth in an unconfident tone.

"Uh... It looks a little heavier than the carriage you used to ride?"

"That's right. If the carriage is light, the speed may increase, but the stability decreases. On paved roads, the heavier the weight, the better the ride and the higher the stability. Of course, if it's too heavy, the movement becomes slow, so it's important to find the right spot."

The new carriages have given priority to high-end models for sale to wealthy aristocrats.

Thanks to the weight gain, he made the carriage door stronger and paid a lot of attention to the seats.

Cellini and Danae, who have sat in the carriage, praised the feeling of sitting and looking more luxurious.

However, Septimus, looking around the carriage, did not take away his suspicious gaze.

"If you increase the weight, it's natural to be stable. But wouldn't that put too much pressure on the horses? Isn't there a reason why other craftsmen haven't increased their weight so far?"

"That's a good point. Of course, you can't just add weight. We need to make sure the horses have enough strength to bear the weight of the wagon. In fact, this part could be called a real innovation."

When Marcus signaled, Vitruvius connected the horses to the new carriage. Septimus, who was looking closely at the figure, soon could see what had changed.

"Has the tool connecting the carriage and the horse changed?"

"Yes, to be exact, we replaced the harness extensively. Of course, I'm going to register this as a patent, too."

"The line on the neck has been moved toward the chest."

"I saw it exactly. I made sure that the towing point is on the shoulder, not on the neck. This way, no matter how heavy the load is, there is no pressure on the horse's neck. Of course, you'll be able to drag your luggage with a lot more power. This harness will bring tremendous innovation not only in pulling carriages but also in freight transportation."

The harness used in ancient times was a crude structure that hung a string around the horse's neck.

Even when taking a dog for a walk, it was a form that caused a severe sense of incongruity to modern people who hang the rope not on the neck but on the back.

The Romans knew this well, so they tried to reduce the pressure on the horse by attaching a yoke to the pole, but it didn't have much effect.

As soon as Marcus saw the harness strangling the horses, he thought he should improve it with the carriage.

In fact, it was easy if you knew the concept.

In fact, harnesses made by Marcus have been widely used in the West since the Medieval.

The improvement of this harness does not simply mean that the horses have become better at pulling loads.

As the horse labor force has increased, they can actively use it for cargo transportation and agriculture.

The implications of this were huge.

The new carriages will take some time to spread throughout Rome, but the harness will replace all existing items in a few years.

Of course, he did not think that the ripple effect of the wagon was so lacking.

In fact, Septimus, Danae, and Cellini, who has ridden a horse-riding carriage, were shocked by the improved ride.

"Oh, my gods, my butt doesn't hurt!"

"If this is the case, it would be no burden to go to another city by carriage. Now, if you're tired, you can just close your eyes."

"I understand why the young master was so confident. This is certainly something that the aristocracy and the equites would drool over. It can make a huge profit."

Even in the early stages of suspension, there is clearly a difference between not having it and having it.

On top of that, the body's weight has been increased, and stability has been added, not to mention the difference.

If steelmaking technology develops further, it will use coil springs, but once it has been enough to call it innovation.

Marcus added one more number to boost sales.

It was a shield-shaped logo with an eagle embedded in a carriage.

Others thought it was just a part of the decoration, so this part was the last to pay attention to.

Cellini, who got out of the carriage, tilted her head as she looked at the elaborately engraved logo.

"What does this ornament mean, young master?"

"Brandmark.... No, it's Mark Design insignia. It's a symbol that proves that it's the finest wagon made by our family."

Danae asked with her eyes wide open.

"Then the other carriages don't have that Mark Design insignia?"

"Of course, I will put an insignia in the entry-level wagon that our family made. In the sense that it guarantees a different quality than anywhere else. But I wouldn't put that eagle-pattern shield, Mark Design, unless they were really expensive. That undermines the symbolism of a carriage that no one can ride easily."

The innocent Cellini still looked puzzled, but Septimus and Danae nodded admiringly.

There was, of course, a logo that symbolized something at this time.

Right away, the Roman army took the eagle as their symbol.

Later, this eagle pattern symbolized the emperor's authority and could not be used elsewhere.

Since then, this pattern has been used as their symbol in the sense that many emperors in history inherited the Roman Empire.

Even in civilizations that had nothing to do with Rome, they used eagle patterns to present their authority.

As such, symbols representing something were being used well, but the logo in a way that proves the producer of the item has not yet been used.

In modern times, brand marks are so familiar that they are easy to overlook, but this effect has been enormous.

When a brand is firmly established among consumers, its perception remains unshakable.

In particular, it is possible to monopolize the market when a brand reaches the level that symbolizes a specific product.

Marcus planned to imprint his brand as soon as the Romans tried to buy wagons and carts.

In particular, the carriages sold to the wealthy used their brand mark to stimulate vanity.

This refers to the way Hyundai Motor Company operates a separate premium brand.

The Mark Design he chose is one of the famous car brands that Marcus wanted to ride in his past life.

At first, he thought about using the form of a triangular star, but he decided to refer to the pattern of a company in Italy because it was Rome.

It was a horse's pattern engraved with a shield in the background that Marcus changed slightly.

He changed the horse to an eagle, and MLC, the abbreviation of Marcus, was engraved at the bottom of the brand mark.

'It's plagiarism, but...… That company doesn't exist now.'

The rich have the same vanity as ever to show off their wealth.

There's nothing wrong with this, and it's just human nature.

Roman aristocrats, especially the more prestigious ones, had this vanity.

The aristocracy of the Republic was not recognized as an existence that could never be surpassed by the plebeian, just with their status, as in the Medieval.

This is because it was a structure in which even plebeians could rise to the ranks of the aristocracy if they had financial resources and achievements.

So the wealthy aristocrats of Rome always wanted to show that they were distinct from ordinary plebeians.

Marcus' finest wagon is aimed at the psychology of these aristocrats.

He presented this early product to someone who would give the best publicity.

It was Pompeius.

From the historic aristocracy, it is natural to quench the vanity of wanting to be distinguished from other aristocrats.

Pompeius was the best advertising model to promote this carriage to the wealthy in Rome.

"There is currently only one special carriage in Rome. Pompeius is the first aristocrat in Rome to ride in this carriage."

"Hahaha, I don't know if I can just accept something like this."

Pompeius, who actually rode in the carriage, smiled brightly enough to catch his ears.

The soft ride he had never experienced in his life satisfied him.

And most of all, the superiority that only he was using this object excited him.

Everything that followed went according to Marcus' plan.

Pompeius rode this carriage wherever he went, and he was busy boasting about the excellent ride of the carriage to the aristocrats he met.

In fact, the aristocrats, who had been on the same boat, scrambled to order a carriage because they could not lose.

So the aristocrats bought Marcus' carriage one by one and rode it around the city proudly.

Naturally, orders surged, and supply failed to keep up with demand, resulting in a long queue.

Marcus deliberately adjusted the supply so they could receive the product only after waiting for a certain period.

The aristocrats, who missed the timing of the order, stomped their feet and waited for their turn.

"Have you ridden the new carriage?"

"No. I placed an order, but there are so many people on the waiting list that I can't get it until next month."

"Huh, I heard mines coming next week, so I'm looking forward to it."

"Really? I envy you. I should have placed an order...…. My wife complained that she was the only one who couldn't get on the new carriage, so I almost went crazy."

"Tsk, it's like you're looking at my house. My daughter was so mean to me, too."

"Still, according to those who have ridden it, it's a weekday fare that's worth it. Once you ride it, you can't go back to the old carriage."

"Huh... Is it really that bad? I hope I can get it soon."

Eventually, within a few months, the carriage with the shield-patterned eagle clearly established itself as an object of envy to the Romans.

* * *

If you produce results, you don't have to report anything in advance from now on.

Crassus fulfilled his promise to Marcus.

"I've heard how much you're achieving. Really, you're constantly freaking me out...…. No, I'm tired of saying this now. From now on, I'll just watch with pleasure what amazing things you do."

"Thank you. I'll continue to work harder."

"To be honest, I am a bit negative about the resale of wheat, but...… I decided not to interfere, so do as you please."

"Yes, I will repay you with results as much as you believe."

Crassus believed in Marcus' abilities and decided to withdraw from the practice.

Regardless of the consul's term, it will be Marcus who will actually lead the family's business in the future.

It had been a long time since all of the key personnel in the business had been stained with Marcus anyway.

Even if Crassus returned, there was a high possibility that the people below would feel awkward.

He was also vaguely aware of this fact, so he decided to hand over his seat to his son.

Marcus completely took over the real power of the business and continued his existing moves without hesitation.

The resale of wheat, which is in full swing, will increase further.

He has already got a hand to move instead in the shade.

A young merchant named Thaddeus, recommended by Septimus, decided to hoard wheat for Marcus.

He wasn't very good-natured, but he was a shrewd and countable man. At the same time, he was also cautious not to be too greedy.

He was the perfect talent for Marcus to use.

Of course, he paid close attention to the contract part so that he would not be caught in the back of his head.

If Thaddeus showed signs of betrayal, he held his weaknesses to destroy him as much as possible.

Thaddeus knew all this but willingly agreed to the contract.

"You have to take the risk to make money. If I don't do anything nonsense anyway, there's nothing to lose, and if I follow your words, I can make a lot of money, so it's not that big of a deal."

Rather, it is a way to gain the other person's trust by entrusting the leash.

From Marcus' point of view, there was nothing to lose, so it was a great welcome.

Besides these trivial contracts, he had more and more work to do.

This is because there were so many things that he did.

Every day, Marcus looked around the workplace with Danae and Septimus.

Spartacus also shadowed Marcus behind him because there have been few recent games.

On that day, Marcus was on his way back after stopping by the engineers' workshop and receiving reports.

After dozing off in the carriage, which was now more comfortable, he woke up to Danae's curious voice.

"There are a lot of people gathered. Is there any event going on?"

"Well. I've never heard of such a thing."

Looking out of the window, as Danae said, there were many people concentrated on one side of the street.

However, the atmosphere seemed far from the festival.

The tone of the people screaming was quite brutal, and on the other hand, it seemed desperate.

Curious, Marcus stopped the carriage and listened to their story.

They are not Roman residents who were holding and appealing to passers-by in the center of the street.

Judging by the thick southern dialect that leaked out from his words, he wondered if he was a Sicilian.

Their desperate voices pierced Marcus' ears like arrows.

"...Dear Roman citizens! That's why we, the people of Sicily, strongly condemn the governor of Sicily, Gaius Verres. Sicily can't hold out any longer. We earnestly ask the citizens of Rome to pay attention to this matter!"

Marcus recalled an important event that he had briefly forgotten about due to his busy schedule.

'Gaius Verres.... Yeah, I almost forgot about it and walked past it.'

In 70 BC, neither Pompeius nor Crassus were the main characters of the events that made Rome the most exciting.

An unprecedented case was brought to trial by provincial residents accusing the former governor.

The trial of Verres, which made the reputation of the newcomer Cicero famous all over Rome, was right around the corner.

There was a meaningful light in his eyes of Marcus as he gazed at the Sicilian residents.