~Chapter 10: Spartacus(3)~

After replying to Marcus that he would follow him, Spartacus returned to Batiatus. And when he closed the door and left, Marcus sighed while swinging the chair.

"Whoa... My heart almost stopped."

"Sorry for speaking like that, But I could not stand the way he talked about you, Young master."

"No, your help was great. If you hadn't stepped in like that, Spartacus wouldn't have listened to me wholeheartedly."

It was fortunate that Danae was related to Spartacus. No matter how distrustfully he closed his heart, the appeal of a girl who was brought as a slave from the same land must have brought a special resonance.

Danae couldn't hide her excitement, as if she was very happy that she was able to help Marcus.

"This is nothing compared to the grace the young master has shown me. And didn't the young master plan everything in the first place? "

"Well... That. That's right, it was all a calculated action."

"As expected! That's the reason why young master invited me to sit with you."

Marcus' conscience stung a little to see Danae admiring him on her own. Of course, it wasn't that Marcus didn't have such thoughts at all.

The theory that Spartacus was a Thracian, close to Greek, had been popular for a long time. And Danae was also from Thrace, adjacent to Greece.

There was even a calculation that Spartacus would perceive her favorably. But Danae went beyond that and courageously stepped forward for Marcus.

"Now, we can't waste the opportunity you gave us. Now, we'll have to meet Batiatus and negotiate. "

Saying that Marcus immediately went to Batiatus' chambers with Septimus. But Septimus seemed a little offended because only he had been kept outside of the room earlier.

Still, when Marcus made the excuse that Spartacus would be a little less vigilant if there were younger people, he was convinced.

Even so, he wanted to join earlier. So this time, he asked.

"Can I join the conversation with Batiatus? Or should I leave again?"

"It's okay. Rather, you have to report to my father, so it's better if you join."

"Then I'm glad."

"Oh, and you don't mind selling my father's name when negotiating with Batiatus?"

Hearing that Marcus would lie so proudly, Septimus immediately put on an expression of astonishment.

"If you get caught, can you take care of the outcome?"

"It's okay. When I go to Rome and report it to him, my father will unconditionally give permission. There will never be anything that needs to be taken care of."

Septimus stared at Marcus and thought to himself.

'It's not bravado, and it's not the look of arrogance. It felt a certainty based on clear evidence.'

"When did you grow up like this... It's good. It doesn't matter, I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

"It's a very wise decision. Then let's go and negotiate."

Having been told by Spartacus that Marcus would come, Batiatus waited with all his might.

"Ha ha ha ha! Welcome! I was waiting for you!"

With a friendly smile, Batiatus recommended pulling out a chair.

This was his attitude toward those higher than himself. He was a completely different person from when he was Spartacus.

"It is truly an honor to welcome such a precious person."

As he said that he kept a sidelong glance at Septimus and Marcus. And it was to determine which of the two was in charge of the negotiations.

Sensing Batiatus' gaze, Septimus took a step back and said "I have nothing to say in this negotiation, so you can talk to the young master."

"Is that so? Hee hee... They say that the Crassus family is famous in Rome, so it seems that's the case. Even a boy who is still young can negotiate a deal."

"It's an overstatement. All the details were already concocted by my father. I'm just discussing them with you."

When the name of Crassus came out, Batiatus nodded.

No matter how clever he was, A sensible person would not entrust such a big deal to a twelve-year-old. However, if Crassus had already drafted the deal and he is just here for completing it, it would be understandable.

'Hmmm. Perhaps he wanted to give his precious son a chance to gain experience. And he also sent a trustworthy confidant in case he made a mistake, So everything looks fit.

Fully sure of his judgment, Batiatus regained his composure.

"Then let's get down to business. You said you wanted to take Spartacus? "

"That's right. Of course, I'm thinking of paying enough. In a way that both of us can be satisfied with."

Marcus's voice was calm and serious, unlike his age. It was one of the greatest talents a trader can have.

But Batiatus did not fall for it. A seasoned trader will never give a definite answer until he hears the terms. So he opened his mouth with an embarrassed smile.

"But Spartacus is a gladiator who symbolizes our gladiatorial field, no, Capua."

"We understand that too, so it's okay to stop worrying about it. I have no intention of forcibly pressuring you. First of all, let's make it clear that this is a good opportunity for you as well, and move on."

"A good opportunity? "

"Yes. An opportunity to sell Spartacus at the highest price. Don't you already know? that now is the most valuable time to sell him."

Batiatus's eyes flickered for a moment. He desperately managed his expression, but he couldn't even control the movement of his eyes.

"What do you mean by that... "

"If you're going to pretend you don't know, I'll let you know. Spartacus has become too strong. So it's already to the point where even you can't be sure who to fight. Crixus will be his opponent, but that doesn't mean you can't stick two people from the same training center over and over again. It's impossible. If the confrontation is repeated, the freshness will decrease. "

"...You're poking a pretty painful spot. "

Batiatus couldn't even force a smile anymore because Marcus was right.

It was good until Spartacus grew into the strongest gladiator. However, even that should have been stopped at an appropriate level for there to be tension in the confrontation.

Now, in Capua, the only gladiator left who could match Spartacus head-to-head was Crixus. And that Crixus had once already been defeated by Spartacus.

"The Lanistas who organize the gladiator fights were going to have a hard time. They even airlifted famous warriors from Gaul, but they were no match for Crixus, let alone Spartacus."

"That is..."

"The crowd will go wild now, but well... Until when will they show such an enthusiastic response? You can't send anyone to a one-on-one battle anymore and can't have a three-on-one too. That should have been saved until the very end, but you threw the numbers too soon. It won't be easy to satisfy the audience who want more stimulation."

Every word of him was true, so Batiatus could not find anything to refute.

Batiatus wanted Spartacus to lose this match. Even if he won, he prayed that he would narrowly win after a huge bloody battle.

But the results turned out to be the worst. There was no longer enough talent at Capua to set up a confrontation with Spartacus.

Now the match will gradually flow in a way that gives Spartacus an impossible handicap to win.

The more severe this is, the more difficult it is to elicit the response of the audience.

Paradoxically, Spartacus was so strong that it adversely affects box office success.

"So you're selling Spartacus? "

"Yes."

"Oh great. And with that money, I recommend bringing in several excellent gladiators and expanding the pool. In the long run, there's no reason to keep holding on to products that only have to go down."

"Well, I wanted to know one thing, if Spartacus goes to Rome, what will be the benefit to your family?"

"First of all, it's freshness. Spartacus is a veteran who has already fought 16 duels in Capua, but in Rome, there are only rumors. The rate at which the utility declines will also be slower. This is the price we will pay, so consider it."

Marcus held out the wax plate.

Batiatus' expression was subtle as he quickly read the numbers on the plate. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a generous amount either. And before he could say anything, Marcus added a word.

"And there will be a portion of the profits from the money Spartacus will earn."

"I think it's possible to get a definite answer when you know what kind of business it is."

"Of course, I'll explain. First of all, we, the Crassus family, are trying to drastically change the form of gladiator fights. The current method has too many shortcomings."

"Modifying gladiator fights?

Batiatus suddenly raised his head and looked up at Marcus.

Septimus also widened his eyes and waited for Marcus to speak.

"Current gladiator fights are a very difficult structure for recruits. Even because there is no choice but to see blood, the death rate is too high."

"That's unavoidable... "

"No. We're looking at this problem in the long term. There are a lot of prisoners of war now, so it wouldn't be a problem if they died like that. But what are you going to do when Rome's borders are stabilized and the supply of slaves is cut off? Wouldn't it be too late?"

"How could the border be stabilized so soon?"

"No. It's not a story from the distant future."

The areas that are not stable now are mainly in the east and Gaul. The eastern dynasties were conquered by Pompey ten years later, and after that, Gaul was also subjugated by Caesar to Roman hegemony. By then the supply of slaves will be incomparably reduced.

It means that there is not much time left to maintain the current structure of changing gladiators indefinitely.

"If the supply of gladiators goes down, well... I'll have to tweak the rules a little accordingly. But wouldn't it be too much to say that the current method isn't enough?"

"I'm not done yet. The high mortality rate of gladiators means that there is little chance of creating a divinity to lead the show. For convenience, I'll call them Stella. A show can only be established when this Stella, who leads the entire board, comes out. It's going to be, isn't it? "

"That's Spartacus or Crixus... "

"No matter how much Stella it is, what fun would it be if the two of them just do it? There should be a talent pool that can match the sum. The current structure can't grow that pool."

Batiatus, like a mute who had eaten honey, could not argue again. Thinking that he shouldn't lose control of the conversation like this, he barely came up with an excuse.

"But the public won't be convinced for that reason alone. What's the point of asking to see you tomorrow when the immediate fun is diminishing? "

"Yes. So, I don't intend to change it all at once. We should induce the audience to change their thoughts gradually. To that end, we plan to make Spartacus the best Stella in Rome. We must intentionally create an image as an idol that everyone looks up to. Then we'll improve the treatment of the gladiators. Do you know what's the most important factor in a tournament's success? "

"Yes? That's what... It depends on how intense and stimulating the matches are. "

"No. The most important thing is the core of stellar and the narrative surrounding them. When there is a narrative that the audience can immerse in and when there is not, there is a world of difference."

It was a story that Batiatus seemed to know something about but couldn't get a very specific image of.

"Speaking of Capua's current situation, isn't it a situation where the Thracian gladiators and the Gallic gladiators are divided? Such a subtle confrontation and conflict of pride make the audience more excited. "

"Ah, that's right. Certainly..."

"If there are enough stellar stories surrounding them to fascinate the audience, the audience will start consuming them on their own."

Batiatus nodded involuntarily in admiration. Hearing this, it was so obvious that he wondered why he hadn't thought first.

Marcus continued his explanation to him, who had already entered a half-listening posture.

"I'm thinking of adding an element to stimulate people's love for their hometown. First of all, I'm thinking of having Rome, where gladiator fights are prevalent, to compete with geographically adjacent cities. Gladiators represent their region and fight against other regions. What if that happens? The audience will enthusiastically cheer for the gladiators representing their region, right? "

Considering the reaction of modern European football fans to their hometown team's matches, it is easy to predict how well they will respond.

In addition, people at that time had a sense of belonging to their hometown that was incomparably worse than today.

It's hard to feel good when your region loses a losing streak to another region. Naturally, spectators would want their local gladiators to be superior to others, and there would be far more opportunities for gladiators to practice their skills.

"But if it's a long distance, it will take too long to travel."

"So we have to do it in a nearby big city. First of all, I'm thinking of experimenting with four cities. And the Lanistas just have to add all kinds of flesh to it and create a narrative that will captivate the audience. Can you imagine how much money will come and go?"

In addition to this, Marcus planned to introduce systems such as a ranking system and title fights used in modern martial arts.

Batiatus's head began to spin violently. Although he didn't make any specific calculations, he was a quick-witted person.

The expectation that a market of enormous size would be created was right on.

The fact that it was devised by Crassus, the richest man in Rome, gave off a stronger smell of money.

Even though the gladiator match is free in principle, there is a huge stake in it, and the fee alone can make a huge profit.

In the beginning, the capital to execute it was a problem, but if this is also the capital of the Crassus family, there is no problem.

After rolling his head around, Batiatus finally realized that he had no choice but to accept. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Batiatus nodded, and Marcus held out the contract with a thin smile.

The deal was done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Thanks for reading and please leave a review ~