Chapter 2: Crassus, the Supreme Boss of Rome 1

Chapter 2: Crassus, the Supreme Boss of Rome 1

Jae-hoon opened his eyes and felt a strange numbness in his head.

He couldn't understand why he was lying down when he had clearly fallen asleep in the library.

"Did I pass out and get taken to the nurse's office or the hospital?"

However, as he looked around, the scenery was far from what he expected in a nurse's office or a hospital.

"Is this a drama set? Or am I still dreaming?"

The bed he was lying on looked somewhat extravagant, but it was nowhere near as comfortable as his cheap mattress at home.

There were no fluorescent lights on the ceiling, making the room dim, and the walls were covered with paintings.

The paintings weren't particularly impressive, but they exuded an old-fashioned atmosphere, giving off a nostalgic vibe.

Unless it was a drama or movie set, he couldn't imagine finding a house like this.

"How did I end up in a place like this?"

Once he realized that he was in a place he had no clue about, his mind became alert.

He quickly got up from the bed and looked at himself.

"What's this? Why am I wearing such strange clothes?"

He was wearing a peculiar one-piece outfit with short sleeves that reached down to his knees and a bizarre belt with elaborate decorations.

Since it was a one-piece outfit, it naturally didn't have pants, which felt incredibly awkward.

Not only was the clothing strange, but his physique also felt different.

It was as if his field of vision had become lower, as if he had shrunk.

Reflexively, Jae-hoon reached for his phone to make a call, but his belongings were nowhere to be seen.

He couldn't comprehend the situation he was in. 

He searched the room, hoping to find a mirror or something.

"Young Master, have you awakened?"

"Young Master?"

The woman who entered with wet curtains spoke in a language that wasn't Korean. 

However, he understood her words all too naturally.

Moreover, he was able to speak fluently in a language he had never heard before.

"Um, excuse me... I think I'm in the wrong house. I didn't break in or anything, but someone must have brought me here..."

The woman, dressed in a long gown-like attire, tilted her head and gave him a vague smile.

"You drank too much yesterday. That's why the elder warned you not to have so much wine. If you keep ignoring the elder's words, you won't be able to go to the tavern anymore."

"Elder? Tavern? Wait, before that, where am I? Did I leave Gyeonggi Province somehow?"

"Don't you remember? Yesterday, when Master Quintius passed out, we brought you here. The elder was angry, saying that drinking until you pass out is beneath the dignity of nobles."

Jae-hoon's head started to ache as he couldn't make sense of the woman's words.

'Why was she calling him "Young Master"?'

He wanted to say that she had the wrong person, but her expression didn't seem like it.

"Um... I have an assignment due tomorrow that I need to submit. And I have work..."

"Young Master Marcus is going to work?"

The woman widened her eyes as if she couldn't believe him.

"You're still hungover... Your mind isn't clear yet. I'll inform the Elders about it."

The woman turned and tried to leave the bedroom.

Jae-hoon quickly called the woman back and bombarded her with questions.

"Wait! Where is this place? Why am I wearing these clothes? And where are my things?"

"Oh? This is, of course, the mansion of the Crassus family on Palatine Hill, and you are the young master, Marcus."

The woman approached with a worried expression and examined Jae-hoon's face.

"Are you feeling unwell? Or did you have a bad dream, perhaps?"

"No... I mean... it's just..."

"What is it, young master? Why are you acting so strange?"

Jae-hoon felt his head spinning with absurd thoughts. 

The small and clean hands in front of his eyes were undoubtedly different from his own hands in his memory. 

In an instant, an unthinkable possibility crossed his mind.

"Um, a mirror... Can you bring me a mirror?"

"Yes, I will get one."

The woman left the room and returned in a matter of seconds with a small bronze mirror.

Jae-hoon was speechless when he saw the mirror's shape, reminiscent of something he would see in a museum.

With trembling hands, he brought his face close to the mirror and was so shocked that he couldn't even scream.

Reflected in the mirror was a Latin-looking boy with a completely different appearance from an East Asian.

"Is this... me?"

Wide-eyed, Jae-hoon stared at his reflection in the mirror. 

The woman spoke to him.

"It seems like you haven't recovered from yesterday's exhaustion. Should I inform the elder that you can't attend today's lessons?"

"Just a moment. Your name is... um..."

"It's Kore. You must be really sick if you can't remember my name. I'll call a doctor."

"No, don't call a doctor... Ugh!"

As Jae-hoon stared at his face in the mirror, a sudden and intense headache hit him. 

He clutched his head and collapsed, causing Kore to rush out and call for help.

Several people entered the room and tried to speak to him, but he couldn't hear them. 

Instead, an overwhelming flood of knowledge about unfamiliar landscapes, people's names, and objects surged into his mind.

Jae-hoon remembered who he was in this place.

'Marcus Licinius Crassus'

He was the eldest son of Marcus Licinius Crassus, the most powerful patron in Rome and the head of the Crassus family. 

In other words, he was Marcus Licinius Crassus II.

The current Crassus family, a prominent noble lineage that had produced consuls in the past, was a leading member of the Optimates and possessed immense wealth in Rome.

For some unknown reason, Jae-hoon had become the eldest son of this patron.

Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, Jae-hoon lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, the room was dimly lit.

"Young Master! Are you awake?"

Upon seeing Jae-hoon open his eyes, Kore, who had been watching him with concern, quickly stood up from her chair.

"I will inform the elder and bring him here. Please wait a moment."

Hurriedly leaving the room, Kore returned a few minutes later with a stern-looking middle-aged man.

Even though Jae-hoon had never seen him before, he knew who he was.

He was Marcus Licinius Crassus I.

The head of the Crassus family and Jae-hoon's father as Marcus.

"Tsk tsk, what a troublemaker you are. The eldest son of the Crassus family, unable to hold his liquor from a young age."

"Well, that's... uh..."

Jae-hoon felt unjustly accused, but since he had Marcus's memories of drinking heavily, he couldn't make any excuses.

Crassus glared at him with disdain, pursed his lips, and turned away.

"I wanted you to be like me and carry on my name, but how did you become such a pathetic creature? I suppose I have to entrust the family's prosperity to Publius."

Publius was Marcus's younger brother and the second son of the Crassus family's.

To openly discuss entrusting the family to the second son was a clear sign that Marcus had fallen out of favor with his father.

Without saying anything more, Crassus returned to his own room, with Kore following him after briefly checking Jae-hoon's expression.

Left alone in the dark room, lying on the bed, Jae-hoon calmly reviewed his situation.

He was Marcus Licinius Crassus II.

It was an undeniable truth and reality.

As absurd as it was, he could somehow accept it for now.

The problem was that he, who was turning twelve years old this year, was already notorious for causing trouble and sullying his father's name.

Marcus Licinius Crassus II, carrying the family's wealth and reputation, had already caused various disturbances in the city of Rome.

Although he was just a twelve-year-old child, one might wonder what he could possibly do, but Marcus was a rather unpleasant individual.

He skillfully avoided getting caught by the law while thoroughly tormenting anyone who displeased him.

His targets were mainly slaves from other households or fallen commoners, so Crassus initially didn't care much.

After all, in this era, slaves were mere property, and there was no one who would make a big fuss over mistreating a few destitute lower-class people.

However, as the severity of his actions increased, Crassus could no longer ignore it.

Crassus had forbidden Marcus from using slaves to unleash senseless violence.

In a seemingly carefree manner, Marcus turned to indulgence in food and drink.

Ordinarily, Romans tended to dilute their wine with water, even if they consumed a considerable amount of it.

But those who drank high-proof wine excessively and got drunk were considered low-quality drinkers.

For Marcus, mingling with such dissolute noble peers and getting intoxicated had been an almost daily routine since a young age.

No wonder his father's trust was utterly shaken.

'Truly a typical example of an irresponsible noble heir. How can I live as such a person?'

Despite his life changing overnight, Jae-hoon adapted surprisingly calmly to his current situation.

After all, back in Korea, he had been a poor and indebted commoner, struggling to make ends meet.

So, wouldn't it be hundreds of times better to live as a member of an ancient noble family, free from the worries of lifelong debts?

Sure, he would have younger siblings in this new family, but Jae-hoon had no desire to continue the family line.

He just wanted to settle his mediocre life and live comfortably under the protection of his formidable father and siblings.

'Crassus, the mighty figure who formed the First Triumvirate with the renowned Caesar and Pompey to dominate Rome. Yes, yes. Now, farewell to the life of a commoner forever.'

Living in ancient times might be a bit uncomfortable, but he was willing to endure it to achieve his longed-for life of affluence.

If he changed too suddenly, people would become suspicious, so he thought it would be better to gradually follow Crassus's words.

Just as he was swelling with anticipation for the bright future ahead, a piece of historical knowledge Jae-hoon knew crossed his mind.

"Wait a minute. Didn't Crassus pursue a reckless campaign against the powerful Parthian Empire and end up dying in shame?"

Crassus, who embarked on a military expedition to the east, suffered a humiliating defeat that went down in Roman history, leading to his death.

The problem was that Publius, the eldest son who was gaining prominence in that battle, would also die alongside Crassus.

The plan to ride comfortably on the backs of his father and siblings and enjoy a life of ease had encountered a crisis before it even began.

Jae-hoon's expression contorted like a torn piece of tissue paper as he drank his last sip of lukewarm broth.

…

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