The Mad Tycoon of Rome

< 240. Conspiracy 4 >

“Did Cassius come here?”

Marcus’s eyes narrowed slightly at the somewhat abrupt question.

Brutus stared straight into Marcus’s eyes with the calmest expression he could muster and nodded.

“Yes. I heard that you and Cassius have been friends since you were young.”

“We used to hang out together when we were both foolish. Of course, I’ve seen him recently too.”

“Is that so? Did Cassius ask you anything… strange? Or did he look troubled…”

“I didn’t notice anything like that. Why, is Cassius having some trouble lately?”

“No, not at all.”

Brutus shook his head timidly and added a word.

“I just thought he might and asked you.”

“Well, if you came all the way here to ask me that, there must be something going on… Don’t be shy and tell me.”

“It’s really nothing. I was just worried because he looked a bit gloomy lately. I thought maybe you would know something more since you are close to Cassius and have access to various information.”

“I see. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been busy with a lot of work lately and I didn’t catch any signs. Do you want me to ask him casually later?”

Brutus shook his head hastily and emphasized that there was no need.

“It’s nothing serious. I might have overreacted. If I pry too much, Cassius might feel offended.”

“Is that so? Then do as you please. By the way, was that the only reason you came here to ask me?”

“Of course not.”

Brutus let out an awkward laugh and took a sip of his tea.

His original purpose was to find out how much Cassius had spilled the beans, but it would be too weird to just ask that and leave.

Since it came to this, Brutus decided to ask some questions that he had been curious about.

“Have you thought about how to control the political situation in Rome after you return to the East?”

“Of course I have. I was just talking to Octavius about that issue. This kid’s political insight is really amazing.”

“Is, is that so? If it’s not rude, can I hear the story too?”

“Sure. Tell me what you want to know.”

Although he was told to ask comfortably, Brutus couldn’t open his mouth easily.

What he wanted to know was not something that could be asked lightly.

It could lead to a situation where Rome would be divided in half and confront each other.

Brutus was afraid to hear that fact from his own ears.

“Well… There are a lot of rumors among the aristocrats that they are uneasy these days. They say there is no one who can check Caesar if you go to Antioch.

It would be fine if Caesar stayed in Gaul and you stayed in Antioch like before. But when I asked him at the banquet last time, Caesar said he would stay in Rome. Did you know that?”

“Of course. I knew it before you did.”

“Then you must also know that there are various voices among the aristocrats. Don’t you think… you should take some active measures? If you step up, people who are anxious now might feel relieved.”

“Well… I don’t think it would do much good just by saying it. Unless I show them something tangible, it will be nothing but an empty echo. It might calm them down for a few months, but soon they will go back to their original state as if nothing happened.”

Brutus recalled Cassius’s near-paranoid suspicion and couldn’t argue back.

No matter what he said, it would be impossible to shake off his suspicion.

Unless Caesar completely gave up all his positions and retired, but Caesar had no reason to do that.

“But if you really leave Rome, Caesar’s power will become too overwhelming. For the sake of balance and restraint, you two should coordinate well and prevent such anxiety…”

“Of course, I’m always thinking about what’s best. Octavius, what do you think?”

Octavius, who had been silent until then, finally opened his mouth.

“I agree with Brutus. The most important thing is a safety device. The reason why the Senate is anxious now is because they have no confidence that they can control the situation if the worst case scenario happens. No, to be precise, they are anxious because they know they can’t do anything in reality. The Senate’s final recommendation has no meaning anymore.”

It was an accurate opinion.

The Senate had always invoked their final recommendation whenever they felt their privileges were threatened.

They did it to the Gracchus brothers who tried to reform the land law, to Saturinus who advocated for the passage of the land law again.

And they also crushed Catiline who demanded a full debt relief with their final recommendation.

But this final recommendation that they wielded like a weapon had no effect in front of Caesar.

Even if the Senate declared Caesar as an enemy of the state, who would respond to them?

The Roman citizens would sneer and condemn the Senate who insulted Caesar as the real enemy of the state.

Even if they armed their soldiers and tried to bring them into the city, Caesar had several times more legions that he could mobilize.

And if they considered the combat power of the soldiers, the difference was so ridiculous that it was not even worth comparing.

Octavius continued his explanation calmly, pointing out the situation.

“If the Senate tries to use force, Caesar might see it as an opportunity. The Senate knows that too, so they have no reason to choose the shortcut to ruin. But using legal means is also difficult. They will probably lose all the elections and lose their base.”

“So, to prevent such a future…”

“The Senate doesn’t have the power or the ability to do that. It doesn’t matter if they make a system. To be honest, the Senate doesn’t have the ability to check Caesar.”

“The Senate has many capable people. What about scholars like Cicero or Cato?”

Brutus argued, but he realized that his voice lacked confidence.

Octavius just gave a bitter smile and poured tea into his empty cup.

“Do you really think that? That the Senate can control Caesar if they compete on equal terms? You should know very well that if they go for a winner-takes-all electoral system, all the high-ranking officials will be filled with pro-Caesar factions.”

“But Marcus is as popular as Caesar. If he supports a candidate, he can compete evenly in the elections.”

“The problem is that Marcus is in the East and can’t direct the elections smoothly. This is what the Senate is mistaken about. Caesar doesn’t need to take the position of dictator. If he wants to, he can do whatever he wants under the current system.”

Brutus’s face darkened.

The more he listened, the more vividly he imagined Cassius running wild.

People tend to give up and make extreme choices when they think there is no hope at all.

The radicals of Optimates might also come to the conclusion that they should just kill Caesar no matter what.

If that happens, the only outcome is disaster.

There is no way to stop those who act with conviction.

‘What if I tell Marcus about this and ask him to clean it up discreetly?’

Marcus is friends with Cassius, so he won’t just watch him do something stupid.

Considering Marcus’s influence and ability, he can easily make this go away.

But there was a problem.

If the root cause is not removed, similar things can happen again at any time.

As Octavius said, the Senate needs to create a safety net that they can feel.

Otherwise, it was impossible to solve the fundamental problem.

“So, the Senate can’t keep being oppressed by one person like Caesar. There must be a good way to break this situation.”

“There is one thing.”

Octavius answered without hesitation.

Brutus blinked blankly and unknowingly leaned forward.

“What, what is it?”

“You are facing a hopeless situation because you try to maintain the system and customs, laws that have reached their limit. Rome is changing rapidly. You need to change the frame boldly. Without such reforms, there is no future for the Republic.”

“Are you saying that we should abandon the Republic now?”

“No. The Republic is the root and foundation of Rome. How can we abandon it? But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to touch the structural frame. The state tends to develop and the system needs to keep up with it. Otherwise, it will become extinct.”

Brutus realized that Octavius was not talking about a transition to monarchy and calmed his breath.

Marcus looked at him straight and asked him a key question.

“Brutus. What do you think the Republic is?”

※※※

The conversation with Brutus lasted longer than expected and continued until night.

He left with a flustered face and Marcus laid his body on the chair in the reception room.

Octavius politely put down a cup in front of him with fresh tea leaves.

“As expected.”

“Yeah. He’ll probably give me an answer in a few days.”

“His eyes were clearly excited when he left. He probably won’t sleep well tonight.”

“He’ll think about today’s conversation all night long. By the way, what do you think about what we talked about at first?”

Octavius’s eyes changed sharply for a moment, unlike his faint smile.

A soft voice came out of his mouth, contrary to his cold smile like an icehouse.

“Are you talking about the question related to Cassius?”

“Yeah.”

“I think as Marcus does. But it’s a bit… complicated to see him biting every bait I throw at him. Still, I think you should just pretend not to know and close your eyes as planned.”

“Good. Then let’s go with your plan without any changes for this matter.”

Marcus turned his gaze and skimmed through the reports in front of him.

Everything was going smoothly.

Rome had reached its time to change.

For the sake of the new empire’s future, they could no longer leave behind the old system.

Unlike Octavius’s face, which had no sympathy at all, Marcus’s face had a bitter smile on it.

< 240. Conspiracy > End