The Mad Tycoon of Rome

It was a declaration that was so far from the common sense that any other Roman would have jumped at it.

Yet, Octavius calmly analyzed and accepted the situation.

He slowly opened his mouth after calculating dozens of possible scenarios in his head.

“So, is it confirmed that Sophia will be the successor?”

“Julia went to talk to Trajanus. If she agrees with my opinion after that, then it will be so.”

“Trajanus will probably be happy about it. The problem is the others. I want to make one thing clear before we move on. Why is Sophia the successor? Is it because you have a special affection for her?”

“It’s because she has much better abilities. Trajanus is not fit to run a great empire. Achilles is Danae’s son, so he can’t even be considered from the start. That’s the only reason.”

He was not a fool who would decide the fate of the nation for such a reason, even if he loved his daughter as a father.

Marcus had always thought that it would have been much easier if Trajanus and Sophia had switched abilities.

If Trajanus had the same abilities as Sophia, he would have gladly made him the successor with joy.

“No matter how much you deify her as a living goddess… No, that’s already a big risk.”

“It’s much more risky to pass on the successor to someone who lacks ability.”

“That’s true. But you could just pass on the position to Trajanus and have me and Sophia assist him. Wouldn’t that be a more stable way?”

“That might be true for this generation only. But taking that approach itself could eventually damage the authority of the gods. It’s a difficult problem.”

Octavius did not deny it.

To be honest, he was confident that he could wield real power if Trajanus became the successor, which was why he agreed with Marcus’s words.

He might not have been able to do it alone, but if he married Sophia and used her authority, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Marcus would take measures to protect the authority of the successor, but if the basic ability gap was too big, it could be futile.

“I’ll tell you some of the problems I’m worried about. Inheriting based on ability is definitely a good method. It widens the range of choices. You can choose a better option when you can’t see your son or when your son’s caliber is not enough. But Rome is strictly following patrilineal succession right now. If Sophia becomes the successor, some people will feel uneasy.”

“That part needs to be clarified. This only applies to the Julius Licinius family. The reason is, as I said before, that our family members are descendants of gods and have the potential to ascend as living gods. So they can’t be subject to the general standards. It’s not a bad thing politically to distinguish our family from other Romans completely.”

“I see that point too. Then, if among the children born between me and Sophia, the most talented child is a son, will he become a living god and succeed you?”

“That’s how it will be.”

Octavius nodded his head with an expression of understanding.

But it seemed that he still had some doubts, as he asked another question.

“I have no objection if everything goes according to plan. But there are many obstacles to overcome in reality. There will be no Romans who will feel repulsed by the slogan of being descendants of gods or being blessed by gods. But being revered as living gods is a higher threshold to cross. You might be able to do it, but can Sophia do it?”

“She can do it, that’s why I’m putting this plan into action.”

Marcus did not think that patriarchy was wrong in ancient society.

In a society where physical labor was dominant, the value of labor force was bound to represent the value of people.

But if it was a position or status where physical strength was not necessary, it was more practical to widen the range of choices.

In fact, even if he did this, in most cases, the successor would likely be a male child.

This was more like a measure for when an exceptional case like Trajanus and Sophia occurred, where one side had an extreme difference in abilities.

And it also served as a contingency plan in case one gender of children did not exist at all.

‘The problem is dying without deciding on a successor.’

He could create a system that would never shake its authority as long as it succeeded smoothly.

He could also prevent assassination risks as much as possible, but he couldn’t make them zero.

But there was nothing Marcus could do if he died suddenly from illness or natural disaster.

He needed to lay down multiple safety nets in case of the worst scenario.

He had already thought of some ways, but they were all possible only when the authority of the successor was firmly established.

To succeed in this, he had to go back and forth to the work of deifying the members of his family.

It didn’t matter how he passed on the successor, this work had to be done.

Octavius anticipated that this part would not be easy, but that was because he did not know the knowledge that Marcus had saved up.

He had a lot of cards piled up like a mountain that he had deliberately not used for this occasion.

He had seized the power of Rome, so he didn’t have to worry about being killed like before.

He still had plenty of time left.

Maybe he would prepare so busily that Sophia would die first because Marcus lived too long.

Anyway, what Marcus had to do now was to form a foundation that would allow this empire to last for thousands of years beyond hundreds of years.

This work was not something that could be done with a few years of reform.

There were too many things that were lacking even if he continued to work on it from the past to the present, and until the moment he breathed his last.

“I have a rough idea of the succession plan. If you follow Crassus’s example and consolidate your power, Sophia may not inherit your position, but she will have plenty of time to prepare since it will be in twenty or thirty years. I’m sure you have many things planned, but what is the next project you are going to start?”

Octavius, who was quick-witted, understood what Marcus wanted to do before he even spoke and smiled.

He was a perfect example of an excellent secretary who was always ready to devote himself to his work.

Of course, it was inevitable that he had to follow his boss, Marcus, who worked tirelessly day and night.

“Rome has already risen to a level that is incomparable to other countries in many fields. Agriculture, finance, military, and various technologies that support the military are all ahead by hundreds of years.”

“That’s all thanks to your touch, sir.”

There were industries that applied concepts that would only be born after thousands or hundreds of years if they followed the normal development period.

“But there is one field that has not even taken proper baby steps yet. And it bothers me that its importance is not low at all in the long run.”

“Are you talking about ships or maritime transportation?”

“Of course, that field also needs more improvement. But developing ships that are suitable for ocean navigation rather than the traditional galleys is already underway. I think we’ll see some results in a few years. What I want to focus on is chemistry, but I’m worried that I don’t know how much progress there will be in this field while I’m alive.”

“Chemistry?”

The reaction was lukewarm, as expected.

This was not a time when even the basic concepts of chemistry were properly established.

But if you think of chemistry as a field that studies and explains the structure and change of matter, there was a similar discipline that existed.

In ancient Greece, Democritus and Aristotle had pondered on the fundamental elements of matter.

Empedocles’s theory of four elements, which claimed that everything in the world was made up of four elements: earth, fire, water, and air, was famous even in modern times.

There was a discipline that emerged from combining various fields such as folk beliefs, Greek philosophy, astrology, etc.

“Think of it as the basis of alchemy and you’ll get a rough idea. Well, it’s a bit different if you look at it precisely, but anyway, at this stage, it’s easier to understand if you call it alchemy. You know what alchemy is, right?”

“Of course I do. It’s the research to reproduce the power of Bacchus that was bestowed on Midas, which turns everything into gold. I heard that Egypt’s research level is higher than Greece’s. But you’re going to improve on that…”

Octavius remembered that Egypt had been under Marcus’s control for a long time and widened his eyes.

If Marcus had inherited the wisdom of the gods, he might have already seen through the secret of alchemy.

His eyes sparkled with expectation and reverence.

“You know how to turn lead into gold! That would be a huge symbol.”

The ultimate goal of alchemy was not simply to make gold, but to sublimate one’s soul perfectly through it.

Octavius concluded that Marcus had already realized the ultimate truth of alchemy and continued with excitement.

“If this becomes possible, no one will be able to challenge your divinity. You are truly a god incarnate!”

“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s impossible.”

“What?”

Ignoring Octavius’s bewildered reaction, Marcus calmly sentenced death to the wish that all ancient rulers had hoped for.

“Alchemy is impossible.”

Strictly speaking, Octavius’s guess was not wrong.

Marcus certainly understood the essence of alchemy accurately.

That alchemy was a fiction that was impossible from the beginning.

“In fact, making gold from other metals is not completely impossible, but it will take a lot more technological advancement to make it possible. And even then, the resources you pour into it will far exceed the value of gold, so it won’t be profitable either.”

“Then the stories from myths are…”

“They’re impossible no matter what you do. That’s why they’re in the realm of gods.”

“So all the time and passion that countless scholars have devoted so far were meaningless. But you said earlier that you would develop that field intensively… Ah, I see.

Making gold is impossible, but the technologies and tools that have been accumulated and developed for that purpose are not useless. And from now on, you will use them more efficiently for other purposes. Is that what you mean?”

His comprehension was astonishingly high as he reached the answer with just one sentence casually thrown out by Marcus.

It made it easier for Marcus to proceed with the story without having to explain every little thing and give orders.

“That’s exactly right. First, send a message to Alexandria and have all the alchemists sent to Rome… No, Antioch.”

“Yes. I’ll tell them to move everything, including all the research equipment and books.”

“Make sure they hurry as much as possible so that the research can start by next year at the latest.”

“Yes. But will the alchemists accept it? They are people who have been devoted to their research with the support of the state since the Ptolemaic dynasty.”

“I’ll stamp the seals of Arsinoe and Cleopatra, so there won’t be any problem.”

In Alexandria, the authority of Marcus and the Pharaoh was as great as that of the Pharaoh when Egypt was in its heyday.

They had no choice but to be so, because they perfectly predicted the flooding cycle of the Nile, which was the most important thing in Egypt.

In Alexandria, Marcus and Pharaoh’s words were law and absolute truth.

If they said that making gold was impossible, it was impossible.

There was no one who dared to object.

Octavius, who was about to leave the room, turned his head and asked.

“But can a discipline that studies and explains the structure of matter bring such a big change?”

It was natural that even a genius could not insight into a realm that was completely beyond his common sense.

Marcus chuckled and answered immediately.

“It will bring a tremendous change. You’ll see things that you couldn’t even imagine before.”

End