The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Ctesiphon, the former capital of Parthia, was bustling as always.

The city did not lose its vitality even after the fall of Parthia, the great power that dominated the East.

The only difference was that the local nobles who had attempted to assassinate Marcus had fallen, and their place was taken by pro-Roman nobles and Romans.

Ctesiphon, located on the Tigris River, had a good location and could also serve as a logistics warehouse for goods coming from the east and south.

Even if Marcopolis, which was being built in the northwest, was completed, the city’s position was unlikely to be shaken.

It was a place where a huge amount of wealth from all over the world was concentrated.

The size of Ctesiphon had already surpassed that of Rome, and it was not an exaggeration to say so.

Naturally, as the years passed, the number of foreigners coming in was unimaginably large.

That’s why the people of Ctesiphon did not look at foreigners with curiosity.

Greek or Alexandrian merchants, Roman knights, and even people from Gaul, Arabia, and India could be easily found in the city.

Kashapa, who came from India, was fascinated by the city where various races lived together.

There was a wall, but the city had already expanded beyond the wall, so it seemed to have no meaning as a defense.

The guide who came with him said that they were planning to demolish the wall soon.

“What? How do you protect the city from invaders without a wall?”

“Actually, if Ctesiphon is breached, it means that the defense system has completely collapsed. Then what’s the use of a wall? The capital Rome also demolished its wall a long time ago and only a small part of it remains. This place will be like that too.”

“Wow…”

Kashapa was confused by the fresh concept that he had never imagined before.

He thought it was nonsense at first, but when he thought about it again, it wasn’t unreasonable.

Rome had easily defeated the fierce and powerful Huns.

If they had such military power, they wouldn’t need a wall.

Without a wall, they wouldn’t have to worry about expanding the city and they could use the space more efficiently.

‘They must have absolute confidence in their national power to do this. It’s really a scary country.’

His eyes, which were looking around, touched a huge statue standing in the center of the square.

It was quite far away, but it was so finely carved that he couldn’t find any flaws in its shape.

“Is that Marcus Mesopotamicus, the Shahanshah of the East?”

“Yes. I guess so. I’ve never seen Shahanshah in person, so I don’t know if he really looks like that.”

“I heard he has wisdom that reaches the sky and can see the future… Is that true?”

“They say it’s true. At least no one doubts that fact. You’ll meet your friend soon who told me this, so there’s no doubt about it.”

“Hehe… Even if he is close to God, seeing the future is not easy. Isn’t it hard to find people with such abilities even among Brahmins?”

Kashapa, who came from India where religion was strong, did not doubt that he had divine power.

India was a place where Brahmins who were evaluated to have such abilities occupied the top of society.

He personally disliked it, but if he said that out loud, he would be buried immediately.

In that respect, Rome seemed to be a more open society, but rumors were always exaggerated, so he needed to see it for himself.

Kashapa moved his feet diligently with his guide to his destination.

The magnificent building right next to the huge square was his destination, so he didn’t have to worry about getting lost.

He just knew from afar that it was there, but when he actually came there, it was really like that.

He had accommodation and restaurants in Satavahana where he came from, but there was not a single facility of this size.

He personally wondered if it was necessary to build it so lavishly, but his thoughts disappeared from his head by the splendor he saw from the gate.

“Welcome. Is this your first time visiting here?”

A guide who noticed that they came from southern India by their clothes approached them and spoke in Sanskrit.

He wasn’t very fluent in pronunciation, but it was amazing that there was someone who could speak Sanskrit in this facility.

If someone spoke to you in your native language in a foreign country, it would naturally make you feel good.

Kashapa smiled pleasantly and nodded his head.

“Yeah. I came here for an appointment. My friend said he made a reservation…”

“What is your friend’s name?”

“Gatum. He’s a merchant who settled here.”

The employee said he understood and checked the list written on something fluttering.

‘That must be the paper thing. It’s easy to store and write, so I heard it’s coming a lot to our side lately. Is there a way to get a lot of it when I go back? I think I can make a lot of money.’

He was looking at the paper with greedy eyes when he heard the polite voice of the guide.

“Yes. I’ve confirmed it. Then I’ll take you to the Garden of Sociality.”

Kashapa entered the inside and was amazed by the even more splendid interior.

There were more valuable decorations than in the palace of Satavahana, which was thriving in trade.

He was soon led to a spacious and antique seat, where he saw his friend waiting and approached him with joy.

“Long time no see, Gatum! How many years has it been?”

“I think it’s been about ten years. I’m glad you look healthy. How’s Satavahana?”

“So-so. I’m not happy that I have to be a merchant like the Vaisyas, but I have to adapt.”

Kashapa and his friend Gatum were originally nobles of the Indo-Scythian kingdom.

But they were pushed out of the internal power struggle and had to look outside the country.

Gatum saw Rome, which was rising with a formidable momentum after conquering Parthia, as a land of opportunity and fled to the west.

On the other hand, Kashapa migrated with his family’s wealth and soldiers after receiving the status of Kshatriya from the Satavahana dynasty.

At this time, the caste system, which boasted a tradition of more than a thousand years, was deeply rooted in India.

They called this system varna, which meant color, and this varna divided the social status and occupation of the clans in India.

The highest class was the Brahmin, the clergy class, and the next was the Kshatriya, which included royalty, nobility, and generals.

Below them were the Vaisyas, who were wealthy farmers and merchants, and these Vaisyas could be considered as having some influence in society.

Below them were the Sudras, the serf class, and the Pariahs, who were outcasts of the caste system.

Kashapa was a noble who was admitted as a Kshatriya, but he was hardly treated as such because he came from exile.

Especially after Indo-Scythia became virtually ruined by the Huns, such treatment became stronger.

He had to do business to restore his family’s prestige, but there were quite a few Kshatriyas who looked down on him for that.

On the other hand, Gatum, who looked almost like a Roman, corrected his friend’s old-fashioned views.

“You shouldn’t say that here. You might lose everything. Rome values commerce. Just think of it as Roman-style tea.”

“Tea? The scent is completely different…”

Kashapa looked at the black liquid in front of him with suspicious eyes and cautiously brought his nose closer.

At first it was strange, but as he kept smelling it, it didn’t seem so bad.

“The nobles and rich people here consider it cultured to drink a cup of this coffee every morning and lunch. You have to get used to it if you want to make connections with high-ranking Romans. By the way, Shahanshah also drinks this coffee every day. And Tadius, the tycoon you want to meet, is a fan of this coffee.”

“Then I have no choice but to try it. But why do they only drink it in the morning and lunch? Don’t they drink it at night?”

“Surprisingly, this coffee makes you sleepless. So if you drink it at night, you might not be able to sleep. That’s why they drink it a lot in the morning and lunch.”

He couldn’t help but drink it after saying so much.

He took a deep breath and carefully lifted the cup and brought the liquid to his mouth.

Gatam was about to say something when he saw the expression on Kashapa’s face as he tasted the coffee with his tongue.

His face twisted in disgust.

“Ugh! What is this taste? It’s bitter and disgusting. Is this poison? Do the Romans drink this stuff?”

“Heh… That’s why I wanted to add some sugar for you first. Beginners need to put some sugar in their coffee to enjoy it a bit more. Then, when you get used to this aroma and flavor, you can gradually reduce the amount of sugar. That’s part of the charm of coffee, how the taste changes depending on the sugar. I only put a spoonful now.”

Gatam opened the lid of a small jar that came with the coffee, looking somewhat proud.

Kashapa knew what sugar was.

It was a powder that gave sweetness when sprinkled.

It was an incredibly expensive product that could not be obtained in India, and was coveted by many.

He could guess how wealthy Rome was from the fact that they put this stuff in their coffee every day.

Kashapa added a generous amount of sugar to his coffee and tried it again. He nodded in satisfaction.

“This is much better than before. It’s sweet enough for me to drink it.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then, let’s drink and talk. After we finish this and rest for a bit, Tadius will come. I doubt it will happen, but don’t be rude to him.”

“Of course not. He’s one of the richest men in Rome, why would I want to annoy him? But is he a noble?”

“Sigh… That’s what I’m saying, that distinction doesn’t matter here. He’s not a noble, he’s a knight.”

“So he’s not a Kshatriya, but a Vaishya.”

“In Rome, even commoners can rise to noble families if they have the qualifications. So please don’t say anything about status. There are rumors that Tadius is close to the Shahanshah, so don’t upset him even a little bit.

It could backfire on you and me, who introduced you to him.”

Kashapa did not ignore his friend’s repeated advice.

Even if he was a rich man, he was skeptical about the rumor that he was close to the Shahanshah, but he thought it might be possible in Rome, which was different from India.

Gatam seemed anxious and looked around before lowering his voice and continuing.

“I don’t know much about his relationship with the Shahanshah, but I’m sure he’s in frequent contact with his brother Publius. Publius is the one who acts on behalf of the Shahanshah whenever he leaves his seat, so he’s at the core of power. If you do well, you might get a connection with him, so be polite and bring some useful information.”

Kashapa straightened his face as he tried to maintain an expression that was neither arrogant nor humble.

If he continued like this, his family would live as half-baked Kshatriyas who would never get proper treatment from Satavahana.

He might as well gamble on Rome’s side like his friend Gatam.

He saw a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance walking towards them from afar.

The middle-aged man looked at them and slowly approached them. Gatam got up from his seat and bowed his head.

“Tadius, thank you for coming here.”

“There’s no need for such formality. I’ve received useful information from you several times, so I should naturally grant you this favor.”

The rich man rumored to be close to the Shahanshah, Tadius, accepted Gatam’s greeting lightly and turned his head towards Kashapa.

“Welcome, guest from afar. You have some very valuable information for us.”

Kashapa nodded his head without being too haughty or servile.

“Yes, I do. But before that, there is something I want to confirm…”

He deliberately ignored Gatam’s anxious look and began to speak slowly.

End