The Mad Tycoon of Rome

“I have heard some rumors about the recent trade situation of Rome, and I decided to investigate them.”

Kashapa tone was heavy and cautious.

He was the head of his clan, and he had postponed many important matters to come to Rome himself.

If he returned without any profit, his future position would be in jeopardy.

He was in a desperate situation, but he could not let his expression show it.

Famous merchants had an almost universal instinct to obtain the maximum profit with the minimum cost.

This was especially true for the magnates of Rome, who were among the best in the world.

They could read their opponents’ weaknesses and psychology from even the slightest changes in their expressions or tones.

Kashapa psychology was opposite to that of Tadius, who showed no change in his face.

He seemed mildly interested, but no one knew if he was sincere.

Taking it as a signal to continue, Kashapa went on with his story as calmly as possible.

“We have been receiving Rome’s goods through Han until now. That’s why it took a long time and the prices were too high.”

“Given the geography of Satavahana, you would have to go through several other countries to trade with Han. I guess you had no choice.”

“That’s right. That’s why there are many people who want to trade directly with Rome. But no matter how hard I looked, there was no way to do that unless it was a secret smuggling operation.

The merchants only said that they had to abide by the contract between Rome and Han. But I heard a rumor that the situation had changed recently. I don’t know if the relationship with Han has shifted or not, but they said that there was no need to trade only with Han anymore. Did I hear wrong information?”

“It’s not a secret matter, so I don’t mind telling you. You are not mistaken. Until now, Shahanshah had promised exclusive trade to Han as a sign of friendship, since they were the first to ally with us. But after the last war, Han’s attitude made us suspicious.”

Kashapa was well aware of the war with the Huns.

In fact, the details of the war did not reach far away India.

Unlike Han, who had spent a fortune on investigating it directly, the Satavahana dynasty did not have much reason to do so.

All they knew was that the Huns had made some advances at first, but after Shahanshah intervened, they were swept away like fallen leaves.

He did not know what Han had done to earn their resentment, but this was a golden opportunity for Kashapa.

If Rome traded with various countries, who would be the target?

India-Greece and India-Scythia were hardly worthy of being called countries.

And further north, they had already been swept away by the Huns, so there was no suitable country to be found.

The countries in the northeast of Han were too far away to be considered.

Then naturally, the target would be limited to the countries in India.

Among them, Satavahana was currently the most powerful and wealthy dynasty in southern India, so it had to be the first choice.

“If it’s already decided, then it’s only a matter of time before Rome’s merchants come to India.”

“I suppose so.”

“Rome and Satavahana have the best location for trade. Trading with Han is nothing but a hard way to go by land. The risk is high and it takes more time. But we can trade directly with Rome by sea, can’t we? It will be much easier than trading with Han.”

“I know roughly what you mean. Although it is forbidden to sell Rome’s specialties in India, buying them is not illegal, so merchants are coming and going even now. If you buy goods in India and follow the route well, you can reach Ctesiphon in one go. It’s a bit rough because there are many swamps, but it’s much easier than land.”

Kashapa face brightened.

As expected, Rome had already made up its mind to trade with India.

Rome was a goose that laid golden eggs, as proven by their previous examples.

The one who jumped into this golden opportunity first would rake in the money.

“Do you plan to trade with Chola and Anuradhapura as well?”

“Are those two places located in the far south of India? I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t made any concrete plans yet.”

“It would take a long detour to go to Chola by boat. The western region is already occupied by Satavahana, and Chola is located in the southeast. Anuradhapura is the same.”

What Kashapa wanted was Satavahana, or more precisely, he wanted to lead the trade with Rome.

If that happened, he could sell Rome’s goods at a high price, just like Han had done.

No matter how much Rome dominated the sea, it would be difficult for them to trade directly with the small countries in the east of India.

If he used this point well, Kashapa could amass a wealth beyond his imagination.

‘If that happens, they won’t be able to ignore me as a clan that was incorporated from another country. They will have to bow their heads in front of me.’

Tadius, who was staring at Kashapa, smiled with a strange smile.

“Trade is something that happens on the basis of mutual trust. But to be honest, I was having trouble because I had never established a relationship with Satavahana. The only thing the merchants did was come and go to get spices. If we enter in earnest, we will have to deal with the powerful people there, and we will have to study their culture separately…”

“That’s true. To be honest, I’m a bit embarrassed to say this, but the open-minded Romans might be shocked when they come to Satavahana. No, shocked is a euphemism, they might feel angry. There are hardly any nobles among the Roman merchants.”

“It can’t be helped. Most of the noble families of Rome want to enter the Senate, but the senators cannot engage in commerce directly. So they usually appoint agents, and these agents are either freed slaves or knights.”

“That may be a natural fact in Rome, but not in our land. Most of the haughty Kshatriyas will likely take a hostile attitude towards the merchants from other countries.

Some of the harsh ones may not even want to see your face unless you are a noble. And that’s not all. There is something that might frustrate you. What do you think is the most common phrase you will hear while trading?”

Tadius knew about the caste system from Gatam.

But he had not thought much about the question Kashapa asked.

“Isn’t it the obvious lie that they have nothing left to sell at this price?”

“You will hear that too, but if you come to our side, you will keep hearing ‘There is no problem.’ ”

“Satavahana people seem quite positive.”

“Yes, well… they have that side too, but… that’s not the problem. To translate it accurately, it doesn’t mean don’t worry because there is no problem. It means there is no need to take responsibility because it’s not a problem. Not only other people, but also nobles and merchants will say that more often with that meaning.”

Tadius smirked as if he finally understood.

“So you mean we could get into trouble if we take their words literally.”

“Not only words, but also contracts. If you don’t do it very carefully, changing your words later will be commonplace. No matter what you complain about, you will only get the answer that there is no problem.”

“That’s a bit troublesome.”

Rome had an unwritten rule that contracts and promises had to be strictly kept.

Breaking a promise was one of the most hated acts by the Romans.

But on the other hand, Satavahana’s tendency might be an advantage for Tadius.

Considering the order he received from Marcus, it would be better to provide a source of conflict.

“First of all, you will lose if you trust what nobles or merchants say decisively. If they say it will end in a week, you should expect it to take at least ten days more. If they say it’s definitely possible, it’s half and half… If they say it might be possible, it’s better to understand that it’s actually impossible. And if you want to set up a meeting time, you have to set it much earlier than the time you really want to meet.”

“···I’ll have to prepare myself well. It was good to get along with someone who knows the local culture well and has a high position.”

Kashapa was pleased by the reaction Tadius wanted.

He tried his best to keep his happy expression from showing and nodded solemnly.

“It’s not an easy place. You don’t know how prejudiced they are. My clan, which was incorporated from another country, spent years to assimilate into the local culture. If you want to trade with India, you will need a reliable ally. If you trust me, I can help you with various things.”

“You are Gatam’s friend, so I can trust you of course. I look forward to working with you.”

The deal went much easier than expected, and Kashapa could hardly hold back his laughter.

Tadius smiled back at him and got up from his chair.

“Then, in celebration of meeting a good connection, I’ll treat you today. Gatam, will you join us?”

“I’d be honored. Kashapa, you can look forward to it. I’ll show you what Roman entertainment is like today.”

“I’m fine anytime. Shall we go now?”

Kashapa jumped up from his seat.

Tadius, who had been staring at him for a long time, turned his head as if he had blinked and exaggerated his gesture.

“By the way, the parade will start soon. Since you came from abroad, it must be a rare sight for you. How about watching it once before enjoying the entertainment?”

“Is it like a military parade? Something like a departure ceremony?”

“No. It’s part of their training, but at the same time it’s a good propaganda tool, so they do this sometimes. The Aqulanus are Rome’s elite cavalry and the object of admiration for all citizens. Every time they march, the streets are full of people who want to see them.”

“Rome’s elite cavalry…”

Rome was famous for having overwhelming cavalry power even among those who defeated the Huns.

In fact, even India-Scythia, where Kashapa had belonged before, had quite decent cavalrymen, but they were swept away without resistance.

He couldn’t help but be interested in the strong ones who trampled on the Huns.

“I’d love to see them if they’re good.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Come on, let’s go.”

Tadius and Gatam led Kashapa out of the hotel and headed for the wide boulevard.

The street was already crowded with people who came to see the parade.

Fortunately, the people who recognized Tadius gave way and they were able to find a spot where they could see the procession best.

“By the way, Aqulanus means eagle. In Rome, the eagle is a symbol of the legion, so it has a great meaning.”

“Then Aqulanus is like a personification of Rome’s legion. I wonder how majestic they are.”

Kashapa eyes were full of anticipation as he looked around.

His gaze was fixed on one place.

From afar, a group of horsemen came with a huge cheer.

‘That’s Rome’s elite cavalry…’

As they got closer, Kashapa could see them with his eyes.

He had never seen such dazzling armor and wing ornaments fluttering on their backs.

The plate armor that looked like a lump at first had been improved and now looked sleek and reminiscent of an eagle.

The majestic sight of the Aquilan army brought a great shock to Kashapa.

There was no other way to describe their immense dignity.

He could vaguely understand why the citizens were sending such enthusiastic cheers.

They were the symbols of Rome’s mighty power.

Another thing that caught his eye was the man who was leading the Aquilan army from the front.

Even at a glance, he could tell that the people of Ctesiphon were giving him the loudest applause.

“That’s Surenas!”

“The Eagle of the East, Surenas!”

“The left arm of the great Shahanshah!”

He could also tell that he was not a Roman by his appearance, but all the others showed him extreme courtesy.

This scene was very unfamiliar to Kashapa, who was discriminated against as a noble who had joined from outside.

“Who is that man going ahead? Surenas? He doesn’t look like a Roman.”

“He is a Roman citizen, so he is a Roman. Of course, he wasn’t always one. He was the most outstanding general of the old Parthia. Now he is Marcus’s confidant and a senator of Rome.”

“A senator? I thought that was the core of Rome’s power… Did he switch from Parthia to Rome faster than anyone else? And became a noble of Rome by recognizing his merit…”

“As far as I know, it was rather the opposite.”

“No, how…”

Unlike Kashapa, who was astonished, Tadius spoke nonchalantly as if it was nothing to fuss about.

“That’s the way of the great Shahanshah Marcus.”

“The grace of Shahanshah…”

Kashapa’s eyes could not leave Surenas, who received respect and admiration from not only the locals but also the Romans following him.

His eyes, filled with the unimaginable scenery of this foreign land, trembled with longing and envy.

The End