The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 61: Catiline’s Rebellion 1

“The most annoying ones in the Senate are Silanus and Cicero.”

“That’s right. Cato also has considerable influence lately, but the biggest obstacle is still those two.”

“If they die, the senators won’t be able to act so arrogantly as they do now.”

“Why don’t we just kill all the troublemakers?”

The conversation that Catiline’s supporters had was clearly a plot of rebellion.

But no one hesitated or showed any fear.

Rather, they were blinded by anger and bloodlust, and all kinds of radical opinions were rampant.

There was even a suggestion to kill all the tribunes who had veto power, following Silanus.

Catiline’s chief adviser, Eustus, tried his best to conduct the meeting calmly.

“Everyone, we need to be rational at times like this. I know you want to beat up everyone who opposes the bill. But realistically, we don’t have the conditions to do that yet.”

Catiline narrowed his eyes and bit his tongue.

“Eustus is right. In fact, killing those two is also a very risky thing to do. It’s too much of a burden to kill the tribunes as well. Besides, we need the support of the people, and assassinating the tribunes could backfire on us.”

“That’s right. So we need to discuss how to kill Silanus and Cicero for sure first.”

Manlius, who had gained a lot of experience under Sulla, nodded his head and calmed down his excitement.

“That makes sense. But how do we assassinate them? If they find out we did it, it will only give them an excuse to purge us.”

“That’s right. We have to keep the premise that we can’t be caught. If that doesn’t happen, killing them will be meaningless.”

“Hmm…”

Catiline closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then came up with a plausible plan.

“Politicians, including the consuls, always receive many visitors in the morning as a custom. Why don’t we send assassins in then? Some of them will cause a commotion to distract attention, while the others will quickly kill them.”

It was a classic but effective method.

Eustus spread out a sheet of paper and detailed the plan.

“This is something we can’t afford to fail, so we have to plan and move every action. The routes of the assassins, the methods of assassination depending on the behavior and location of the targets, the escape routes, how to deal with unexpected situations. We need to consider all these things carefully. And we also need to think about what to do in case of the worst scenario: if the assassination fails and they catch us.”

“Right. You’re right. Just in case, let’s select people who are hard to trace back to us. It will take at least three or four days to finish preparing.”

“Then let’s observe how Silanus and Cicero receive their visitors in the morning for a few days. If we can diagram their behavior, it will increase our chances of success.”

“Good. I’ll finally be able to stop seeing that annoying newcomer’s face.”

The rough assassination meeting ended like that.

It would be unthinkable to assassinate the current consul and the former consul, but Catiline’s party didn’t care.

Even if they had solid evidence, they couldn’t do anything to Catiline, who was the consul himself.

The Senate might also try to assassinate him, but Catiline always moved around with his guards and supporters.

He had stopped receiving visitors in the morning long ago.

It was the end of a crazy conversation that no one could predict what would happen next.

※※※※

In the end, Catiline’s party was able to come up with a perfect assassination plan after three days of observation.

Meanwhile, Catiline attended the Senate meeting as usual, drawing attention to himself.

The senators cursed at Catiline’s shamelessness, but they didn’t suspect that he was plotting something.

Thanks to him constantly proposing the same debt cancellation bill that would never pass.

Of course, some people doubted why he kept repeating the same action even though he knew it wouldn’t work.

But they never thought that he was planning to overthrow the country.

While he was doing that, Catiline’s party finished all their preparations.

They were confident that they could kill Silanus and Cicero successfully no matter what happened.

The assassins hid daggers and poison under their togas and headed for Silanus and Cicero’s mansions.

They were prepared to drink poison and kill themselves if the assassination failed.

But an unexpected variable occurred.

The gates of Silanus and Cicero’s houses that were open until yesterday were tightly closed.

The assassins’ plan was based on sneaking in among the visitors.

They didn’t think about the situation where they couldn’t even enter the mansion.

In the end, the assassins had no choice but to turn back in vain.

Catiline, who didn’t expect the plan to fail like this, was flustered.

To make matters worse, Silanus and Cicero seemed to have noticed something strange and immediately convened a Senate meeting.

Catiline attended the meeting with an innocent face as usual, trying to avoid suspicion.

But this time it wasn’t a situation where he could pretend he didn’t know anything.

Silanus and Cicero looked furious, not even trying to hide their anger.

Silanus raised his voice at Catiline first.

“Catiline, I received a report that some suspicious people were lurking outside my house yesterday. I heard Cicero had the same thing. Do you have any idea what this is about?”

Catiline shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

“How would I know? And isn’t it natural for a lot of people to flock to the houses of high-ranking officials? They must have come to see you and left empty-handed.”

Silanus stared at Catiline, who was lying, and shook his head.

“No. Cicero and I had already notified our clients that we would stop receiving visitors from yesterday. And we also secretly told the other senators. Everyone except you should have known about it.”

“Heh, is that so? So what, what are you trying to say?”

“Are you still denying it? Those suspicious people must have been sent by you.”

Catiline’s eyes twitched slightly. He felt uneasy because they seemed to have some evidence.

Cicero stood up from his seat and followed Silanus’s accusation of Catiline.

“Catiline, how long are you going to pretend you don’t know anything? In this situation where social unrest is worsening, who else but you, who leads the thugs behind the scenes, would want to harm me and Silanus?”

“I knew you had a vivid imagination, but I never dreamed you would have delusions. You’re accusing someone of being a potential murderer just because they were hanging around outside your house. And you’re saying I’m behind it? Do you have any evidence? All you have is a lame excuse that I didn’t know your schedule.”

“What do you mean by confession? How can you, the greatest lawyer of Rome, arrest an innocent man who has done nothing wrong?”

Catiline refused to admit anything until the end. He didn’t think that Cicero or Silanus had any evidence, judging by the atmosphere.

There was no reason to confess if he was going to be accused anyway, unless he was a fool.

Cicero sighed and touched his forehead as he saw Catiline’s defiant attitude.

“Don’t delude yourself, Catiline. I’m not bluffing when I urge you to confess. Nor do I pity you. I’m trying to avoid the worst scenario of a consul trying to assassinate his colleague and getting caught.

You may not care about your honor or reputation, but we have a different position. We have to lead the citizens in the future. Confess, Catiline. Stop your terrible plot and end this here.”

“You’re still spouting nonsense. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll expel you from the meeting room with the authority of the consul.”

“Then let me say one last thing. Silanus and I will accuse you in a month. If you really think we have no evidence, then go ahead and resist. If you confess, I promise to spare you with exile. But if your crimes are all exposed in court, your punishment will not be so lenient.”

“You summoned a meeting just to say this… My answer won’t change, so do whatever you want in a month!”

Catiline stormed out of the senate hall in a rage.

The remaining senators approached Cicero and Silanus with concern and curiosity.

“Is it true that Catiline sent assassins to kill both of you?”

“Shouldn’t you accuse him right away if you have solid evidence?”

They bombarded them with questions mixed with worry and doubt, but Cicero didn’t mind.

Rather, he had a relaxed smile on his lips.

“Don’t worry. Of course, I want to condemn Catiline as soon as possible. But the senate has already shown too much conflict to the outside world. What I said to Catiline was my sincere intention. I want to end this situation peacefully by encouraging him to confess.”

“But it seems like Catiline won’t listen to you.”

“Then we have no choice. It may not look good, but we’ll have to depose the consul. It’s unprecedented and it will cause a lot of chaos, but we can’t help it.”

Most of the senators praised Cicero for his consideration for the senate’s dignity.

Even Cato agreed that it was a rational and calm decision and supported Cicero.

Surrounded by many senators who cheered him on, Cicero suddenly turned his gaze to one corner.

There was Crassus, who had been silently watching the situation from the beginning to the end.

His eyes seemed to ask ‘Is that enough?’

Crassus smiled satisfactorily and nodded slightly.

‘That’s enough.’

His inscrutable smile said so.

Cicero turned his gaze back and felt relieved that things were going well.

The fact that Crassus guaranteed it meant that the person who devised this plan also thought so.

At this moment, the name that Cicero trusted most was not Crassus who was in front of him, but someone else.

On his way back from the meeting, that name was imprinted more strongly in his mind.

‘Marcus.’

He still couldn’t forget the shocking conversation he had with him two days ago.

Cicero suddenly looked up at the sky. A dim full moon was slowly rising high above.

The cloudless sky promised a beautiful night sky lit by stars.

Just like the moon that would illuminate the sky of Rome, he was confident that the future of the republic would also be bright.

His heart was filled with this conviction.

※※※※

After leaving the senate hall, Catiline immediately gathered his supporters.

He was anxious at heart, unlike his attitude in front of the senators.

“Did they say they had evidence?”

Manlius asked incredulously.

Catiline’s voice was hoarse as he spoke.

“That’s what they said. It may be a bluff, but they looked too confident.”

“It’s a lie. If it were true, they would have acted right away. They’re setting a deadline and forcing you to confess, trying to shake you up.”

“That… might be true? But considering Cicero’s personality, it’s understandable that he didn’t accuse me right away…”

The senate was inherently full of people who valued their honor and pride above their lives.

Newcomers like Cicero had to show that they understood this desire of the senate.

In that sense, Cicero’s attitude was also plausible.

Even Eustus seemed to agree with Catiline’s opinion.

“It’s a possibility. Maybe Cicero really has evidence.”

“What makes you think that?”

Manlius raised his voice impatiently.

If it was true that they tried to assassinate the current and former consuls, it was no ordinary matter.

They might have to flee the city at any moment.

Everyone in the room looked at Eustus with tense eyes.

“First of all, what I find suspicious is that as soon as we finalized our assassination plan, Cicero and Silanus stopped receiving visitors. And they secretly told their clients that. So only the people we sent were suspicious.”

“That’s true… It’s too coincidental to be a coincidence.”

“Then do you think our plan leaked out beforehand? You know what that means, right?”

Everyone swallowed their saliva.

If their carefully planned assassination plot had leaked out, there was only one answer.

There was a traitor.

All the supporters looked at each other with disbelief.

If they left it like this, their trust in each other might be shaken.

Eustus quickly opened his mouth.

“It may have leaked out, but it’s not possible that anyone here betrayed us. If the plan was really leaked in detail, the assassins would have been caught on the spot. Maybe some part of the plan leaked out during the execution.”

“That makes sense.”

“But if there is any evidence that we are involved, it will be a big problem.”

Hearing that, Manlius pounded the table with his fist.

“Then we can’t waste time like this. Catiline, you have to make up your mind.”

Everyone understood what Manlius meant by ‘make up your mind’.

He meant to start an armed uprising.

Catiline muttered in a resigned tone.

“Is there no other way…”

Manlius nodded vigorously.

The other key figures also expressed their agreement.

“Judging by the situation, there is a high possibility that Cicero’s words are not a bluff. Then we can’t just sit still.”

“Fortunately, they gave us a month of grace. That should be enough time to gather people, don’t you think?”

Catiline asked Eustus with a determined look.

“Is it possible?”

“Yes. But are you really going to do it?”

“If I confess, I’ll be ruined anyway. So I have to choose the option with the highest chance of success.”

“I see. Then I have a plan that I’ve been thinking of. Do you want to hear it?”

“Oh, you already have something in mind?”

Catiline leaned forward eagerly, having no talent for scheming.

Manlius, who was only good at commanding the army, also focused his attention on Eustus’s words.

“No matter what anyone says, Catiline is still the consul of Rome. We have to use this point as much as possible if we raise a rebellion.”

Everyone listened silently to Eustus’s words.

He looked around the audience and then spoke confidently.

“A month is enough time to gather our supporters in Tuscany. But this time, we have to be more secretive because it will be troublesome if our plan leaks out. If Catiline writes me a letter of authorization, I’ll take care of it.”

“I’d be grateful if you did that. I’ll gladly write it for you. So, after secretly bringing our supporters to Rome, what are you going to do?”

“First of all, we have to kill all the thorns in our side, such as Cicero, Silanus, Cato and so on. Then we have to secure the loyalty of the rest of the senators and convene the senate. There, we’ll appoint Catiline as dictator and restore order in Rome. Since Catiline is the consul, he can easily become the dictator if the senators agree.”

It wasn’t much different from what Sulla and Marius had done.

The only difference was whether they invaded Rome with an army or started an armed uprising from within.

It seemed reasonable in reality, so Catiline asked with shining eyes.

“Is it possible to secure the loyalty of the senators?”

“It’s impossible to capture all the senators at once, but it’s possible if we move as secretly as possible. Besides, the consul has the power to command the army. If we kill Silanus and capture some of the influential senators, we can grant imperium to Catiline. Then the rest of the senators won’t dare to rebel against us.”

“A clear-cut method.”

Manlius applauded and praised him.

Catiline and his other supporters didn’t object either.

The method was decided, and all that was left was to make detailed plans.

They entered into a discussion to distinguish who they had to kill and who they had to capture.

Silanus, Cicero, Cato were unanimously on the list of those who had to die.

Catiline also suggested Caesar as a target for assassination.

No one opposed him.

They didn’t like him for being in debt and not cooperating with them.

Then various names were mentioned without stopping.

The more wealth a senator was known to have, the more frequently he was mentioned.

As they were discussing who to kill, everyone’s attention was drawn to a name that came out of Manlius’s mouth.

“What are you going to do about Crassus?”

Catiline hesitated at Manlius’s question.

He owed him a favor, but Crassus and Catiline were incompatible as members of the senate faction.

Besides, killing him and taking his wealth would be a great help in running the government in the future.

But he wasn’t sure if he could do that realistically.

Eustus sensed Catiline’s dilemma and subtly offered his opinion.

“It’s better not to touch the Crassus family. His mansion is always protected by a huge number of guards.

According to rumors, they’re almost like an armed force. And next to Crassus’s eldest son is that Spartacus. We’d have to use most of our available forces to break through there. Do we have to take that risk just to get Crassus?”

“That makes sense.”

“Eustus is right. Let’s pressure Crassus with an army. If he gives up half of his wealth, we’ll spare him.”

“Then let’s leave Crassus alone for now.”

Finally, the list of death was completed.

They didn’t just write down the names of those who had to die, but also recorded the detailed methods meticulously.

Catiline stood up from his seat.

The day of action was three days before Cicero declared his accusation.

Catiline would personally lead the rebels.

He would stand as a dictator and put Rome under his feet.

The grand path of revolution made Catiline dream of the sweet ambition of power.