The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 62: Catalina’s Rebellion 2 

As the day of the coup approached, Catalina became increasingly restless.

He pretended to be ignorant of everything and debated with other senators in the Senate, and appealed to the citizens with words he did not mean in the Assembly.

But his deception seemed to work well.

The Senate had no clue what Catalina was plotting.

It was a proof that Eustus, who had taken Catalina’s letter of authority, was acting secretly and discreetly.

Cicero and Cato criticized Catalina every day and urged him to confess.

Other senators also poured out insults that were unspeakable, but Catalina did not even get angry.

He thought of them as the last words of those who would soon die, so he could endure that much.

‘I will make you two, Cicero and Cato, suffer especially more before you die.’

On the day of the coup, Catalina looked around the senators slowly at the meeting.

Some of the senators whose names were on the death list were laughing without knowing their fate that would come tonight.

‘Fools. Let’s see if you can still make that face when the sun rises tomorrow.’

Catalina pretended to be calm and adjourned the last Senate meeting.

On his way back, Cicero urged him to confess again, but he just ignored it.

He felt strangely happy thinking that he would not have to hear that annoying voice anymore after today.

Catalina summoned his supporters who had gathered in Rome as soon as the sun set.

More than a thousand people gathered.

It was thanks to the retired soldiers who wanted debt relief and had been flocking to Rome steadily for the past few months.

They all wore armor under their togas.

They were armed with hidden swords and spears, and they looked like an army that could go to war without any problem.

“Perfect.”

The battle stance was ready.

All that was left was to execute the plan as planned.

Catalina looked around his comrades who had gathered for the revolution with pride.

“Now we just have to wait for Eustus to arrive.”

“Yes. Everything is going smoothly. Eustus will be in Rome soon.”

“He gathered nearly a thousand comrades in Tuscany, right? He is really talented.”

Catalina and Manlius’ faces were filled with smiles of confidence in the success of the plan.

“Yes. In fact, this plan was almost completed by his hands. It was not a wrong judgment to act secretly by himself. Unlike the last assassination plot, the Senate bastards still don’t have a clue what we are doing.”

“I agree. It was a good decision to keep security tight to prevent leaks of the plan.”

Eustus did not tell anyone about the progress of the work except Catalina.

There was already a precedent for the assassination plot to leak out, so other people also agreed.

It was a matter of ruin or becoming the ruler of Rome if they failed or succeeded.

There was no objection to being careful.

Eustus had proven his ability enough so far.

And he proved his judgment by bringing people together under the eyes of Rome.

If Manlius’ retired soldiers from Capua and Eustus’ comrades were combined, their number would reach two thousand.

It was enough to take over Rome in one day if they moved according to plan.

If they could seize the Senate and elect Catalina as dictator, it would be over.

Catalina estimated roughly the time and decided that it was time to set out.

He looked around his comrades who were fully armed and encouraged their will for revolution and promised a better future.

The people were especially enthusiastic at the end of his speech.

“All debts will be canceled and we will distribute fairly the property of the senators we kill today. Today will be a monumental day when we say goodbye forever to our poor and miserable past. Brave citizens! Join me and seize wealth and glory!”

“Ooooh!”

“Long live Catalina!”

“Let’s slaughter all the greedy pigs of the Senate!”

Catalina and his party left their hiding place and began marching.

The plan for revolution was simple.

Eustus’ group was supposed to come down along the Tiber River on the west side of Rome’s seven hills.

They would join there and pass through the Servian Gate, then they would see Capitoline Hill where Jupiter and Juno’s temples were located.

Beyond that, Palatine Hill and Caelian Hill were right in front of them, where most of the senators’ mansions were concentrated.

If they could subdue these two places as quickly as possible, it would be almost a success.

Catalina was confident of success in revolution and walked with more strength.

It was less than two hours from their hiding place to their meeting point.

No one was tired.

They finally arrived at the place where they were supposed to meet.

The Tiber River, which always flowed calmly, greeted them.

“Eustus hasn’t arrived yet, I guess.”

Manlius looked around cautiously.

He had returned to his old self, who had been wandering the battlefield, as the battle approached.

He scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes, and even Catalina felt the tense atmosphere.

“We might have arrived early, or they might be late. Let’s wait for an hour or so.”

“But we should be careful not to be exposed by any passers-by around here.”

“Let’s do that.”

They had to avoid being caught by anyone before they met. That’s why they chose the meeting place in the upper northwest, where there were few people.

Catalina’s party hid their bodies in the bushes near the river, making sure not to make any sound.

But Eustus’ troops did not show up no matter how long they waited.

“What’s going on?”

Catalina could not hide his anxiety. By now, their allies should have come down from the north.

As he was about to get nervous, Manlius tilted his head and looked back.

“Don’t you hear something?”

“Sound? What sound…”

Catalina reflexively turned around and heard it clearly.

It was a bit strange for footsteps.

“It sounds like horse hooves…”

Catalina nodded at Manlius’ murmur.

He could hear the faint sound of horse hooves echoing in his ears.

He took it as a signal that his allies had arrived and his face brightened.

“He brought cavalry too. Eustus really gathered a lot of people. That’s why he was late.”

But Manlius’ expression was not good.

Something was wrong.

Eustus was supposed to meet them from the north.

But the sound of horse hooves came from the south, where Rome was.

“Did they accidentally pass the meeting point and come back up?”

It was an absurd assumption, but there was no other possibility to think of.

“Oh, the reinforcements have arrived!”

Someone’s voice was heard.

Catalina and Manlius turned their heads at the same time and widened their eyes.

They saw the people coming from afar. It was a considerable size of a group that could go to war.

It was dark around, but what they saw under the flickering torches was the armor of the Roman regular legion.

They couldn’t have seen it wrong.

Catalina’s face turned pale as it could not be any more.

“H-how…”

The others were also petrified with horror.

They couldn’t even think of running away because they were too shocked.

Manlius, who had experience in commanding an army, was the first to come to his senses.

His urgent voice cut through the dark night sky.

“It’s the Senate bastards! Don’t panic, our allies will arrive soon. Form a line!”

There was a brief confusion among the party.

But they somehow regained their senses and quickly formed a line.

They did not despair, thinking that if Eustus’ reinforcements arrived, they could fight.

But Catalina’s eyes were filled with despair as he saw the number of torches that followed behind.

It looked like a full-fledged legion with fully armed regular soldiers.

“It doesn’t make sense. How can there be a regular army in Rome…? Did Silanus secretly assemble a legion without me knowing?”

The consul had the power to command the army, so he could assemble an army with the consent of the Senate.

It was possible to form a legion secretly without Catalina knowing.

But to assemble a legion, he had to inevitably open the treasury.

And if that much money went out, Catalina couldn’t have missed it.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the question was soon answered.

The people in front of the Roman legion were familiar faces to Catalina.

“Silanus. Cicero, Cato, Lucullus, and most of the other senators are here too. And…”

There was one young man next to those big shots who didn’t fit in at all, so he naturally caught his eye.

“Marcus… I see. The Crassus family funded the legion again this time.”

Catalina understood why he had been hit in the back of his head without noticing it.

He had often stormed out of the Senate meeting room pretending to be angry.

That’s when Silanus decided to form a legion with the consent of the senators.

And Crassus paid for the funds to form a legion without Catalina noticing.

Of course, there were still some questions that were not answered.

How did they figure out Catalina’s plan and form a legion?

Well, forming a legion as insurance might make sense. But how did they pinpoint the exact date and place?

‘Did they plant a spy?’

It was likely considering that the assassination plot had leaked out. But there were still some aspects that didn’t make sense.

This plan was very careful about security and no one knew the details except for a few people.

The Roman legion stopped at a certain distance from Catalina’s party.

Silanus, Cicero, and surprisingly Marcus came forward slowly on their horses.

Cicero greeted him with a sarcastic tone that was unlike his usual self.

“Well, Catalina. What brings you to the Tiber River at this ambitious hour?”

“···What are you doing here with fully armed soldiers?”

“We received intelligence that there are some scoundrels who are plotting to threaten Rome. But is it a coincidence or fate that I see your face?”

“Misunderstanding must have occurred… We were training here to prepare for any possible danger.”

It was an unbelievable excuse even to himself. Silanus chuckled and asked.

“Danger? What danger are you talking about?”

“That’s because I’m afraid that the Senate might oppress me with force. Why. There is a precedent for the Gracchus brothers.”

“Is that your excuse now?”

Cicero looked at Catalina with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and pity in his eyes.

He even lost his mocking expression that he had until a while ago.

He felt bitter seeing someone who was supposed to protect Rome as consul making such pathetic excuses.

Silanus also shook his head and sighed deeply.

“It’s time to end this ridiculous farce. Young man, you deserve most of the credit, so finish it yourself.”

“I understand.”

In the midst of subtle tension flowing faintly, Marcus’ voice came out confidently and emotionlessly from his mouth.

“Lord Catalina, your conspiracy has been exposed to everyone. Please don’t tarnish your honor any more and admit your guilt.”

“Conspiracy? What conspiracy did I plot? I am the consul of this country. Is it a proof that I plotted something because I trained with armed people at the Tiber River? Of course, it may be controversial that I moved fully armed people without the permission of the Senate. But…”

“Lord Catalina.”

A firm and emotionless word cut off the endless excuses.

Marcus’ voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of the senators behind him.

“Lord Catalina forgot his duty as consul to protect Rome’s security and was swept away by his vain desire and abused his authority. As a result, the citizens of Rome suffered from untimely chaos and the good debtors and creditors were harassed and antagonized.”

“···What nonsense are you talking about!”

“Finally, when your intentions did not work out, you plotted a terrible conspiracy to overthrow Rome by force. You tried to assassinate your fellow consul Silanus and former consul Cicero.”

Catalina tried to interrupt again, but Marcus took out a piece of paper from his chest first.

“Look here, Lord Catalina’s detailed plan to assassinate the two fellow senators is recorded here. I obtained this and immediately advised Cicero and Silanus to cancel their morning meeting.”

Cicero nodded his head with a sigh of relief.

“Dear senators, what Marcus said is all true. Thanks to him, Silanus and I were able to avoid Catalina’s terrible conspiracy.”

“Lord Cicero considered the honor of the Senate and gave Lord Catalina a chance to confess. But Lord Catalina did not repent and did not stop his rampage. And he even had a delusion that he would overthrow Rome by force and become a dictator.”

Catalina’s heart pounded at the word dictator.

Manlius’ face also showed an expression of disbelief.

By now, everything from the rebellion to the detailed plan afterwards must have leaked out.

But Catalina did not give up his last hope.

No concrete evidence that could prove his guilt had emerged yet. He could easily deny that he had anything to do with the assassination plan.

He had to argue that it was a fabricated proof.

Just as he was about to open his mouth with that intention, Marcus seemed to have anticipated his move and pulled out a few more sheets of paper.

“This is an order to recruit participants for the rebellion in Tuscany. It has your seal, Catilina, which proves your identity and status as the current consul. And this is a list of the senators who were marked for death by your rebellion. Sadly, it includes not only Silanus and Cicero, but also Cato, Caesar, and Lucullus.”

“That’s absurd…!”

Catilina tried to reflexively shout out a rebuttal, but he couldn’t finish his sentence.

What Marcus was holding was clearly the letter of authorization that Catilina had entrusted to Eustus.

He continued to read the names on the death list.

Catilina’s death list was not just a list of names.

It also detailed how to kill them and how to distribute their remaining assets.

The senators whose names were on the death list spat out curses.

They had almost lost their lives and fortunes overnight. It was natural that they were furious.

At the same time, they realized how threatening Catilina’s rebellion could have been and breathed a sigh of relief.

“If it weren’t for this young man who uncovered the plot beforehand, we could have been in big trouble.”

“Indeed. I feel like we owe him a huge debt.”

The senators’ impressions were not wrong.

Unlike the flimsy plan in the original history, Catilina’s plot this time was quite menacing.

He could secretly gather his comrades in Rome by using his authority as the consul to the fullest.

His idea of launching a surprise uprising from within was not incorrect either.

Even if he failed, he would have taken a considerable number of senators with him.

The senators attacked Catilina with insults and accusations, but nothing reached his ears.

He just stared at the death list in Marcus’s hand with a half-crazed expression.

‘How did that end up in Marcus’s hands…Oh no!’

For a moment, Catilina lost his balance and staggered from the shock that hit his head.

It felt like something that had been torn apart was put back together.

“Could it be…Eustus…?”

It was a shock. He wanted to scream that it was a lie and shake his head.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

Catilina tried to calm his chest that felt like it was going to explode and sorted out his thoughts.

Eustus belonged to the equestrian class.

And most of the equestrians were under Crassus’s influence.

He was the one who asked for more time to plan the assassination carefully.

He was the one who wrote down the method for the assassins to follow.

He was also the one who insisted on making a death list, saying that there should be a clear criterion for killing and sparing people.

He even kept the progress of the plan secret from other people, saying that security was crucial this time.

He sent him seals of people who agreed to join the rebellion in Tuscany, and he fell for it completely.

That must have been falsified as well.

The fact that all of Catilina’s plots were in Marcus’s hands was clear evidence of that.

“From the beginning…From the beginning I was completely played…?”

Catilina muttered like a madman and couldn’t stand still.

Soon he glared at Marcus with eyes full of hatred and anger and shouted.

“This is a trap! I-I fell into his trap! He sent a spy to manipulate my actions! I-…!”

Losing his reason and ranting, Catilina faced Marcus’s bitter smile.

“Catilina. You had a chance to solve the problem, but you ruined it yourself. And along the way, you had several opportunities to stop, but you made your choice yourself. Blaming others for your own choices only lowers your own value.”

Catilina couldn’t argue back. 

Come to think of it, Eustus always asked him if he really wanted to do it.

The one who made the choice was none other than Catilina himself.

In fact, if he had given up everything and asked for help to flee abroad, Marcus would have let him go as he wished.

The one who refused to give up anything he had was also Catilina himself.

It was because he couldn’t shake off his ambition for power.

The problem was that he didn’t have the ability to match his ambition and pride.

The senators who watched this scene admired Marcus’s posture, which remained calm and courteous while cornering Catilina.

Many of them also felt satisfied to see Catilina, who pretended to be ignorant of his charges, being driven into a corner.

A young man who hadn’t even entered the senate had successfully impeached Rome’s current consul.

He was so excited that he could have lost his composure, but he kept his manners until the end, which made the old senators like him more.

Crassus looked at his son with pride that he couldn’t hide.

The senators soon remembered that this young man was the same one who passionately argued that he had to protect the republic in the Verres trial.

Having presented all the evidence, Marcus left the final blow to Cicero.

Cicero stepped forward one more step and pointed his finger at Catilina. 

His eloquence began to flow from his mouth, shattering the rebel’s dream of dictatorship.