The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 68: Become a plebeian >

“Honestly, I didn’t doubt you, but I was really surprised. You infiltrated the place where the Vestal Priestesses were glaring with their eyes on fire, disguised as a woman.”

“···Now that I think about it, you already knew my name. Who the hell are you, exactly?”

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Danae, a freed slave who received the name of the Licinius clan from the Crassus family.”

“The Crassus family? Isn’t their eldest son Caesar’s son-in-law? Why would you help me?”

There was a thick suspicion in Pulcher’s voice.

What he had done could cause a huge political burden for Caesar.

He couldn’t understand why they would take his side.

Danae answered in a nonchalant voice.

“Don’t you think it would be more burdensome for Caesar if your identity was revealed? Wouldn’t it be better for both sides if this incident ended with an unidentified intruder?”

“Is, is that so···Now that you mention it, it might be possible.”

“To be honest, I don’t think there’s much benefit in covering up for someone who caused such a big accident···But your judgment has never been wrong, so I guess I’m wrong.”

Pulcher’s face crumpled like a piece of tissue paper at Danae’s harsh jab.

But he had no room to argue back since he had done such a terrible thing.

“You’re quite bold for a freed slave.”

“Anyway, I’m a free citizen now. And you said I could go out confidently. I always prioritize what my master says.”

“···Do as you please. I’m not in a position to resist anyway. But let me ask you one thing. How did you know I was going to infiltrate here?”

“I don’t know that either. I’m just faithfully carrying out the order you gave me.”

Danae shrugged her shoulders as if to say why he was asking such a thing.

Pulcher asked again with a dumbfounded expression.

“No, it doesn’t make sense no matter how you think about it. I didn’t even tell my family that I was coming here! Even if a bribed slave leaked the plan, it doesn’t make sense to tell Caesar’s son-in-law instead of Caesar himself. Do you accept this?”

“Why not? It’s not surprising at all when I serve you by your side. At most, I would think, oh, that’s typical of you. That’s how I feel.”

Pulcher felt like he was possessed by a ghost.

He thought this was an unbelievable situation, but she said it wasn’t surprising at all.

He was curious about the identity of Marcus, whom Danae served.

Of course, he knew the name Marcus, who had been making a name for himself lately.

A genius of the century who made a great contribution to suppressing Catiline’s rebellion and then proposed a financial reform bill.

He also had an unrealistically love for the republic that no one could match.

But judging from the current situation, he seemed to be more than that.

Of course, it was possible that Danae was overestimating her master.

There were many cases where slaves looked up to their masters more than they actually were.

“So···to sum up, that amazing Marcus knew that I was going to infiltrate the Vestal ceremony dressed as a woman. And he sent you to help me so that I wouldn’t get caught?”

“Yes. And he also said to tell you that he would help you with the aftermath if your face was seen by someone else. As I said before, it’s not free.”

“···Is this really possible to fix?”

“There were only a few slaves who saw you anyway, and the Vestal Priestesses didn’t see your face directly. I think we can easily deny it. Of course, this is only if you accept our offer.”

“Fine. I’ll trust you guys. Tell me your offer.”

Pulcher had no choice anyway.

Marcus had the power to decide his life or death.

Pulcher had no reason to resent him.

No, if he thought about it calmly, he was like a benefactor who saved his life.

If he could get through this situation safely, he should kneel down and thank him.

He would accept whatever Marcus asked him to do.

Pulcher was willing to give up his entire fortune if he had to.

He looked into Danaera’s eyes.

He prepared himself not to be surprised by whatever serious demand she made.

But when he heard the demand that came out of Danae’s mouth, Pulcher’s eyes widened involuntarily.

“If you are acquitted in the trial, become his client.”

“···And, what else?”

“Huh?”

“There must be something else you want. Tell me everything at once.”

“That’s all.”

It was a much lighter offer than he expected.

Pulcher frowned as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Are you really saying that’s all? You’re wiping out such a huge debt from me, Claudius Pulcher, and you’re asking for just that?”

“Oh, the most important thing is this. You can never let anyone know about your relationship with him. Officially, you two have nothing to do with each other. No one should know that you are under his influence. Do you understand?”

“So you’re trying to scheme something through me. Fine, that makes sense to me.”

Pulcrus was not a fool, even though he had a bit of a hot temper.

If he was just a simple idiot, Marcus would not have tried to use him.

“So, I take it you have no objections.”

“Hold on. You’re just going to end it with my answer? Even if I become Marcus’s client, you have to tell me what he’s going to ask me to do.”

“I don’t know what Lord Marcus will ask of you, Pulcrus. He said that after the trial, you will naturally want to seek him out. He said he will explain everything then.”

“Is that so? Well, if I’m acquitted, I’ll have to go and thank him. He said I shouldn’t attract attention, so I’ll have to go secretly. Anyway, let’s talk more about it then.”

Pulcrus nodded to himself and reached a conclusion.

“Then I agree to the contract.”

“Wait, how do I get out of here? There might still be people in the mansion.”

“Of course, we have prepared everything. Get inside this bundle of clothes. We’ll kindly load you onto a cart and take you away.”

Pulcrus smirked bitterly and followed Danae’s instructions.

He was loaded onto a cart pulled by Crassus’s men and was able to escape from the mansion without any resistance.

It was a chaotic day that Pulcrus never wanted to remember again.

※※※※

Pulcrus returned home safely and acted as if nothing had happened.

But when the news of what happened at the Bona Dea festival spread, Rome was turned upside down.

The Romans were very sensitive to acts of sacrilege.

Especially the women were furious.

They said that all the women who were there would give birth to cursed children because the goddess of childbirth was insulted.

That was why Marcus had brought Julia home beforehand.

He didn’t want his wife to be troubled and angry by such superstitions.

Of course, except for Julia, the rage of the other citizens spread like wildfire.

They wanted to find out who the scoundrel was who defiled the sacred ceremony.

The Senate saw this as an opportunity.

They thought it was a chance to impeach Caesar, who was the highest religious authority, legitimately.

Led by Cato, the anti-Caesar faction claimed that this was negligence of duty by the Pontifex Maximus.

The rumor was that the intruder was suspected to be Claudius Pulcrus, who had an eye on Pompeia, Caesar’s wife, and did such a thing.

Caesar divorced Pompeia as soon as the rumor spread.

The citizens were amused that Caesar, who always stole other men’s women, had his woman stolen for the first time.

In the meantime, the Vestal Temple also came forward and named Pulcrus as a suspect.

The chief priestess Rikinia demanded Pulcrus to provide evidence that he was not at the scene that day.

Pulcrus naturally denied the groundless rumor and claimed his innocence.

He said he would prove his innocence in court if necessary and showed a confident attitude.

Since the suspect came out so boldly, the citizens couldn’t blindly curse him.

The Senate opened a trial immediately to bring down Caesar.

The defendant was obviously Claudius Pulcrus, and the charge was sacrilege for violating the chastity of the Vestal Virgins.

Their strategy was clear.

They wanted to convict Pulcrus and make Pompeia an accomplice.

Then Caesar would naturally have to take moral responsibility for not taking care of his wife properly.

Even if they couldn’t legally hold him accountable, they could at least pressure him to step down from his position as Pontifex Maximus. 

If Pulcrus had been highly respected in the Senate, they would have hesitated to use this strategy, but fortunately most of them didn’t like him.

The Claudius clan was prestigious but also had many enemies because of it.

It was needless to mention how many enemies Caesar had in Rome.

The Senate decided to finish this trial quickly before Pompey arrived.

They wanted to use this victory as a stepping stone to gain more momentum.

They demanded that all unnecessary procedures be skipped and that a jury verdict be reached in one day.

And they pressured Pulcrus to accept this demand if he was so confident.

Surprisingly, Pulcrus gladly agreed as he wished.

As a result, an unprecedented court case that ended in one day with a verdict was held.

The citizens flocked like clouds to see the unusual outcome of this trial.

The first speaker for the Senate side who condemned Pulcrus was Cato.

He went up on the podium and shouted in a hoarse voice that Pulcrus should be punished severely.

“What Pulcrus did was not a simple sacrilege! He contaminated the ceremony presided over by the Vestal Virgins.

The sacred event of the Vestal Virgins was tainted by Pulcrus’s filthy desire. This is clearly an attempt to harm the sanctity, that is, the chastity of the Vestal Virgins.

The Roman law prescribes the death penalty for such people. Therefore! The defendant Claudius Pulcrus must pay the price for his crime.

And Pompeia, who is an accomplice in this case, must be forbidden to remarry for life and repent for her actions. Caesar, the Pontifex Maximus, must also take moral responsibility and step down!”

Some of the citizens who were swayed by Cato’s agitation raised their voices to execute Pulcrus immediately.

But Pulcrus’s side still showed a relaxed attitude.

Pulcrus’s lawyer firmly denied all the charges against them.

“Wise and thoughtful jurors and citizens, this is a ridiculous trial from the start. Rome has traditionally never tolerated sacrilege.

But those who commit sacrilege are judged by the gods, not by us. It is because we are arrogantly taking over the work of the great gods.

Even if the gods are merciful and do not judge them, those who cause sacrilege are socially buried. If they are nobles, they lose in elections, and if they are commoners, they are shunned by their neighbors. That’s all there is to it. There is no clause in Roman law that says to bring those who commit sacrilege to court like this.”

The citizens were swayed by the eloquent speech of the defense side.

The defense side sensed the changing atmosphere and became more confident in their tone.

“The Senate side will say this. This is not a normal sacrilege, but a malicious act of trying to harm the chastity of the Vestal Virgins.

If such a thing happened, he should be punished severely. But the intruder was caught before the ceremony began. That is, it happened in the preparation stage, so there is room for controversy depending on the interpretation.

And the most decisive thing is that there is no conclusive evidence that the defendant Claudius Pulcrus is the intruder! The defendant says he was not at the scene that day. He has no reason to be dragged into this court in the first place.”

When the defense side’s speech ended, the citizens were confused. 

According to what they said, Pulcrus looked like a victim who was unjustly prosecuted.

But the Senate had already predicted that Pulcrus’s side would make such a counterargument.

Cato immediately requested the judge to proceed with witness testimony.

The first person to testify was Rikinia, the chief priestess of Vesta.

When she took the stand, the jurors and citizens showed respect.

Cato also started his questions politely, unlike usual.

“Witness, you caught an intruder dressed as a woman on the day of the festival. Did his face not match that of Pulcrus?”

Rikinia carefully observed Pulcrus, who stood with a confident expression.

But Pulcrus looked different from then because his hairstyle had changed completely.

Rikinia sighed and shook her head.

“Unfortunately, I can’t give you a definite answer because the intruder was wearing makeup and I didn’t see his face clearly. He looks similar, but he could just be someone who looks like him.”

Cato did not give up and summoned several other witnesses. Pompeia’s slaves also said they couldn’t be sure.

From their point of view, if they said something wrong, their master would also be punished with them, so they had to be careful.

Cato also asked Caesar for testimony.

“Caesar, you divorced your wife Pompeia as soon as you heard about this incident. Isn’t that because you realized that Pompeia committed a serious crime?”

“Not at all.”

“Then why did you divorce your wife?”

Caesar gave an impudent answer with a very solemn expression.

“Caesar’s wife must not even be suspected.”

The citizens laughed at Caesar’s words, feeling incredulous.

The Senate side did not ask Caesar for another word of testimony as they sensed the weird atmosphere.

Cato coughed to clear his throat and emphasized that many people agreed that they looked alike.

And he argued that all circumstantial evidence pointed to Pulcrus being the intruder.

Pulcrus did not sit still either.

He argued that he was at his villa far away from Rome on the day of the festival and returned to Rome two days later.

He brought several slaves to prove his schedule.

Of course, the testimony of slaves, especially those belonging to the defendant, was not very credible.

Here, some citizens bribed by Marcus testified that they saw Pulcrus near his villa.

They were farmers living near where Pulcrus’s villa was located.

The claims of both sides were evenly matched, but if it went on like this, Pulcrus’s side seemed more likely to win.

The Senate side became desperate and threw their trump card.

Cicero, a former consul and a famous orator, took the stand as a witness.

He originally intended to remain neutral in this trial, but he finally changed his mind after being persistently persuaded by the Senate.

“I think it is highly likely that the testimony that Pulcrus was at his villa far away from Rome is perjury. I saw Pulcrus on the morning of the festival. How can he say that he moved to his villa far away from Rome in half a day when he was in Rome in the morning?”

Cicero’s testimony changed the atmosphere of the court in an instant.

Pulcrus was flustered for the first time and accused Cicero of perjury.

Now that the testimonies of both sides were completely different, it became a matter of credibility.

But there was no balance between Cicero, a former consul and a renowned orator, and Pulcrus’s witnesses, who were ordinary citizens and slaves.

Pulcrus felt that it was dangerous to go into the jury verdict like this, but he had no clever means.

In the end, he had no choice but to enter the jury verdict with 56 jurors.

The Senate was confident of victory and Pulcrus’s face turned pale.

But something unexpected happened.

40 votes for Pulcrus’s innocence and 16 votes for his guilt came out.

The jurors said that it was not fair to impose the death penalty based on mere circumstantial evidence and testimony.

Pulcrus, who was acquitted, looked around at the enraged senators with a bewildered expression.

They were all furious that Pulcrus had bribed the jurors.

Of course, it was a conspiracy theory that no one took seriously.

The jury for this case was selected more fairly than ever before.

Pulcrus only found out who the jurors were on the day of the trial.

He didn’t have enough time to bribe them even if he wanted to.

‘Could it be that Marcus did it all in advance?’

Marcus had told him to go to the trial without any worries.

He must have said that because he was absolutely sure that he would be acquitted.

Pulcrus realized once again that he owed an indelible debt to the person who would become his patron.

In the original history, Pulcrus was helped by Caesar and the Crassus clan when he was cornered, but this time the level of help was different.

Thanks to that, unlike in history, Pulcrus leaned more toward Marcus than Caesar.

Of course, there were things that didn’t change.

His desire for revenge and hatred toward the Senate and Cicero.

Pulcrus knew very well that the Senate had tried to use him as a scapegoat to pressure the Claudius clan and Caesar.

He was the type of person who had to pay back his gratitude or grudge more than twice to feel satisfied.

As soon as the trial ended, Pulcrus secretly sought out Marcus.

He wanted to thank him for the trial and ask for his wisdom to get revenge.

Marcus immediately told him what he wanted.

“Become a tribune of the plebs? No, a tribune of the plebs?”

“Yes. If you want to get revenge on the Senate, you have to become a consul or higher, but that would take too long. But what if you turn it around and become a tribune of the plebs? You can hinder the Senate as soon as next year.”

The power of a tribune of the plebs was almost as great as that of a consul. It was similar except for the two points of military command and being the head of the Senate.

Of course, those two points were the core of being a consul, but they were not necessary for Pulcrus at all.

As long as he had legislative power, judicial power, and veto power over bills, Pulcrus could do everything he wanted.

“But I’m from the noble Claudius clan and only commoners can run for tribune of the plebs.”

“That can be easily solved. Adopt into a plebeian family. Commoners can become nobles, so why can’t nobles become commoners? There is no law in Rome that prohibits that.”

“That’s absurd… No, it’s not absurd. But… is it really possible?”

“Of course. It’s possible as long as you get permission from the highest religious authority. And Lord Caesar will gladly accept my request.”

In fact, this was a method that Pulcrus and Caesar used exactly three years later, but Marcus stole it from them.

It was not a loss for Pulcrus either.

He didn’t have to rack his brains for three years to figure out a way.

“So if I become a tribune of the plebs, you’ll let me do whatever I want?”

“Just refrain from doing anything too excessive. There is no limit to how many times you can be a tribune of the plebs. It would be more effective to stay in that position for a long time and check on the Senate.”

“I see. Actually, I have a bit of a hot-blooded personality and sometimes I rush in without thinking. If you see any signs of that, please stop me. I’ll gladly follow you.”

“Good. And when I designate a bill that I want, you just have to propose it in the assembly. Of course, you can’t show any signs that you’re related to me. From today on, there will be no more meetings like this between us. All instructions will be delivered through a third party. I’ll also provide you with campaign funds through a merchant under me, so you just have to run for tribune of the plebs every year.”

“Thank you. I will perform my duties as a tribune of the plebs perfectly so that you won’t regret helping me.”

Marcus nodded with satisfaction.

He had almost all the foundations to lead politics.

Now he only lacked one small piece.

And the one who would fill in that missing piece finally arrived.

On the last day of 62 BC.

Pompey, who led ten legions, landed at the port of Brundisium amid the enthusiastic cheers of the citizens.