Chapter 12: Spartacus (5)

Chapter 12: Spartacus (5)

——Chapter 12: Spartacus (5)——

After replying to Marcus that he would follow him, Spartacus returned to Batiatus. And when he closed the door and left, Marcus sighed while swinging the chair.

"Whoa... My heart almost stopped."

"Sorry for speaking like that, But I could not stand the way he talked about you, Young master."

"No, your help was great. If you hadn't stepped in like that, Spartacus wouldn't have listened to me wholeheartedly."

It was fortunate that Danae was related to Spartacus. No matter how distrustfully he closed his heart, the appeal of a girl who was brought as a slave from the same land must have brought a special resonance.

Danae couldn't hide her excitement, as if she was very happy that she was able to help Marcus.

"This is nothing compared to the grace the young master has shown me. And didn't the young master plan everything in the first place? "

"Well... That. That's right, it was all a calculated action."

"As expected! That's the reason why young master invited me to sit with you."

Marcus' conscience stung a little to see Danae admiring him on her own. Of course, it wasn't that Marcus didn't have such thoughts at all.

The theory that Spartacus was a Thracian, close to greek, had been popular for a long time. And Danae was also from Thrace, adjacent to Greece.

There was even a calculation that Spartacus would perceive her favorably. But Danae went beyond that and courageously stepped forward for Marcus.

"Now, we can't waste the opportunity you gave us. Now, we'll have to meet Batiatus and negotiate. "

Saying that Marcus immediately went to Batiatus' chambers with Septimus. But Septimus seemed a little offended because only he had been kept outside of the room earlier.

Still, when Marcus made the excuse that Spartacus would be a little less vigilant if there were younger people, he was convinced.

Even so, he really wanted to join earlier. So this time, he asked.

"Can I join the conversation with Batiatus? Or should I leave again?"

"It's okay. Rather, you have to report to my father, so it's better if you join."

"Then I'm glad."

"Oh, and you don't mind selling my father's name when negotiating with Batiatus?"

Hearing that Marcus would lie so proudly, Septimus immediately put on an expression of astonishment.ALL new chapters on nov(e)lbin(.)com

"If you get caught, can you take care of the outcome?"

"It's okay. When I go to Rome and report it to him, my father will unconditionally give permission. There will never be anything that needs to be taken care of."

Septimus stared at Marcus and thought to himself.

'It's not bravado, and it's not the look of arrogance. It felt a certainty based on clear evidence.'

"When did you grow up like this... It's good. It doesn't matter, I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

"It's a very wise decision. Then let's go and negotiate."

Having been told by Spartacus that Marcus would come, Batiatus waited with all his might.

"Ha ha ha ha! Welcome! I was waiting for you!"

With a friendly smile, Batiatus recommended pulling out a chair.

This was his attitude toward those higher than himself. He was a completely different person from when he was Spartacus.

"It is truly an honor to welcome such a precious person."

As he said that he kept a sidelong glance at Septimus and Marcus. And it was to determine which of the two was in charge of the negotiations.

Sensing Batiatus' gaze, Septimus took a step back and said.

"I have nothing to say in this negotiation, so you can talk to the young master."

"Is that so? Hee hee... They say that the Crassus family is a famous family in Rome, so it seems that's the case. Even a boy who is still young has the ability to negotiate a deal."

"It's an overstatement. All the details were already concocted by my father. I'm just discussing them with you."

Batiatus suddenly raised his head and looked up at Marcus.

Septimus also widened his eyes and waited for Marcus to speak.

"Current gladiator fights are a very difficult structure for new recruits. Even considering the fact that there is no choice but to see blood, the death rate is too high."

"That's unavoidable... "

"No. We're looking at this problem in the long term. There are a lot of prisoners of war now, so it wouldn't be a problem if they died like that. But what are you going to do when Rome's borders are stabilized and the supply of slaves is cut off? Wouldn't it be too late?"

"How could the border be stabilized so soon?"

"No. It's not a story from the distant future."

The areas that are not stable now are mainly in the east and Gaul. The eastern dynasties were conquered by Pompey ten years later, and after that Gaul was also subjugated by caesar to roman hegemony. By then the supply of slaves will be incomparably reduced.

It means that there is not much time left to maintain the current structure of changing gladiators indefinitely.

"If the supply of gladiators goes down, well... I'll have to tweak the rules a little accordingly. But wouldn't it be too much to say that the current method isn't enough?"

"I'm not done yet. The high mortality rate of gladiators means that there is little chance of creating a divinity to lead the show. For convenience, I'll call them Stella. A show can only be established when this Stella, who leads the entire board, comes out. It's going to be, isn't it? "

"That's Spartacus or Crixus... "

"No matter how much Stella it is, what fun would it be if the two of them just do it? There should be a talent pool that can match the sum. The current structure can't grow that pool."

Batiatus, like a mute who had eaten honey, could not argue again. Thinking that he shouldn't lose control of the conversation like this, he barely came up with an excuse.

"But the public won't be convinced for that reason alone. What's the point of asking to see you tomorrow when the immediate fun is diminishing? "

"Yes. So, I don't intend to change it all at once. We should induce the audience to change their thoughts gradually. To that end, we plan to make Spartacus the best Stella in Rome. We must intentionally create an image as an idol that everyone looks up to. Then we'll improve the treatment of the gladiators. Do you know what's the most important factor in a tournament's success? "

"Yes? That's what... It depends on how intense and stimulating the matches are. "

"No. The most important thing is the core of stellar and the narrative surrounding them. When there is a narrative that the audience can immerse in and when there is not, there is a world of difference."

It was a story that Batiatus seemed to know something about but couldn't get a very specific image of.

"Speaking of Capua's current situation, isn't it a situation where the Thracian gladiators and the gallic gladiators are divided? Such a subtle confrontation and conflict of pride make the audience more excited. "

"Ah, that's right. Certainly..."

"If there are enough stellar and stories surrounding them to fascinate the audience, the audience will start consuming them on their own."

Batiatus nodded involuntarily in admiration. Hearing this, it was so obvious that he wondered why he hadn't thought first.

Marcus continued his explanation to him, who had already entered a half-listening posture.

"I'm thinking of adding an element to stimulate people's love for their hometown. First of all, I'm thinking of having Rome, where gladiator fights are prevalent, to compete with geographically adjacent cities. Gladiators represent their region and fight against other regions. What if that happens? The audience will enthusiastically cheer for the gladiators representing their region, right? "

Considering the reaction of modern European football fans to their hometown team's matches, it is easy to predict how well they will respond.

In addition, people at that time had a sense of belonging to their hometown that was incomparably worse than today.

It's hard to feel good when your region loses a losing streak to another region. Naturally, spectators would want their local gladiators to be superior to others, and there would be far more opportunities for gladiators to practice their skills.

"But if it's a long distance, it will take too long to travel."

"So we have to do it in a nearby big city. First of all, I'm thinking of experimenting with four cities. And the Lanistas just have to add all kinds of flesh to it and create a narrative that will captivate the audience. Can you imagine how much money will come and go?"

In addition to this, Marcus planned to introduce systems such as a ranking system and title fights used in modern martial arts.

Batiatus's head began to spin violently. Although he didn't make any specific calculations, he was a quick-witted person.

The expectation that a market of enormous size would be created was right on.

The fact that it was devised by Crassus, the richest man in Rome, gave off a stronger smell of money.

Even though the gladiator match is free in principle, there is a huge stake in it, and the fee alone can make a huge profit.

In the beginning, the capital to execute it was a problem, but if this is also the capital of the Crassus family, there is no problem.

After rolling his head around, Batiatus finally realized that he had no choice but to accept. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Batiatus nodded, and Marcus held out the contract with a thin smile.

The deal was done.