Chapter 13: Return

Chapter 13: Return

——Chapter 13: Return——

In one corner of the Gladiator Training Center, Crixus was fiercely swinging his sword.

The momentum of his swordsmanship with a wooden sword was so magnificent that one could not take his eyes off him.

Crixus wielding the sword did not stop his sword even after seeing Spartacus appearing at the training ground. Instead, he turned his head and gave a short greeting.

"You are here?"

"Crixus, you don't stop training even on the day of the match."

"If I had done this in the first place, You wouldn't have overtaken me so easily."

Perhaps because it was the day the gladiator match ended, no one was visible in the training ground except for the two of them.

"You've always been like my teacher, Crixus. You've improved my skills more than any one else."

"Then I have to improve my skills even more as a teacher. At least in order to regain the position of the number one in Capua that I entrusted to you for a while."

"By the way... I don't think I can meet swords with you for the time being."

In an instant, the wooden sword, which was showing flashy movements, stopped abruptly.

Crixus narrowed his eyes and turned to Spartacus.

"What? Why?"

"You know that the nobles of the Roman Senate came to this match, right?"

Hearing Spartacus's question Crixus answered.

"How can I not know that? Batiatus has been so hard on us to have a splendid match."

"Among them is a young man named Marcus. I ended up following him. "

"...Did Batiatus sell you?"

"It is also my will. That young master is fundamentally different from the other nobles. And I think my going to Rome will lead to better treatment for many gladiators."

Crixus' face hardened like plaster.

Spartacus was always like this. Even if he has become a bottomless slave, he thinks of others before himself.

At first, Crixus thought he was faking, but after some time Crixus understood that Spartacus was not acting. So he asked in response.

"Are you thinking of becoming a rattle to the Romans to improve the treatment of the other gladiators? Even if it sells your pride?"

"No. The boy I'm going to follow is definitely not that kind of person. I'm going to trust him and do everything I can."

"...This is the first time you've ever spoken of a Roman, like that. But I don't believe it. I hope things will change for luxury now. "

There was never a time in Crixus' life when his expectations were met.

'Becoming a veteran gladiator will change things. If you become the strongest of Capua, you will see hope.'

There were times when he naively thought that way, but it was all in the past.

In inverse proportion to his increasing skills and the number of wins he accumulated day by day, the hope in his eyes gradually disappeared.

Spartacus sincerely said to him, his teacher, and his close friend.

"I won't tell you to expect too much. But never give up. I promise to deliver my results within 3 years at the longest. 2 years at the shortest. I'm sure that if that happens, even the tiniest bit of something will change. The boy told me that too. If I follow him, things will change for good for you and everyone."

"The noble you decided to follow? He told you to follow him? Why?"

"I don't know about that. Maybe he guessed the relationship between me and you and was considerate. Didn't I tell you? He was something different."

Crixus' eyes twinkled as if because of a light of hope for a moment, but he soon shook his head and regained his composure.

"I don't believe it. But I pray that you do what you want to do there."

"Thank you. It bothers me to leave the others behind, but with you here, I can rest easy. Without you, I would not have left my comrades here."

"...Stop talking nonsense and get your business straight. Your defeat is not yours alone. You must never forget that it will be the defeat of all of our Capuan gladiators. Come with determination. Is there anything different in Rome? Even if you go there, write down the myth of invincibility."

"Of course, I intend to do that. "

Spartacus laughed meaningfully.

**

Marcus left the nobles who had come with him and stayed at Capua for two more days.

It was feared that if Spartacus went with them, there would be a great uproar.

"Have you gotten used to the outside now?"

"It's still a bit awkward. In downtown Capua, there are too many people who recognize me, so I can't even walk around."

Freed from the gladiator training camp, Spartacus still did not fully familiarize his situation.

However, if he goes to Rome where he can walk freely, he will have no choice but to feel it, even if he doesn't like it- That he was no longer a slave gladiator imprisoned.

"You must have conveyed my words to Crixus, right? "

"Of course. But may I ask why you even cared about Crixus?"

"Half of it is to make him feel at ease, and the other half is to ensure for the unexpected."

Spartacus tilted his head, but Marcus did not bother to ask why.

It was not something that can be explained anyway.

The goal of recruiting Spartacus was achieved.

However, because of this, one event has the possibility of unfolding differently from the actual history.

It was the rebellion of Spartacus.

Of course, it was too soft to predict that rebellion will not happen just because Spartacus was absent.

There were three main culprits of Spartacus' rebellion in history.

Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus who died at the beginning of the rebellion.

However, the more cards they can use in war, the better.

Once done right, geniuses like Caesar and Pompey will recognize its value.

And fortunately, horseshoes were easier to introduce than stirrups. A horseshoe was a metal device that attaches a horse's hooves to prevent wear.

In places where the roads were rarely maintained, even if you run barefoot without shoes, they will not wear out quickly.

However, a place like Rome, where solid roads were laid in all directions, was a different story.

If you roll a horse without shoes in a place like this, the horse's hooves will literally disappear.

The Romans also knew this, so they already made and wore shoes exclusively for horses made of metal.

However, compared to modern horseshoes, convenience and efficiency were incomparable.

Modern horseshoes date from the 10th century B. C. and can be made with Roman technology.

In fact, when he asked Septimus, he got a very positive response.

"It's okay... I think it will be profitable. You often come up with really clever ideas. "

"Then, can we say that the technology itself to make this is sufficient? "

"Of course. It's not something that can't be made as long as you know the principle, structure, and use. If you entrust it to skilled artisans, a product that can be commercialized will come out within half a year."

"Okay. Then let's start developing as soon as we get back."

Just as he was about to feel better for the first time in a while, the carriage rattled and shook.

Marcus, who felt a strong shock to his hips, gnashed his teeth and repeated himself.

'And I have to improve the wagons. Wagons boast the worst ride quality somehow.'

There will be a lot of things to do here and there in the future, but he can't ride a carriage like this for the rest of his life.

Actually, it was not the time to let go.

Even if he thinks about it for a moment, wasn't the reality that there were so many problems to deal with?

Most of all, no matter how positively he thinks about it, the fact that he couldn't handle anything easily was the most difficult.

Considering the distant future, the difficulties almost doubled.

The basic goal of the current plan, the policy of hiding in the shadow of Caesar until after his death, was not wrong.

But considering what happened after that, his head was already pounding.

'Even if Caesar dies, if Octavian is alive, the competition will be pretty tough...'

In terms of political power, Octavian was a monster-level figure who was chosen as the best in all of Rome.

He was a genius who stuck out his tongue the more he read the books he got from the library.

To put it bluntly, with equal forces, the odds of Marcus winning are simply zero.

At least, if the current plan goes well, it is possible to cut Octavian's strength by almost half, but it doesn't change that he was a threatening figure.

Marcus asked the three people in the carriage with him.

"Septimus, Danae, and Spartacus. What should I do to defeat an opponent that I couldn't beat when I was growing up normally? It's just a family, so tell me what you think of them one by one."

The first person to speak was Danae, who was sitting right next to him.

"Isn't the best way to prevent it from growing?"

"Surely that's the theory."

However, he had already thought about that part, so there is no need to listen to more opinions.

Next, Spartacus in the driver's seat opened his mouth with a serious expression.

"Actually, raising your own skills is the surest way. There's no other way than this."

"It's a really sure and good way, but if it was possible, I wouldn't have asked in the first place, right? "

"···sorry."

According to the records, Spartacus also used a strategy of surprise, but it seems that people change according to the environment.

Last but not least is the trustworthy Septimus. He scratched his head with a troubled look at Marcus' expectant gaze.

"Appease in advance. Assassinate if it doesn't work out. About this much comes to mind. "

"Assassination is too risky."

In the end, no matter which one he chooses, he will remain uncomfortable.

Marcus, unable to get an answer, just leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

'I don't know. A guy who wasn't even born yet. I'll just have to spend a little more time coming up with a countermeasure.'

There were still 10 years left until Octavian was born.

At that time, depending on the level of position Marcus was in, the range of responses that could be taken will also vary.

If he made a hasty decision now, there was a high possibility that it will only result in limiting the frame of thought.

If only books in the library could be picked up indefinitely, his worries would have been greatly reduced, but it was just a pity.

'There must be a way though, it's not like I didn't have anything in mind.'

It was a pity, but if he holds on to the irresistible part to the end, he was only losing himself.

Once he knew the big events and major characters that would happen in the future, he didn't feel the urgency.

Whether or not to explain the library's abilities, Marcus just has to go his own way.

There was no reason to stop and worry.

Inside the carriage, which still rattled to an annoying degree.

Marcus muttered in a voice so low that even Danae, who was sitting next to him, could not hear.

"Augustus... the first emperor of Rome... "