Chapter 139: The Heirs 3

Chapter 139: The Heirs 3

< 139. The Heirs 3 >

“Octavius... is going to study in Antioch?”

Atia looked around in confusion.

It was a great opportunity to have Marcus himself teach him various things.

If he was an ordinary person, he would have to accept it with gratitude, but Atia could not make a decision easily.

She felt that her son’s future could be determined by her decision now.

“Don’t you like it?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just too unexpected...”

Atia had a plan to raise her son as Caesar’s ally.

She was Caesar’s niece, so Octavius was Caesar’s descendant.

Octavius was the closest male relative to Caesar, who had no son.

The Romans had a custom of adopting a boy from a close relative’s family if they had no son to continue their lineage.Fịndd new updates on n(o)v/e/lbin(.)com

That meant that Octavius had a very high chance of being adopted as his successor if Caesar liked him.

But if he went under Marcus, who was a nobleman, there was a risk of Octavius being regarded as a member of the nobility.

Of course, no one would care about the young Octavius yet, but the problem was that she could not predict how this study abroad would affect him later.

And she was also reluctant to refuse hastily.

She thought that maybe it would be better for her son’s future to become Marcus’s ally rather than Caesar’s.

Atia’s blueprint was based on the premise that Octavius would become Caesar’s adopted son.

But this was not an easy problem.

Atia knew how pragmatic Caesar was.

‘There is no guarantee that our Octavius will grow up well enough to meet his standards...’

She loved her son, but that should not affect her objective judgment.

Rather, because she loved him more than anyone else, she had to consider all the conditions coldly.

‘Octavius is smart, but his weak body is a drawback. He might value that aspect more since he earned a great military merit in Gaul.’

And more importantly, there was a risk of losing the advantage of being a blood relative if Julia gave birth to a second son.

Julia’s eldest son, Trajanus, would follow Marcus, but what if she had another son?

From Caesar’s point of view, it would be natural to love his daughter’s son more than his niece’s son by several times.

Marcus and Julia seemed to have a very good relationship at first glance.

It was obvious if she talked to Julia for a little bit.

Whenever the topic of Marcus came up, Julia’s eyes and expression were full of undeniable affection.

If their marital harmony was so good, it wouldn’t be strange if they had a child next year or the year after.

‘Yes. Becoming Caesar’s adopted son is too risky and uncertain. Then maybe I should take advantage of this opportunity...’

Atia turned her eyes slightly and looked at Octavius’s expression.

He seemed to know the importance of this matter, but he was enjoying the food in front of him calmly.

“Octavius, the governor has made you a generous offer. What do you think?”

“Do I have a choice? The education of a young child is entirely up to the parents.”

“So you’re just going to follow whatever I decide?”

Atia asked with a smirk.

Octavius smiled firmly and tore off a piece of well-cooked pork with his hand and brought it to his mouth.

“I don’t think it’s my place to interfere rashly. It would be rude to show such behavior in front of the governor. I don’t want to do that.”

“I don’t mind. I want to hear your opinion.”

Marcus opened his mouth with interest, wiping off the stain on his wine glass with his finger.

“I think the will of the person involved is the most important thing in making any choice. I’m curious about your thoughts.”

“To be honest, I don’t know if I can adapt well in Antioch alone. I can’t ask my family to follow me for my sake either. But if I can learn from you by your side, I think there is nothing more helpful for my future.”

“I see. It must be hard for you emotionally to live alone in a foreign land at your young age. Atia, how about staying here with your family for a while for Octavius? I’ll prepare everything you want, from the mansion to the servants. Julia will be happy too if her cousin lives nearby.”

“Me? Not just Octavius but me and Octavia too?”

“By the way, has Octavia been married yet? If she’s already married, it might be a bit difficult to come over here.”

Atia shook her head quickly.

“No. There is a family that we are talking about marriage with, but they haven’t married yet.”

“She hasn’t married yet?”

Marcus asked with wide eyes.

If it was according to the history he knew, she should have already married Claudius Marcellus.

But if she hadn’t married yet, it meant that history had already been twisted a lot.

‘Well, the political situation in Rome has already changed completely from history, so the alliances between the upper classes won’t follow history either.’

“Governor, please teach me a lot.”

Octavius, who jumped up from his seat, bowed his head with sincerity.

It was not just a meaning of asking for a good study abroad.

Marcus, who knew this, accepted his sincerity with a satisfied smile.

“I promise you. You won’t regret today’s decision.”

※※※※

After finishing all the guests, Marcus headed to the huge mansion he had prepared behind the governor’s residence.

It was a luxurious mansion that looked like a famous noble’s house, but there was one strange thing.

It was that the armed army surrounded the mansion like a steel barrel.

And they looked like they were watching not to protect the mansion, but to prevent anyone from going out.

“Have you cooled your head now?”

Marcus, who entered as if it was his own house, sat on the chair in the reception room and asked the owner of the mansion.

Surenas, who filled a fine glass with Cypriot wine, shook his head with a bitter smile.

“I never had a fever in the first place, so I don’t need to cool it down.”

“Why are you so polite? Can I hope that your thoughts have changed as well as your tone?”

“You kept your promise... so I’m seriously considering our deal.”

“That’s good to hear. So, how do you like Antioch? It’s not bad to live in, even though it’s a province of Rome, right?”

Surenas was a prisoner, but he could go anywhere in Antioch if he wanted.

There was always a restriction that surveillance followed him, but Surenas himself didn’t complain about this obvious measure.

Rather, it seemed too generous for a prisoner.

“It’s no less than Ctesiphon... no, I felt that this place is more developed than there. That’s why I don’t understand your actions more and more. You say you want me, but do you really need me? I wonder.”

“There is a saying: si vis pacem, para bellum (if you want peace, prepare for war). A talented person in strategic planning is always needed.”

It was a famous saying mentioned in Military Theory, a paper published by Renatus, the Count of Constantinople, in the 4th century.

Surenas tilted his head at the unfamiliar phrase.

“I’ve never heard of it... who said that?”

“You wouldn’t know. Oh, Plato also said something similar in The Laws. And even if it looks peaceful on the surface, you never know when war will break out. You know that, don’t you?”

“That’s true. But the more I see this, the more complicated I feel...”

Surenas put down the weekly newspaper he had been reading on the table.

It seemed that he had read almost all the newspapers from the first issue to now.

“What, don’t you like the articles?”

“There must be some exaggerations, but I could tell they were based on facts. But what surprised me more was the idea of creating such a medium and the technology behind it. They say you got wisdom from the gods here... I don’t believe it, but I can’t help thinking that way when I see these results.”

“Then you should want to serve me more.”

“...I won’t say I’ve never thought about it.”

Surenas was not sure yet.

He wondered if it was possible for him to live as a Roman after living as a Parthian noble all his life.

What if he did and couldn’t make himself useful?

He would regret betraying Rome for such a thing.

On the other hand, it would be a problem if he prospered as Marcus’s confidant.

Wouldn’t he feel guilty for abandoning his lifelong foundation and surviving as a traitor?

But rationally thinking, many Parthian nobles had already joined Marcus.

The reality was like this, so he wondered if there was no point in being stubborn.

Marcus saw through Surenas’s confused state of being unable to do this or that.

Compared to the first time when he repeatedly refused firmly, this could be seen as a positive sign.

‘It’s time to nail him down. The situation is ready, so maybe I can solve everything at once.’

Feeling that the time had come, Marcus took out a piece of paper from his chest and pushed it toward Surenas on the table.

“I’ll give you an opportunity to make up your mind for your sake. Read this and decide whether to follow me or not. But once you choose, you can’t go back, so think carefully and decide.”

Surenas’s eyes trembled with astonishment as he looked at the contents of the paper with curiosity.

“Is this really true?”

“Do I have any reason to lie?”

“You think... I’ll accept this offer?”

“Accept it or not, it’s up to you. But it’s something that will definitely happen, so you’ll have to make up your mind soon.”

Marcus’s meaningful words made Surenas speechless.

He just revealed his feelings with his trembling eyes and arms.

< 139. The Heirs 3> End