Chapter 245: The Future of Rome 5

Chapter 245: The Future of Rome 5

< 245. The Future of Rome 5 >

The news of the failed assassination attempt on Caesar spread throughout Rome in less than a day.

The atmosphere in the city quickly turned into a volcanic rage.

The citizens who gathered at the Forum Romanum exchanged information and tried to uncover the identities of the assassins.

The ringleaders were Cassius and Decimus, along with other nobles!

Wasnt Decimus a relative of Caesar? How could he try to kill him?

He was blinded by power. He deserves to die!

I heard they hid knives in the Senate House, did you know that?

The information was surprisingly accurate and detailed.

Naturally, the size of the crowds grew larger and larger, and the citizens anger engulfed the whole of Rome.

Even one of the knives that an assassin had tried to use was presented as evidence, though no one knew where it came from.

A populist senator, who seemed to have been brought by force, gave a detailed testimony of what had happened.

After learning the full story, the citizens did not stay in the Forum Romanum any longer.

They dispersed throughout Rome, forming groups and shouting slogans filled with bloodlust.

Kill the assassins!

Let them taste what they wanted to do to Caesar!

Make them pay for trying to kill the hero of Rome!

Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!

The voices demanding the blood of the assassins echoed endlessly.

The nobles realized the seriousness of the situation and acted quickly.

The citizens were roaming around to kill the assassins, but they were already detained by Caesar.

It was not a wrong decision to lock them up with armed forces.

It was not to prevent them from escaping.

It was to protect them from being killed by the angry mobs.

If it were not for the fully armed legionaries, the mansion where the assassins were held would have been swept away by the waves of furious citizens.

In this situation, the ones who became endangered were the families of the assassins.

The citizens who could not vent their anger on their targets chose the next best thing: the relatives of the assassins.

There was no one who could stop the citizens who had turned into violent thugs.

The families of the assassins had to abandon their homes and flee to their close friends or relatives.

This is strange, very strange

Cicero could not understand the trends of the citizens at all.

How can they move so quickly? It hasnt even been a day since the assassination attempt.

Cicero, who had been hiding in his mansion, felt an ominous vibe and took refuge in Marcus mansion.

His bad feeling was right on target.

Sure enough, a rumor that Cicero was also involved in Caesars assassination plot popped up in less than half a day.

His luxurious mansion on Palatine Hill was smashed by thugs in less than two hours after that.

The flow of rumors is too fast. And their accuracy is too high.

Does that mean you were really involved in Caesars assassination plan, sir?

Marcus asked as he placed a cup of coffee in front of Cicero, who was engulfed in confusion.

Cicero realized he had made a slip of the tongue and shook his head in surprise.

Of course, they would lose all their property and be banished forever, but at least they wouldnt die.

Even if they were exiled forever, the political landscape could change at any time and they could return to Rome.

There were more than a dozen people who had done that.

Even if not, Antioch and Greece were Marcus territories.

If they were exiled there, they could live comfortably and plot their comeback.

Marcus smiled wryly and got up from his seat.

Dont worry. That shouldnt be too hard.

and he asked me to beg you for mercy.

Caesar listened to Marcus words quietly and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

How convenient. They try to kill me and then ask the victim for mercy.

Thats the charm of the nobility.

A fatal charm indeed.

Caesar, who had lightly brought the coffee cup to his mouth, tilted his head.

This tastes a bit different from the last time, doesnt it?

I used milk instead of water for the coffee. I thought people who are not used to the bitterness would prefer this.

This is pretty good too. Its definitely a taste that women would like. Are you going to sell this at that hotel or whatever it is? Youll make a lot of money.

For now, Ill start with the nobles luxury goods, but Ill stabilize the supply with sugar within ten years. Then the citizens will be able to enjoy it easily.

The current price of coffee was not at a level that the citizens could enjoy.

The price of coffee itself was only slightly cheaper than Chinese tea.

That was because the production volume was not that high yet.

The problem was that they had to add sugar to it as well.

The less familiar they were with coffee, the more sugar they had to add, so the price had to be high.

Therefore, for now, they had to leave it as an exclusive item for the nobility and the knight class.

Caesar, who had been enjoying the aroma of coffee in silence for a while, slowly put down his cup and nodded.

Fine. Do as you please. You planned this from the beginning to the end, so I should follow your will.

Thank you. Then Ill have to meet with them first.

Do you have anything more to say to them?

I have to give them a choice. Whether they will accept their execution calmly or choose exile. If they choose the former, Im willing to respect their wishes.

Caesar laughed.

Choose death? Do you think there will be anyone who would do that?

Of course not.

If Cato had participated in the assassination, it might have been possible, but there was no one among the assassins who had such conviction.

No, if they had that much conviction in the first place, they wouldnt have participated in the assassination.

I guarantee you. They will all choose exile without exception. But they still have some pride, so they might pretend to hesitate. Youll need to push them a little.

If they want to hear me say that its better to live and plot for another day, Ill do as they wish.

So youre really going to end it with exile? I dont care, but I thought you would prefer a more certain method. Youre surprisingly lenient.

Im not that cold-blooded.

Marcus added in a strange tone.

At least Im not.

< 245. The Future of Rome 5 > End