Chapter 268:

Chapter 268:

I have heard some rumors about the recent trade situation of Rome, and I decided to investigate them.

Kashapa tone was heavy and cautious.

He was the head of his clan, and he had postponed many important matters to come to Rome himself.

If he returned without any profit, his future position would be in jeopardy.

He was in a desperate situation, but he could not let his expression show it.

Famous merchants had an almost universal instinct to obtain the maximum profit with the minimum cost.

This was especially true for the magnates of Rome, who were among the best in the world.

They could read their opponents weaknesses and psychology from even the slightest changes in their expressions or tones.

Kashapa psychology was opposite to that of Tadius, who showed no change in his face.

He seemed mildly interested, but no one knew if he was sincere.

Taking it as a signal to continue, Kashapa went on with his story as calmly as possible.

We have been receiving Romes goods through Han until now. Thats why it took a long time and the prices were too high.

Given the geography of Satavahana, you would have to go through several other countries to trade with Han. I guess you had no choice.

Thats right. Thats why there are many people who want to trade directly with Rome. But no matter how hard I looked, there was no way to do that unless it was a secret smuggling operation.

The merchants only said that they had to abide by the contract between Rome and Han. But I heard a rumor that the situation had changed recently. I dont know if the relationship with Han has shifted or not, but they said that there was no need to trade only with Han anymore. Did I hear wrong information?

Its not a secret matter, so I dont mind telling you. You are not mistaken. Until now, Shahanshah had promised exclusive trade to Han as a sign of friendship, since they were the first to ally with us. But after the last war, Hans attitude made us suspicious.

Kashapa was well aware of the war with the Huns.

In fact, the details of the war did not reach far away India.

Unlike Han, who had spent a fortune on investigating it directly, the Satavahana dynasty did not have much reason to do so.

All they knew was that the Huns had made some advances at first, but after Shahanshah intervened, they were swept away like fallen leaves.Neew updates at novel/bin(.)com

He did not know what Han had done to earn their resentment, but this was a golden opportunity for Kashapa.

If Rome traded with various countries, who would be the target?

India-Greece and India-Scythia were hardly worthy of being called countries.

And further north, they had already been swept away by the Huns, so there was no suitable country to be found.

The countries in the northeast of Han were too far away to be considered.

Then naturally, the target would be limited to the countries in India.

Among them, Satavahana was currently the most powerful and wealthy dynasty in southern India, so it had to be the first choice.

If its already decided, then its only a matter of time before Romes merchants come to India.

I suppose so.

Rome and Satavahana have the best location for trade. Trading with Han is nothing but a hard way to go by land. The risk is high and it takes more time. But we can trade directly with Rome by sea, cant we? It will be much easier than trading with Han.

I know roughly what you mean. Although it is forbidden to sell Romes specialties in India, buying them is not illegal, so merchants are coming and going even now. If you buy goods in India and follow the route well, you can reach Ctesiphon in one go. Its a bit rough because there are many swamps, but its much easier than land.

Kashapa face brightened.

As expected, Rome had already made up its mind to trade with India.

Rome was a goose that laid golden eggs, as proven by their previous examples.

The one who jumped into this golden opportunity first would rake in the money.

Do you plan to trade with Chola and Anuradhapura as well?

Are those two places located in the far south of India? Ive thought about it, but I havent made any concrete plans yet.

It would take a long detour to go to Chola by boat. The western region is already occupied by Satavahana, and Chola is located in the southeast. Anuradhapura is the same.

What Kashapa wanted was Satavahana, or more precisely, he wanted to lead the trade with Rome.

Romes elite cavalry

Rome was famous for having overwhelming cavalry power even among those who defeated the Huns.

In fact, even India-Scythia, where Kashapa had belonged before, had quite decent cavalrymen, but they were swept away without resistance.

He couldnt help but be interested in the strong ones who trampled on the Huns.

Id love to see them if theyre good.

Theres nothing wrong with that. Come on, lets go.

Tadius and Gatam led Kashapa out of the hotel and headed for the wide boulevard.

The street was already crowded with people who came to see the parade.

Fortunately, the people who recognized Tadius gave way and they were able to find a spot where they could see the procession best.

By the way, Aqulanus means eagle. In Rome, the eagle is a symbol of the legion, so it has a great meaning.

Then Aqulanus is like a personification of Romes legion. I wonder how majestic they are.

Kashapa eyes were full of anticipation as he looked around.

His gaze was fixed on one place.

From afar, a group of horsemen came with a huge cheer.

Thats Romes elite cavalry

As they got closer, Kashapa could see them with his eyes.

He had never seen such dazzling armor and wing ornaments fluttering on their backs.

The plate armor that looked like a lump at first had been improved and now looked sleek and reminiscent of an eagle.

The majestic sight of the Aquilan army brought a great shock to Kashapa.

There was no other way to describe their immense dignity.

He could vaguely understand why the citizens were sending such enthusiastic cheers.

They were the symbols of Romes mighty power.

Another thing that caught his eye was the man who was leading the Aquilan army from the front.

Even at a glance, he could tell that the people of Ctesiphon were giving him the loudest applause.

Thats Surenas!

The Eagle of the East, Surenas!

The left arm of the great Shahanshah!

He could also tell that he was not a Roman by his appearance, but all the others showed him extreme courtesy.

This scene was very unfamiliar to Kashapa, who was discriminated against as a noble who had joined from outside.

Who is that man going ahead? Surenas? He doesnt look like a Roman.

He is a Roman citizen, so he is a Roman. Of course, he wasnt always one. He was the most outstanding general of the old Parthia. Now he is Marcuss confidant and a senator of Rome.

A senator? I thought that was the core of Romes power Did he switch from Parthia to Rome faster than anyone else? And became a noble of Rome by recognizing his merit

As far as I know, it was rather the opposite.

No, how

Unlike Kashapa, who was astonished, Tadius spoke nonchalantly as if it was nothing to fuss about.

Thats the way of the great Shahanshah Marcus.

The grace of Shahanshah

Kashapas eyes could not leave Surenas, who received respect and admiration from not only the locals but also the Romans following him.

His eyes, filled with the unimaginable scenery of this foreign land, trembled with longing and envy.

The End