The Mad Tycoon of Rome

——Chapter 16: Rising Road (3)——

Marcus dutifully built his own foundation and at the same time increased the family's wealth.

Spartacus also began to make his name throughout the city of Rome by winning gladiator fights.

Time continued to pass and one day an unusual bill came up at the newly convened Senate meeting.

The proposer was Marcus Licinius Lucullus, consul of the year.

A member of the same Licinius clan as Crassus, he was the younger brother of the famous statesman and strategist Lucullus.

At the request of Crassus, he submitted a bill called the Lucullus Patent Law, with the authority of the consul, the chairman of the Senate.

And the price was, that two years later, Crassus would pay part of the cost of the election as treasurer, for which Lucullus' son would run.

Lucullus' legislative gist was simple.

Even in ancient Rome, private property was considered an absolute fundamental right of the person. So Lucullus argued that this patent law could more firmly guarantee the basic rights of the Romans.

"It may be difficult to understand right away because it is a concept that has not existed until now. However, I believe that you understand how much this bill can promote the development of new technology.

"In addition, it is possible to prevent the situation in which great technology is not passed on to future generations and is cut off. Great ancestors brought in excellent technologies and systems from other countries and improved them into our own. Now, with this bill, we need to further develop that technology and pass it on to future generations!"

The lawmakers who supported Lucullus all clapped their hands and raised their voices in approval.

Even when there were only a handful of members present in the Senate who fully understood the bill. But there were not any lawmakers who actively raised their opposition.

Because there were very few cases in which a law with such a large ripple effect was passed in one day. The lawmakers reviewed and decided on it for a day, and then took a break.

On the second day, the voice of approval prevailed within the Senate.

Gaius Claudius Glaber, the praetor, shouted that the bill should be passed at once.

"If you think about it, it doesn't make sense that Rome was abetting the act of stealing other people's technology and raising profits.

"How many good technologists have suffered without this bill. How many artisans were reluctant to teach even to their apprentices, fearing that their skills would be stolen. We need to create an environment where good intellectuals can work freely. We, the Senate, who lead Rome, have that duty!"

Glaber emphasized the words of intentionally leading Rome. Indeed, most senators thought so and thought it ought to be.

Of course, Glaber didn't support the bill so passionately for the benefit of Rome citizens, it was because of the painful memories of the past.

The technology developed by his father-in-law in the past was leaked in less than a month, causing considerable damage.

Most wealthy senators owned at least a few businesses in the names of freed slaves.

In particular, lawmakers with skilled artisans voted in favor of the bill, thinking that it would benefit them.

Crassus already made sure that this law should be passed by talking to several members of the council, but they did not need to step out.

If He knew this was going to happen, He wouldn't have bothered to ask them.

He decided that it was now the time to demonstrate his presence by pointing out the points to be supplemented in this bill. However, there was someone who asked for a comment before that.

It was Marcus Tullius Cicero, a fledgling lawyer who had just entered the Senate two years earlier from a commoner's knightly class.

"Respected members of Congress, of course, it is true that the concept of patents can secure the public interest. But if you look closely, there are too many holes to escape."

Upon hearing Cicero's words, Glaber openly revealed his uncomfortable feelings.

"Isn't the newcomer from Arpinum overconfident in his own insight? Let's just ignore the issue that is already becoming a big problem because of the minor side effects that might happen."

"I'm not saying let's just move on. However, I think the enforcement of this law should be suspended unless an acceptable supplement is made.

"Let me point out some of the problems with this bill. First of all, the trial that can invalidate a patent must be stricter and more complex. If the regulations are as simple as the current bill, wouldn't those with a lot of capital, can easily invalidate the patents of other artisans? In addition..."

Cicero even gave a plausible example and a means to evade the law of patent law.

He was really worthy of being a man who would later become widely renowned as Rome's greatest lawyer.

However, even such Cicero was just a newcomer with no one to support him.

"You seem to be thinking too complicated. If you make the laws complicated for no reason, there wouldn't be people who will understand them. Everything has its pros and cons."

"But..."

At the moment when Cicero was about to make an additional objection, Crassus, who was watching the gap, intervened and spoke first.

"Ah, respected members of the legislature. There is a point in Cicero's words. I also saw the bill yesterday and had a similar thought, so I prepared my own supplementary points."

Crassus recited exactly what Marcus had written.

Almost all supplementary measures for the issues pointed out by Cicero were presented, such as prohibiting profiteering to prevent the appearance of patent monsters and strengthening verification measures to prevent profit from weak patents.

When Crassus and his legislators voted in favor of supplementary measures, public opinion changed dramatically.

In the end, with the majority of members in favor, the 'Luculus Patent Law', with Crassus' opinion added, was passed smoothly.

For Crassus, who was trying to stand out on his own, things went differently than expected, but he achieved his goal anyway.

After the senate meeting, Cicero came to Crassus, who was about to leave and bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you for supporting my opinion."

"With something like this. I also had similar thoughts like you, so I naturally took the side."

"I knew that the sir was well-versed in business, but I didn't think that he would be fluent in legal matters like this. Indeed, one of the leading figures in the Senate is different no matter what."

"Well... I'm surprised by your insight. I can hardly see you as a normal member of the Senate."

"It's too much praise."

Crassus and Cicero exchanged good wishes for a while and then parted ways.

Cicero, who came to Rome with a dream of great fortune, realized again that he was still nothing more than an unknown person.

Rome was so vast and like the sea.

Confident that he was more proficient in the law than anyone else, he realized that he still had a lot to learn.

Crassus' knowledge, to his astonishment, came from Marcus, but Cicero did not know that.

Fate was like a passing wind, but sometimes it became a huge mountain that cannot be shaken.

The relationship between Cicero, a Republican who represents the Roman Republic, and Marcus, who is trying to open a new era, has not even begun yet.

**

When the patent law came into effect, in the early days, even all kinds of strange technologies rushed to ask for patents.

However, sensible legislators, led by Crassus, conducted strict inspections to prevent the abuse of patents.

Thanks to that, after a while, it started to operate stably.

Deep down, Marcus expected a lot of technology related to agriculture to come out.

Even if Rome had developed commerce, the basis for the completion of the ancient national economy was unconditionally agriculture.

If agricultural productivity was not supported, development beyond a certain level was impossible.

Fortunately, it was confirmed that Marcus's library ability works once every two months, but he couldn't afford to read agriculture-based books.

"Okay, can we start selling the stirrups and horseshoes as scheduled?"

"Yes. A perfectly finished product has already been produced. Patent registration has been completed under the name of Septimus."

Roma's technological prowess was better than expected, and it took less than half a year to produce a commercialized product.

If the production had taken longer, they might have monopolized the technology without registering it as a patent.

However, judging from the situation, it seemed that if a patent was not registered, there would soon be an overflow of copies.

"Anyway, I think the time is coming soon."

Marcus planned to advertise cavalrymen wearing real stirrups in glamour, on a plain near Rome.

Already in the name of Crassus, letters were sent to prestigious senators and powerful knights.

Since Marcus himself was too young to explain himself, it was up to Septimus to explain this time.

Thanks to this, Septimus was in a position where he had to say that, he had read all of this information in the book he had obtained, which he himself heard first time in his life.

At the appointed time, a row of fancy carriages with senators arrived from afar.

The judges, as well as the incumbent consul Lucullus, were visible.

Lucullus, who got off the carriage, looked around and tilted his head.

"I came here because I was told that you had developed something that could fundamentally change the cavalry system of the Roman army, but I don't see anything so grandiose."

All Roman officials had experience serving in the military. Cicero, a representative scholar of Rome, also served in the military during the war.

For this reason, although there were many Roman senators who were not proficient in the military, it was good to say that there were very few people who were outsiders.

Publius Barinius, the praetor, pointed his finger at the saddles of the horsemen lined up on the plain.

"There's something hanging under the saddle. Is that an invention?"

"Exactly."

Crassus nodded confidently.

"What's the use of that? A footrest? A simple tool like that would change the Roman cavalry system from the ground up?"

Other legislators also agreed with Barinius' opinion and responded that they did not trust this.

"Hmm... Well, if you listen to this, you will understand."

Crassus signaled to begin, despite the dubious reactions of the other members of the legislature.

Septimus took a step forward and bowed his head respectfully.

"My name is Septimus, who was given the name of the Licinius clan by Crassus. It is an honor to be able to explain this in front of those who are like the heart of Rome. First, let me tell you about the stirrups."

Septimus took a real stirrup and showed it right in front of the senators.

"These stirrups are saddle braces for horses. They are very useful for mounting and balancing on horses."

A middle-aged man belonging to the knight class asked with an expression of incomprehension.

"Isn't it possible to balance on a horse if you have properly learned horsemanship?"

"Yes. But you have to be a great horseman to keep your balance on a wobbly horse and make a perfect charge with only two legs. A master of such horsemanship may not need these stirrups so much. It means that you can achieve almost the same level of stability."

When Septimus gave the signal, the horsemen waiting on the plain rode forward.

The cavalrymen released their hands from their reins and charged forward with spears in one hand and shields in the other.

Some other cavalrymen, even on horseback, shot their arrows in a very stable position, hitting the target.

Even mock battles that assumed close combat on horseback were surprisingly stable.

The cavalrymen swung their weapons skillfully, bowing freely to the right or left.

It was a perfect posture for slipping and falling off a horse unless you had considerable horsemanship skills.

The expression of the members of the lawmakers who were bored changed in an instant.

In particular, the reaction of the generals who had the experience of actually commanding a corps was dramatic.

Gaius Toranius, who had served as a cavalry officer, immediately raised the question.

"Aren't they exceptional in horsemanship?"

"Those who are accustomed to horses are right. But if you don't have stirrups, you can never leave the reins like that and charge while holding the weapon with both hands. The same goes for the archers. Riders of such skill are only in the powerful knightly classes."

As Septimus' explanation continued like flowing water, the lawmakers exclaimed exclamation.

In fact, it was very difficult to raise skilled cavalrymen in Rome.

In order to become a cavalryman who could play an active role in real battles, you must learn horseback riding skills from an early age.

This would have been impossible if it were not for the descendants of powerful knights or aristocrats.

So, when Rome lacked cavalry, there were times when blood was transfused from outside.

Septimus looked around at the members of the council and continued with a confident voice.

"Current Rome is a professional soldier system. If you use these stirrups, it will be easier to train cavalry than before. It can solve the lack of cavalry power at once."

The senators, all of whom had served in the military at least once, took this quite seriously.

Those who knew how much cavalry was worth, especially in large rotations, nodded frantically.

Crassus opened his mouth with a powerful voice as he stood in front of the lawmakers whose expressions had changed 180 degrees from the first time.

"Dear Members of Parliament, I believe you are all aware by now. Besides, for practical reasons, the strengthening of this cavalry force is essential, even in order to effectively counter the threatening enemy we may face in the future."

"A threatening enemy? Are you talking about Gallia or German?"

"They are also a threat, but the target I am talking about is the Parthia of the East. If we subdue the Mithradates of Pontus who is currently harassing us, we will have no choice but to face the Parthia. In the relationship between nations, there are no permanent allies. Don't you need to think of a countermeasure?"

Parthia was a great power in the East that governs modern Syria and northern India.

Claiming to be descendants of Persia, they also made significant profits from intercontinental trade. In other words, it was also a country that became an opportunity for East Asia and Europe to recognize each other.

Lucullus asked after carefully observing the cavalrymen demonstrating on the plains.

"You mean this would be a great countermeasure against Parthia?"

"Yes. Do you know what the main force of the Parthian army is?"

"I think I've heard rumors that cavalry is excellent."

In fact, Crassus' knowledge was limited to that much, but Marcus gave Crassus a tip in advance.

Of course, the source was said to have been heard through a merchant from Parthia.

Crassus was amazed at Marcus' thorough investigation.

Now, his trust in his eldest son has grown to a level that no one else could compare.

"The main force of the Parthians is a large number of archers and a small number of heavily armed cavalry, called cataphracts. Rome now has less cavalry power than them, so we have to fight in areas where cavalry is difficult to maneuver.

"However, if we have a cavalry force equal to or better than theirs, there is no need to confine the battlefield to a specific area. Of course, the cavalry, which is much more substantial than now, will be a very useful force when fighting the Gauls and Germans."

Most of the senators reacted positively to Crassus' words.

Even if they want to reinforce the cavalry power, they couldn't try it because it was not easy to train it, but if the difficulty of training is drastically lowered, there was no reason not to try it.

The consul, Lucullus, made provisional conclusions.

"First of all, it would be better to go in the direction of mounting all the stirrups on the warhorse. And as for the reinforcement of cavalry power, if Pompey returns later, let's listen to his opinion and decide the direction."

Crassus' face hardened slightly when the story of Pompeius, a potential rival, came up.

In the end, no matter how ardent he may be, Pompey has the highest say in matters related to the military in Rome.

It was also a reality that could not be overturned by any means at this point.

Pompey was currently away from Rome to put down Sertorius' rebellion in Hispania.

The rebellion of Sertorius, who had been persistent, seemed to be almost suppressed two years after Pompey was put in.

If he returns after quelling the rebellion, his already huge fame will soar to the point of not knowing the end.

It was a situation that Crassus was never happy about.

However, a few days later, news that dispelled Crassus's concerns flew to Rome.

**

With mixed feelings, Marcus accepted the correspondence that came directly from Capua.

He expected this to happen, but when he checked it with his own eyes, he felt bitter about what would happen in the future.

As always, Spartacus, who was guarding Marcus' back, expressed his doubts.

"You don't look so good. What's wrong?"

"I'd rather see this for myself than explain."

"Yes? What is it about..."

After confirming the contents of the letter, Spartacus couldn't speak any further with a devastated expression on his face.

He was so surprised that he lost my balance for a moment and even stumbled.

He looked back at Marcus with a look of disbelief.

"Is this... is this true?"

"It must be assumed that it was sent directly by my father's subordinate who resides in Capua."

"How... how did this happen..."

The letter fell from Spartacus' trembling hands.

Even Danae, who picked it up! made a noise and her eyes widened.

What was written in the letter was not very long.

[A group escape of more than 70 slave gladiators from Capua. Currently flees to the forest near Mount Vesuvius. The owner of the gladiator training camp and all those involved are presumed to have been murdered.]