Chapter 115: Chapter 115 : Will of Rome
The investigation spread across Rome, including the Subura.
"We can’t just tear the city apart so blatantly. We need to handle this as discreetly as possible."
"If you spot anyone who matches the description in the sketch, report it immediately."
The painters who had once sent wedding gifts to my household received a new commission.
"Are you saying you want us to copy this sketch exactly?"
"Yes, as accurately as possible."
With the portraits in hand, my men scoured the city gates for a man with a long scar across his face.
They actually managed to find a few men who matched the description.
However, it was quickly proven that none of them had anything to do with the incident.
The search continued, but they came up empty-handed.
"Still no results."
"He has likely already slipped out of Rome."
Father tapped the report with his finger.
"If he were still in Rome, someone would have spotted him by now. Rome is vast, but it’s smaller than you think."
"Even so, we can’t be entirely sure. Let’s keep the investigation going for now."
I had already poured a hefty sum of money into the search, now wasn’t the time to count sesterces.
I had to exhaust every possible option.
Just as Father and I were deep in thought, Felix opened the door and stepped in.
"You have guests, Young Master."
"Tell them I am busy right now. Politely."
"It is the Metellus brothers."
At the name ’Metellus,’ both Father and I snapped our heads toward him.
"The Metelli?"
"Yes, they said they have urgent news to deliver."
"I’ll be right out."
I followed Father out of the room.
The Metellus brothers, huh.
"Do you think they found the culprit?"
"Hard to say. Even if the Metellus brothers are in charge of the prisons and public order, the number of men assigned to them is laughably small. They wouldn’t have been able to conduct a proper investigation."
As we crossed the atrium to the main entrance of the domus, we spotted the Metellus brothers standing there.
Both of them looked strangely uncomfortable.
No, ’anxious’ would be a more accurate word.
As we approached, the two hesitated before offering their greetings.
"What brings you here?"
At my question, the brothers briefly exchanged glances, as if trying to decide who would deliver the news.
"There has been an issue at the prison."
"An issue at the prison?"
Don’t tell me... surely it wasn’t what I thought it was.
"Did the prisoners escape?"
"No. Quite the opposite, actually."
The other Metellus let out a heavy sigh.
"This morning, all the prisoners were found dead."
"The prisoners... are all dead?"
The Metellus brothers nodded silently in response.
All the prisoners in the holding cells, dead.
What the hell was this sudden bombshell?
"Explain it to me in more detail."
***
The Tullianum was already bustling with people.
I could see the consuls and other magistrates gathered around, deep in conversation.
It wasn’t just the magistrates; other senators, including Cicero, were also present.
"Ah, Young Caesar. You’ve finally arrived."
"Senator Cicero."
I nodded at Cicero. It felt like it had been a while since we had spoken privately like this.
Has Cicero taken an interest in this mess as well?
"I assume you came after hearing the news."
"I was told the Jewish prisoners in the Tullianum suddenly died. What on earth happened?"
"It wasn’t just the prisoners,"
Cicero replied, his expression grim.
"Two slaves who drew water from a nearby well also died. It seems someone poisoned the well."
"So the prisoners drank the water and died."
Instead of answering, Cicero gave a stiff nod.
Poisoning a well, huh.
Did they go this far just to silence the prisoners?
Poisoning a well to tie up loose ends meant the bastard who supplied the weapons was either still in Rome, or at the very least, had an accomplice in the city.
As I approached the prison, the other magistrates and senators noticed me and abruptly fell silent.
Amidst the sudden silence, I glared down at the Tullianum.
The iron grates looked far more menacing than the last time I saw them.
"Some are whispering that you were the one who killed the prisoners. After all, mere possession of hidden weapons would not warrant a death sentence for a citizen."
Cicero said, stepping up beside me.
"Of course, I do not believe such nonsense."
"If I wanted them dead, I wouldn’t have bothered capturing them alive."
I wouldn’t have resorted to such convoluted tricks, either.
With this, finding the mastermind had become vastly more difficult.
On the way here, the Metellus brothers had apologized to me over and over again, but I didn’t hold them accountable.
With their limited manpower, something like this could still happen.
"Actually, I recently came across some rather interesting information,"
Cicero said with a light cough.
"One of my informants told me he witnessed something peculiar in the Subura."
"Something peculiar?"
"Someone entered the Cloaca Maxima through an access point connected to an insula in the Subura."
The Cloaca Maxima was Rome’s great sewer system.
Built during the period of the Kings, it served to drain rainwater into the Tiber River to keep Rome from flooding.
"But in the moonlight, my informant caught a glimpse of a faint, long scar on the man’s face."
"He might just be the man I’ve been looking for."
"Perhaps,"
Cicero nodded.
"And if he was indeed the man you seek, he would have already slipped out of Rome through the Cloaca Maxima by now."
"Why are you sharing this information with me?"
I turned my head to look at Cicero.
As expected, Cicero’s intelligence network was nothing to scoff at.
Then again, this was the man who had crushed the Catiline conspiracy and once held Roman politics in the palm of his hand.
Cicero hesitated for a moment before offering a faint smile.
"You displayed restraint and self-control throughout this incident. You did not incite chaos by parading an armed mob through the streets. You consistently informed the public of the facts and put the citizens at ease."
He added,
"That kind of conduct is rarely seen in Rome these days."
"And yet it wasn’t enough to catch all the culprits."
He had slipped away through the sewers.
That practically made tracking him impossible.
Honestly, monitoring every single access point to the sewers would have been an impossible task to begin with.
"But something like this will not happen again."
I turned to gaze out over Rome.
The recent uproar was already fading into the past.
It would soon vanish from the memories of the citizens as well.
But I had no intention of forgetting.
"What are you planning to do?"
I turned away, walking past the still-murmuring magistrates.
"For now, I have a funeral to attend."
***
"Your business must have wrapped up quickly. I figured it would be at least a few more days before you returned."
The old man said, pulling on the horse’s reins.
Living in a small shack on the outskirts of Rome, he made his living stabling horses and storing carriages for merchants.
"Things finished up much faster than I anticipated. But I will pay you the amount we agreed upon."
"You don’t have to do that, sir."
The old man smiled warmly, revealing a mouth missing several teeth.
The visitor handed him a few coins.
"Isn’t this too much for watching your horse for such a short time?"
"Consider it payment for keeping it safe."
The man smiled and reached out to stroke the horse’s mane.
As the horse exhaled a contented breath, the old man popped a coin into his mouth and bit down on it.
"Apologies. My eyes have grown terribly dim with age. I just get anxious if I don’t check like this."
"Having dim eyes can be a blessing at times. I shall be on my way now."
"Have a safe journey!"
The man mounted his horse and pulled his cloak over his head.
The bright sunlight illuminated his heavily scarred face.
Looking up at the sky, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Yes, I only just managed to slip out. His response was much faster than anticipated."
The man whispered.
He fell silent for a moment, as if expecting an answer.
Of course, the sky said nothing back to him.
Yet, as if someone were listening, the man spoke again.
"I tried to pin the deaths of the two signalers on the Jews, but it failed. It seems he saw through my intentions from the very beginning and acted accordingly."
Silence fell once more, broken only by the rhythmic clopping of horse hooves.
"He has many supporters within Rome, and quite a few citizens trust him. He is fairly adept at improvising, and he surrounds himself with highly capable people."
He continued to mutter.
"The test was a success, but it would be best to avoid direct contact for the time being. It wouldn’t do to raise his guard any further."
As other carriages and their drivers passed by, the man smiled and exchanged light pleasantries with them.
"Yes, I am of the same mind," he added.
"I will continue with the original plan."
***
Marcus followed the funeral procession out through the city gates.
It wasn’t only the bereaved families; countless people were trailing behind the procession.
Masked dancers led the way, while musicians played their instruments right behind them.
At a glance, one might easily have mistaken it for a festival procession.
However, the expressions on everyone’s faces were grim.
"A truly massive crowd showed up."
"Indeed. It looks like it’s not just Caesar’s men here."
Marcus replied, looking around.
It wasn’t just signalers like him; ordinary citizens and even a few senators had come out to pay their respects.
"Come on, let’s hurry out the gates before we fall behind."
The Romans built their tombs and monuments outside the city walls, mostly along the major roads.
Because of this, anyone entering the city was greeted by an endless stretch of gravestones.
To the Romans, a tomb was not merely a resting place for the dead, but a monument meant to be seen by the living.
They wanted someone to remember them, even long after they were gone.
As the bereaved families burst into tears, two tombstones were set in place.
"I heard Caesar plans to increase the number of men stationed at the signal towers from now on. He’s also recruiting additional guards to deal with attacks."
"Caesar seemed quite shaken by all this."
He and the rest of his colleagues murmured in agreement.
There was no other patron in all of Rome who would go to such extraordinary lengths just to hunt down the killers of ordinary men.
Finally, the tombstones were firmly set in place, and the dancing and music came to a halt.
The citizens fell silent as they watched Lucius Caesar stepped in front of the monuments.
With all eyes locked on him, Lucius finally spoke.
"Citizens of Rome, today we have lost two men—beloved sons, devoted husbands, and loving fathers. They were patriots who fought for the Republic, and signalers who served as the eyes and ears of Rome."
Marcus followed the crowd and bowed his head.
Some even placed their right hands over their hearts, much like they did when praying to the Lares.
"For decades, this proud city has been poisoned by bloodshed, violence, and madness. Even when a man was murdered and his life unjustly stolen, he received no justice, and his family received no aid."
"Wait, what is he trying to say?"
The citizens began to murmur amongst themselves.
They had all expected Lucius to deliver a standard eulogy, but this was taking an different turn.
"Nor will I allow the innocent to be sacrificed because rumor finds them convenient. To shrug and say, ’This is how it has always been,’ is unworthy of Romans. The age of barbarism must end. Rome is in desperate need of change. You, citizens of Rome, deserve to break free from the chains of violence and live in peace and dignity."
Lucius paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"I, Lucius Julius Caesar, swear before my ancestors and the gods of Rome: my father and I will devote every ounce of our strength to building the Rome you deserve!"
***
I stared at the epitaph carved into the tombstone.
The inscription was short and concise.
[I, Rabirius, a beloved son, devoted husband, and loving father, rest here.]
The text continued below.
[I served as a legionary in Hispania under Gaius Julius Caesar, and lost my life while serving as a signaler for Lucius Julius Caesar.]
Father stepped up beside me.
I gazed silently at the tombstone for a moment before asking.
"Will things like this keep happening?"
"Things like what?"
"People dying while working and fighting for me."
It was the same during the bandit subjugation.
Too many people had been injured or killed while working for me.
"We cannot force choices upon others, Lucius."
Father placed a hand on my shoulder.
"These men simply made their own choices."
"Choices..."
"And it is our duty to prove that their choices were not in vain."
Father lifted his head and surveyed the surrounding citizens.
The funeral was over, but many of the people still lingered.
"Rome will be buzzing for quite some time because of what you said today. You boldly declared that you would eradicate chaos and violence from Rome."
Saying that, Father let out a quiet chuckle.
"A wolf may change its coat, but never its nature. Lupus pilum mutat, non mentem. Do you really think you can change Rome?"
"Even a wolf once nursed the twins who founded Rome."
Until now, I had focused only on what happened on the surface. Business, politics—all of that was well and good, but...
I had paid too little attention to the underbelly.
The other side of Rome.
A shadow world ruled by murder, violence, and conspiracy.
This incident made me painfully aware of its importance.
It was time to do what needed to be done.
To ensure no more innocent people died for me, I had to change Rome itself.
"It can be done, as long as the will is there."
"Pompey mentioned something you once said to him—that you needed to build a sturdy ark to prepare for an oncoming storm. Is this the storm you were talking about?"
"If I am being honest with you, I am not entirely sure myself."
This event never happened in the original timeline.
I could not simply dismiss this as another ripple caused by my actions.
Should I tell Father the whole truth?
Who I really was. And the ominous warning I had received from that Goddess.
Just as I was hesitating, Father asked.
"So, what are you planning to do, Lucius?"
"It’s simple."
I nodded, looking him in the eyes.
Revealing the truth could be delayed for a little while longer.
"I’m going to borrow the authority of Rome’s consul."
"’Consul-elect,’ to be precise. But whatever power I possess is yours to use."
The two of us stepped forward together, walking toward the massive crowd.
Before me stood the gathered will of Rome.
