Back again after a month.
I looked up, taking in the now-familiar scenery of the temple.
It looked exactly the same as it did when I first arrived seventeen years ago.
The only difference was that the goddess was gone.
For the past seventeen years, I had been the only visitor to this colossal temple.
"Do I have to die again to meet that woman?"
I muttered under my breath and picked up the book on Roman history I had been reading last month.
Once a month, I could enter this temple through my dreams.
I could only stay for a few hours, but it was enough time to study the history that was about to unfold.
I opened the book and found the section on the late Roman Republic.
The situation in Rome, where I was currently living, could be summed up in a single phrase.
A calm before the storm.
After defeating its powerful rival, Carthage, Rome had established itself as the undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean.
However, victory did not lead to prosperity for all Roman citizens.
With the sudden influx of slaves, the tenant farmers who rented land were ruined.
As they flocked to the city of Rome, the conflict between the aristocracy, represented by the Senate, and the commoners worsened by the day.
"In the original history, Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus joined hands to form the First Triumvirate."
Pompey had been on the battlefield since the age of eighteen, achieving countless victories and earning the title 'Magnus'—the Great.
Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome and the one who had suppressed the slave revolt of Spartacus, wielding influence based on his immense fortune.
Caesar, Pompey, Crassus.
These three men formed a secret alliance to lead Rome.
But all political alliances are destined to break eventually.
When Caesar conquered Gaul, a jealous Crassus invaded the Parthian Empire in the East to build his own military achievements.
The expedition ended in disaster, and Crassus and his son met a miserable end.
This shattered the balance of the Triumvirate, triggering a civil war between Caesar and Pompey's factions.
Caesar eventually won the civil war, only to be assassinated by Brutus and other senators.
'Et tu, Brute?'
After that, it was his nephew, Octavian, who inherited Caesar's name and built the Roman Empire.
That was the story that would unfold over the next fifty years.
So what do I do now?
At least one thing was certain.
"I can't just sit by and watch."
I couldn't let my newfound, precious family be driven to ruin.
For the sake of my own happiness, the Caesar family had to survive.
Steeling my resolve, I closed the book and stood up.
The time to wake up was approaching.
"Lucius!"
A voice calling my name drifted faintly from the distance.
The temple gradually blurred from my vision, and I woke from my light sleep.
"Lucius! You need to come and get dressed, quickly! The guests will be arriving soon."
"Yes, Mother! I'm coming!"
I slowly rose from the bed.
I didn't know exactly how the future would play out, but what I had to do right now was clear.
My duty as the son of Caesar.
To greet the guests like a proper son of a noble house.
***
The Next Morning
"Wake up, Young Master. The sun has been up for ages."
"Ugh, my head..."
My head was pounding as if it were about to split open.
It felt like someone was hammering against my skull.
"You drank too much last night, Young Master."
"I know, Felix. I know."
I spoke grumpily to the the culprit who'd woken me up.
Felix.
One of the seven slaves owned by our household, and my personal secretary.
He was Greek and about five years older than me.
He sighed as he picked up the empty wine amphorae scattered across the floor.
"I know it was the Master's farewell party, but how many bottles did you empty? At this rate, you're going to miss your rhetoric class entirely."
"Tell Aristotle or Socrates to listen to that damn rhetoric themselves. Even if they came back from the grave, they wouldn't be able to tolerate how boring rhetoric has become."
Felix let out a light chuckle.
"Shall I tell the Mistress exactly that?"
"Just tell them I'm feeling too unwell today and skipping class. I'll make up a good excuse for Mother later."
"The tutor will be happy to get paid for doing absolutely nothing."
Felix shrugged.
"Then please, have a late breakfast at least. I'll bring something to settle your stomach."
"You're the only one who looks out for me, Felix."
Left alone in the room, I let out a sigh.
I could still smell the wine on my breath.
Last night, a farewell party was held to celebrate Caesar's appointment as the Governor of Hispania.
According to original history, Caesar would return to Rome in two years to be elected Consul.
Deep in thought, Felix returned with a tray of bread and fruit.
"I told the tutor the class wasn't necessary today. Please, eat first."
"Thanks."
I picked up a piece of bread from the plate.
Until now, I had tried not to change the main flow of history.
I didn't know what kind of butterfly effect my actions might cause.
But I couldn't just sit still any longer.
To save the Caesar family, I had to step up and carve out a new destiny.
A destiny for Rome different from the original history.
So, where should I start?
The first things I needed were money and power.
At least this wasn't much different from the future two thousand years later.
You need money to gain allies, and you need power to ensure your safety.
It's true for every era, but in Rome especially, securing power and political influence was a matter of life and death.
"As it happens, there is a way to get both at the same time."
"Pardon?"
Felix tilted his head, having overheard my muttering.
"I'm going to start a business, Felix"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden, Young Master? You must still be drunk."
Felix smirked.
"I don't mean to belittle you, Young Master, but you haven't even come of age yet. What business could you possibly start?"
"I have my ways."
I had the knowledge gained from the temple.
There were plenty of engineering books on all sorts of mechanical devices.
However, in Rome, which lacked a proper industrial environment, I couldn't develop those things.
Even if I gave a medieval blacksmith the blueprints for a rocket, the chance of success would be zero.
The business I could do right now had to be something possible through a simple shift in thinking.
But no matter how hard I thought, the answer didn't come easily.
I looked at Felix and asked.
"Are there any interesting rumors or news circulating in Rome lately?"
"Interesting rumors or news..."
Felix thought for a moment before answering.
"Yesterday, in the neighborhood two blocks over, a barber accidentally cut off a customer's ear while trimming his hair. And, um... Ah! I heard there was a massive fire in a housing complex in Serquilius two days ago."
"Not that kind of news, something more unique and... Wait, a fire?"
"Yes, the fire spread in an instant and burned down over ten insulae. It was chaos, with landlords crying out in the streets. I wonder how those poor people will survive now."
An insula was a typical Roman apartment building, usually three or four stories high.
In that instant, an idea flashed through my mind.
Yes, that would be perfect.
The optimal way to make money through a paradigm shift.
Housing complexes destroyed by fire.
Poor people driven out onto the streets.
It was the perfect business item for this situation.
But even this required a minimum amount of capital.
What if there was a way to get the money for the business while building connections at the same time?
It would be like killing two birds with one stone.
And right now in Rome, there was exactly one person who could help me.
A businessman who would lend me a fortune interest-free.
I shouted to Felix as I headed for the door.
"Get ready to go out! You're coming with me."
"Where are you going all of a sudden, Young Master?!"
Looking bewildered, Felix followed me out of the room.
I shouted back at him.
"To borrow money!"
***
"High-quality carpets from the East for only 1,000 sestertii! You won't find a lower price than this!"
"Fine glass bottles imported directly from Parthia! Come take a look!"
"Pretty Greek boys, fresh arrivals today! Only 3,000 sestertii per head! Any ladies having lonely nights, come take a look!"
The narrow streets of Rome were packed with people.
Felix and I pushed through the crowd.
Barbers were cutting hair on one side of the street, while right in front of them, blacksmiths were hammering gold pieces on stone anvils.
In an open-air classroom tucked in a corner of an alley, a teacher and students were shouting Latin at the top of their lungs.
This was the Subura district, where the commoners of Rome lived.
My father, Caesar, was from the *Patricii*, the traditional aristocracy.
But that didn't mean the Caesar family held high prestige right now.
Quite the opposite.
Caesar was always suffering from a chronic lack of funds.
The reason was simple.
In this era of Rome, voting and public elections were essentially controlled by money.
Astronomical funds were required to run for public office.
Even after being elected, one had to scatter even more money to win the hearts of the people.
However, once you became a senator, you were forbidden from engaging in commercial activities.
So, most senators either went into debt using real estate as collateral or used their slaves as frontmen to run businesses.
In my father Caesar's case, he was covering most of his funds through debt.
"Forget the Master—if the Mistress finds out about this, I'm going to be beaten to death. Let's just go back home now."
Felix sighed heavily.
"Have a little more courage, Felix."
I patted Felix on the shoulder.
"Think about it. If I make a boatload of money and give you a reward, couldn't you buy your freedom in no time?"
"Or, conversely, I could end up being a slave for another hundred years."
Felix replied with a sullen expression.
"I just can't understand why you've suddenly decided to start a business."
"Stop grumbling and trust me for once."
I quickened my pace.
Ah, Rome. What a beautiful mess.
Countless carriages, palanquins, and crowds blocked our path like waves.
A scene not unlike the cities of the 21st century.
But Rome in this era possessed a unique beauty.
The magnificent scale of its architecture.
From temples housing numerous gods to the grand central archives recently built.
Although the famous Colosseum hadn't been built yet, Rome was already the greatest city in the world.
The majestic buildings, the aqueducts, and the dynamic citizens were enough to overwhelm the heart just by looking at them.
I headed toward the Palatine Hill with Felix.
Before long, we arrived in front of a building.
A massive exterior reminiscent of a palace.
Hundreds of slaves.
It was a mansion that overwhelmed visitors with its atmosphere alone.
As we approached, a guard at the main gate stepped forward.
"May I ask for your name?"
"I am Lucius Julius Caesar, son of Gaius Julius Caesar."
I puffed out my chest confidently as I spoke.
"I am here to see Marcus Licinius Crassus."
Crassus.
The wealthiest man in Rome and a member of the First Triumvirate.
Now, it really begins.