Chapter 120: A New Order
Chapter 120: A New Order
“You want me to become a Roman?”
Surenas raised his eyebrows.
His eyes, full of doubts, showed a great tremor.
“Yes. You have too much talent to disappear with death.”
“···When did you see me to say that?”
“I didn’t have to see you directly to feel it. That’s why I’m making this offer.”
Surenas’s eyes lit up at Marcus’s calm answer.
“That’s a generous compliment. But I’m nothing more than a defeated general in your hands.”
“That’s because we were standing in different positions. If the king you serve had recognized your value properly, maybe we would have had a harder time.”
“A harder time···You mean you would have won anyway.”
Surenas squinted his eyes slightly and then chuckled.
He found his own situation amusing, still having a competitive spirit in this situation.
If Surenas had been in charge of the command instead of Mutares and Karen, would something have changed?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
But now it was a meaningless story.
“I am a Parthian. I was born as a noble who supports the Arsaces dynasty and swore to live that way. I don’t want to change my attitude towards life now.”
“Is that a refusal···I don’t understand. Didn’t the Shahanshah you pledged loyalty to betray you? Look at him. Why do you serve such a person with your abilities?”
Orodes lowered his head as if he was ashamed when he heard the interpreter’s words.
He would have been less embarrassed if Surenas had mocked him for being a foolish ruler.
But Surenas never ridiculed the pitiful appearance of the king he pledged loyalty to.
He closed his eyes slightly and shook his head.
“It’s ridiculous and absurd. It was my choice to recognize Orodes as Shahanshah and pledge loyalty to him. I just fulfilled my belief as the head of the Surenas family, not expecting any reward.”
“But the Shahanshah you served is no longer a king. Then you have no choice but to change your master, don’t you?”
Surenas had no answer to that.
Silence fell on the palace.
Marcus opened his mouth again after waiting for a while.
“If you stay here, you will die just like Orodes. If you make a mistake, your family might be ruined too. Even if you swore loyalty, don’t you have any sense of duty to stay with him until the end?”
The more he talked, the more Marcus wanted this man.
At the same time, he sighed at the pitifulness of Orodes who could not use such a talent.
Surenas opened his eyes again and looked at Orodes.
He was shaking his body with his head bowed.
He looked too miserable and pathetic for someone who had ruled Parthia.
Surenas took a deep breath and answered with his slightly trembling lips.
“I will consider it positively if you accept one condition.”
“Really? I’ll accept anything if it’s possible, so tell me.”
“Spare Orodes’s life according to the Roman custom of not taking away the lives of enemy generals. Then I will seriously think about joining you.”
“What kind of······.”
Marcus frowned at the unexpected condition.
Orodes, who had given up completely, raised his head at the thought that he might be able to live.
His desperate eyes met Marcus’s cold eyes.
He felt disgusted as he looked at Orodes’s cowardly face.
He turned his head and looked at Sanatruces.
He had said several times that he wanted to cut off Orodes’s neck.
Of course, Marcus could pressure him not to do so if he wanted to.
But he didn’t want to wield his power unnecessarily for someone like Orodes.
Marcus’s gaze finally returned to Surenas.
He asked him in a tone that was hard to guess his intentions.
“What do you think I will answer?”
“I thought you wanted me. You will agree if you think I’m worth it, and you will refuse if not.”
Surenas said that, but he was sure that Marcus would not accept the condition.
If he had promised to join him if he spared Orodes’s life, maybe it would have been different, but it was not balanced enough to say that he would consider it.
In other words, he made an excuse to refuse from the beginning.
“···I can see what you’re thinking, but what should I do about this?”
“Can someone who couldn’t protect their loyal king serve the one who drove him to death? If that’s the kind of person you want, I can’t live up to your expectations.”
Surenas calmly said what he wanted to say until the end.
He had done his last duty to Orodes.
He was ready to face the coming death with his shoulders straight.
But Marcus came to a conclusion that was opposite to what he expected.
He turned his body and looked at Sanatruces.
“Shahanshah, I’m afraid we’ll have to detain Orodes in Rome for a while.”
“What are you talking about? I was going to cut off his neck as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow, and now you want to take him to Rome!”
Sanatruces spat out his angry voice as expected.
“In Rome, we have a ceremony called a triumph for the victorious generals. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment of great glory for those born as Romans.
And it is a Roman tradition to display the enemy’s leader at this triumph. It is to enhance the glory of Rome and the honor of the triumphant general. So for now, Orodes must stay alive until the triumph is held.”
“But······.”
It was the same situation as when Auletes tried to execute Berenice.
Marcus had tried to dissuade Auletes back then.
He had a purpose to achieve using Berenice.
And it was the same this time.
He approached Sanatruces with a friendly smile and whispered in a low voice.
“He was the king of kings who used the title of the peak of power, and now he has fallen to the level of a spectacle for the citizens. Imagine how great his humiliation would be, being ridiculed and despised as a clown. Don’t you think that would be a much more cruel punishment than killing him right away?”
“Indeed… that might be true. Then, can we send the prisoner to our side after the triumphal procession is over?”
“I will try to request that from the Senate.”
Sanatruces bit his lips and slowly nodded.
The wise man knew well that he could not kill Orodes even if he opposed him here.
It would only result in losing his own authority by confronting Marcus.
Orodes, who witnessed this whole process, had ecstasy on his face, while Surena’s eyes were filled with astonishment.
“Are you out of your mind? You really accept this condition?”
Marcus shrugged his shoulders and asked.
“Didn’t you say yourself that you would accept it if you were worth it?”
“That’s true, but… didn’t you consider the possibility that I might refuse after giving it some thought? Even if I make some excuse and refuse, it wouldn’t be breaking the condition, would it?”
“You wouldn’t do such a petty thing. You can refuse after you seriously think about it and conclude that I’m not worthy of you.”
“That’s quite a confidence. Are you sure that you are enough for me?”
“At least I’m not lacking. From now on, you can see for yourself what kind of person Marcus Crassus is by my side.”
He had a face full of confidence and conviction.
Surena’s eyes showed a trace of confusion.
He was different from Orodes.
No, he was different from anyone he had seen in Parthia so far.
Surena felt a desire to know more about the Roman in front of him without realizing it.
The man who made him realize what a complete defeat was for the first time in his life.
Marcus’s existence was creating a huge ripple in Surena’s heart.
※※※※
The treatment of Orodes’s closest aides was all decided.
Surena was deprived of his position as the head of his clan and became Marcus’s prisoner.
Mutares was also sent to Rome as a prisoner along with Orodes.
“Am I not the hero of this war! How can I be a prisoner?”
“Yeah, you did a great service. That’s why we decided to treat you politely as a prisoner instead of executing you unconditionally. Be grateful.”
“This is unfair! I devoted my body and soul for the glory of Rome… Shouldn’t you at least promise me citizenship?”
“The ones who are unfair are the cavalrymen who buried their bones in the desert under your command. Now that your misdeeds are known, you will never be able to survive here. You should be glad that you are being dragged away as a prisoner.”
Mutares, who had been spouting nonsense, shut his mouth at Marcus’s sharp retort.
He felt strongly that he would not get anything back if he opened his mouth rashly.
Marcus settled the prisoner issue and headed to the conference room to discuss the most important matter.
“Oh, have you arrived?”
Crassus, who had arrived earlier, greeted Marcus warmly.
Since it was not yet time for the appointment, Sanatruces and his entourage were not visible.
“How do you like Ctesiphon? It suits your taste, right?”
“It’s a very splendid city. I realized that Parthia’s claim to be the descendant of Persia was not just an empty talk.”
Ctesiphon would later decline and hand over its role to Baghdad, but before that, it was called the largest city in the world for its prosperity.
In this era, it was still developing and not as large as its heyday.
But still, one could feel its potential to grow bigger.
Crassus looked around the view of the palace outside the window with pride.
He defeated the enemy in war and occupied their capital as a victor.
It was a scene he had dreamed of in his dreams that became reality.
He achieved his last wish that he wanted to accomplish in his life.
Crassus left everything to Marcus in this war.
He did not lift a finger, but no one criticized him for that.
Rather, he was praised for his patience, not abusing his authority even though he had full power, knowing his lack of military talent.
It was because he contrasted so sharply with the worst case of Orodes.
“We have to hold a triumphal procession as soon as we return to Rome. We have made Parthia kneel, so we should have enough qualifications, right?”
“Yes. No one will have any complaints. The Senate will support our clan more actively. But it’s not enough to just win the war. We have to bring back a trophy that matches it.”
“Well… the citizens will be more enthusiastic about the achievements they can see with their eyes. Is that why you brought this map?”
Crassus turned the scroll in his hand and asked.
Marcus casually took a fruit from the table and answered.
“Yes, as you said, Father. I will get it from now on. A tremendous trophy that will remain in the history of Rome for a long time.”
Before Crassus could answer, a loud sound of footsteps came from outside.
A moment later, Sanatruces entered the conference room with his entourage and greeted them with a bright smile.
“You came earlier. I should have prepared a more luxurious place, but I feel sorry for my poor hospitality.”
“This is good enough to have a serious conversation. Please sit down. Shahanshah must be busy too, so it would be better to sign the document and finish the negotiation right away.”
“I agree. Then, can we also make a treaty on food supply here? If we give up Mesopotamia, we will naturally depend on Rome for food supply.”
Sanatruces nodded his head with a cheerful smile.
Marcus’s eyes sparkled as he looked at his calm face.
‘As expected, he had calculated everything from the beginning.’
It would take too many troops to defend the vast plain area of Mesopotamia if Rome took it.
Parthia could afford to leave the farmers alone, but Rome could not adopt such a strategy due to its social structure.
Sanatruces’s intention was already guessed, but now it was confirmed.
He wanted to regain his royal power by giving up the land that he could someday take back, and get cheap food support from Rome for his lack of food.
If his opponent was a gullible person, he might have fallen for it.
But this time, he was unlucky.
‘If you try to use others, you should always consider the possibility of being used in return.’
Marcus drew a line with his finger on the map that Sanatruces brought.
“Of course, we have to support you with food. You will surely suffer from food shortage if you lose this much territory.”
“No, wait. What is this…?”
The smile disappeared from Sanatruces’s face.
The border between Rome and Parthia that Marcus drew with his hand was far beyond the area that Sanatruces had in mind.
Sanatruces naturally thought that the Tigris River would be the temporary border between Rome and Parthia.
But Marcus had no intention of doing so from the beginning.
He crossed the Tigris River and drew the border at the Zagros Mountains that separated the Iranian Plateau and Mesopotamia.
The Zagros Mountains are a rugged mountain range that stretches from southeastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf in modern geography.
It would be much easier to defend the east if one used this mountain range of 1500km long as a natural boundary.
Of course, it was unacceptable for Sanatruces.
“This is unacceptable. This is too different from what we agreed on before.”
“What? Different from what we agreed on? You clearly said that you would give us Mesopotamia.”
“When you say Mesopotamia, you obviously mean the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.”
“Well… some people might limit it like that, but in Rome, we think of Mesopotamia as including all the nearby basins.”
Marcus winked at Crassus, who nodded and spread out the scroll he had brought on the table.
It was a map prepared by Marcus beforehand.
It was not very accurate, but it clearly marked the area before the line that could be assumed as the Zagros Mountains as Mesopotamia.
“Anyone in Rome would naturally recognize this area as all part of Mesopotamia. I’m not being unreasonable, it’s just a common perception.”
Crassus nodded as if he agreed.
Sanatruces was frustrated but he couldn’t say anything because he had no proof that it was a lie.
He couldn’t run to Rome and check it out right now.
“It seems that there is a difference in perception between the two countries that caused this problem.”
Sanatruces took a deep breath and slowly raised his objection.
“But please consider it realistically. If you follow what Marcus said, even Ctesiphon on the east side of the Tigris River will fall under Rome’s sphere of influence. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Parthia is a nomadic people who don’t value their capital as much as Rome does. And you said to consider it realistically, but that’s what we want to say to you.
Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is certainly a fertile plain. But it doesn’t make sense to spill so much precious Roman blood in war with a great nation like Parthia just to get that much land.”
Marcus cleverly avoided mentioning that the land was hard to defend.
Sanatruces smiled awkwardly and suppressed his boiling anger.
‘Precious Roman blood? I heard that only a hundred people died in this war, what…’
Sanatruces composed himself and started to think hard.
If he gave up the Zagros Mountains, the probability of getting back Mesopotamia would drop drastically.
Before he could open his mouth, Marcus made the first move.
“Ah, of course, we won’t skimp on our support as you suffer such a huge loss in Parthia. Not only food supply, but also helping you to occupy the land that will replace Mesopotamia.”
“The land that will replace Mesopotamia?”
“Of course, there is no other place than this.”
Marcus pointed his finger at a region on the map.
Under his finger, the word Indus was slightly blurred.
“That, that region is…?”
“Is it the Indus River? I heard that this area is also as rich as Mesopotamia.
If you get this, Parthia can make up for the loss of Mesopotamia in no time, right? I heard that there are many countries and tribes in the vicinity of the Indus, but don’t worry. Who can oppose us when Parthia and Rome are allies?”
“But the Indus basin is…”
There was a record that the Indus basin was once a very fertile land.
Even though the climate had become dry now, it still boasted a considerable productivity.
It was undeniable that occupying the Indus River area would be a great help for agriculture.
But that was not why Sanatruces hesitated.
There was a huge mountainous terrain between Parthia and the Indus.
In other words, it was a land that was almost impossible to maintain for Parthia, who had lost Mesopotamia and weakened its national power, even if it conquered it.
Sanatruces tried to maintain a calm expression, but his hand trembled.
He wanted to shout at him what he would do with a useless land that he couldn’t even defend.
But he couldn’t do that.
It was because he had proposed to give Mesopotamia to Rome in the same way.
If he objected here, he would only end up hurting himself.
He had been caught by his own plan to use an absurd person.
There would be no problem in occupying it since Rome said they would help with their lack of military power.
Marcus had one more trick up his sleeve.
When the war with Parthia ended, there would be no reason to keep more than ten legions.
But if he had an excuse to support Parthia and occupy the east, the situation would change.
Marcus planned to extend his imperium for another five years or so with this reason.
When Sanatruces lifted his head slightly, his eyes met Marcus’s.
He felt a chill that covered his anger as he saw his still friendly smile.
‘Did he… plan everything from the first time we met? Did he try to use my proposal against me? But I didn’t notice any signs of that…’
Sanatruces recalled Marcus’s appearance when they first met.
He looked no different from now, showing a nice smile and believing everything he said.
That made him more creepy.
He realized too late that he had tried to use a monstrous person.
He could refuse the negotiation here, but Marcus must have prepared a plan for that case.
He might even destroy Parthia if things went wrong.
“Do you… intend to stay in Ctesiphon for a while after this negotiation is concluded?”
“I have to arrange the occupied territories, so I guess so. But before that, I have one place to visit. There are those who dared to betray us in this war. I have to make them pay for what they did.”
“You, you mean Armenia…”
“Yes. We can’t just let go of those who broke their duty as Rome’s protectorate.”
Sanatruces’s face turned black.
If Rome conquered Armenia and extended its northern border to the Caucasus Mountains, there would be no blind spots in Mesopotamia’s defense line.
Sanatruces could no longer keep his composure.
He clenched his trembling lips and closed his eyes tightly.
‘I brought a tiger to drive away a wolf. A ferocious tiger that will devour everything in the vicinity, and no one can stop it.’
Sanatruces signed with his shaking hand that he agreed to Marcus’s proposal.
He looked at Marcus’s satisfied back with an empty gaze as he left his seat.
He had no idea how powerful Rome, or rather, Marcus would become now.
The clever man felt it intuitively.
A new order was emerging in the east that was different from before.