Chapter 131: The Meeting of the Greats
Chapter 131: The Meeting of the Greats
“How bad is Auletes’ health exactly? Is it a dangerous situation?”
“I don’t know for sure. The messenger from Rome didn’t seem to know much either.”
“I see.”
Marcus glanced over the letter he received from Pompey.
The content was not much different from what he heard from the messenger.
The cooperation of Egypt was essential to punish the bad breath.
But Pompey was worried that the negotiations with the Pharaoh would be hampered by his health problems.
So he decided to visit Alexandria himself and finalize the negotiations.
Egypt was practically Marcus’ client as well, so it was natural that he was asked for cooperation.
It was said to have a meeting, but it was actually a request to persuade Egypt.
Marcus had no reason to refuse, so it was not difficult for him to go to Alexandria.
The only problem was that he didn’t understand why things were going this way at this time.
‘It’s strange… Auletes shouldn’t have died yet.’
According to Marcus’ knowledge, there were still about two years left until Auletes’ death.
Of course, many things had changed from history, so it wasn’t strange that there were some variables.
But he didn’t cause any significant changes that would affect Auletes’ lifespan.
The changes that happened in Egypt were only that Berenice was not executed and Cleopatra and Arsinoe came to Rome for study.
These were the only two things.
‘Stress can have a negative impact on health, but… that part shouldn’t be a problem since he wiped out the opposition.’
As he thought about it, there was another strange thing.
If Auletes really had a health problem, there was no way he wouldn’t contact this place where Arsinoe was.
It didn’t make sense that he secretly told only Pompey and Cleopatra about this.
He considered the possibility that Arsinoe deliberately hid this fact, but that didn’t make sense either.
At least Arsinoe seemed to prefer her liking for Marcus over her position as an Egyptian royal family.
She had shown several times that she cared more about him than anything else.
But Cleopatra was different.
She liked Marcus basically, but her ambition and ability were too great.
She was a woman who would choose the latter if she had to weigh her personal liking and the position of Pharaoh.
She might have had some conversation with Auletes behind his back.
“Marcus, did you call me?”
It took less than a few minutes for Septimus to bring Arsinoe.
He smiled at her, who opened her mouth with a bright smile, and answered.
“I think we should take you to Alexandria as soon as possible. So please be ready to leave here by tomorrow.”
“Going to Alexandria? Me too?”
Arsinoe’s eyes sparkled with expectation and excitement.
It was not the reaction of someone who knew that her father was sick.
“Yes. Pompey is negotiating with Egypt, but he said that the Pharaoh is not well. So we decided to go to Alexandria ourselves.”
“How can that be… I didn’t receive any contact?”
“Look at this.”
Marcus handed her the letter he received from Pompey.
Arsinoe quickly skimmed through the letter and her face turned pale.
“How could this happen…”
“If you didn’t hear anything from Arsinoe, it’s probably not a serious situation. You don’t have to worry.”
“Yes? But if Pompey is going to Alexandria himself, wouldn’t it be serious?”
“It could be just a precaution because the Pharaoh is old.”
Marcus thought inwardly that Auletes might not be really sick.
He might have needed an excuse to refuse Pompey’s proposal, or maybe he was trying to make him desperate with a negotiation tactic.
It was impossible to say no to Rome’s request, so the latter seemed more likely.
‘Then it’s not bad for us. It’s a good opportunity to pretend to persuade Egypt and pay off one debt to the populist.’
Anyway, he could check it out himself when he went there.
Marcus decided to devise different strategies depending on whether Auletes’ health was really deteriorating or not.
Arsinoe looked at him with a desperate expression.
She hoped that nothing was wrong.
She had to face the time when she had to make her position clear, and that was the feeling that came to her mind.
※※※※
“Hahaha! Who is this?”
By coincidence, Marcus arrived in Alexandria almost at the same time as the ship from Rome.
Cicero’s impression had changed a bit in just a year.
Now he had some white hair on his head.
But his eyes were still sparkling with confidence and enthusiasm, just like before.
“It’s been a long time. I didn’t expect you to come to Alexandria, Cicero.”
“Well, it was suggested that it would be better if one of the senators accompanied us. And since I had to take Princess Cleopatra with me, I was the most suitable candidate.”
“I see. But where is Princess Cleopatra? Did she go to the palace first?”
“Yes. She said she wanted to check on the Pharaoh’s condition and left before us. Magnus is over there at the port, dealing with some problem with the ship we came on. It seems like it will be over soon, so why don’t you join us to the palace?”
“Let’s do that.”
Marcus nodded his head as he looked at Pompey, who was talking to someone in the distance.
He asked Arsinoe if he should send her to the palace first, but she said she wanted to go with Marcus if it didn’t take long.
Next to them, Septimus was scribbling something on a paper notebook with a pen without stopping.
Cicero, who was watching him curiously, asked.
“What are you writing so diligently?”
“I’m recording Marcus’ actions for <The Governor of the Week>.”
“The Governor of the Week?”
“Yes, that’s the name of the article that goes on the front page of the newspaper. It goes up regularly every week, so that’s how it got its name. It’s the most popular topic in the Eastern Newspaper.”
Septimus kept writing as he explained.
Marcus’ visit to Alexandria was already reported in yesterday’s newspaper.
It was written as if he was going to visit his subordinate who was in trouble.
And when Marcus returned from Alexandria, he would highlight this and fill up the front page of the newspaper.
In his absence, a special article explaining Julia’s life would be published instead.
By now, Danae would be wielding her pen at an incredible speed by Julia’s side, just like Septimus.
As Cicero showed considerable interest in the newspaper article, Marcus naturally changed the topic.
“By the way, Cicero, how is Princess Cleopatra’s education going?”
“Ah, yes. I was going to talk about that. She’s a very rewarding student to teach. She understands three or four things when I teach her one thing, so I get excited and talk more about this and that. I especially like that she shows a great interest in republican politics.”
“Which part of republicanism does she find curious?”
“I don’t think I can pinpoint one specific part. But she seemed to find it fascinating that it was different from monarchy. She kept asking about the process of electing officials by voting, the principles and common sense of Roman citizens, and the function of the Senate.”
Cicero’s expression showed a satisfied emotion.
He had a firm political belief that republicanism was the best system.
He was pleased enough that Cleopatra, a royal of another country, tried to learn republicanism actively.
“I’m glad I asked you for help. It must have been a good experience for Princess Cleopatra.”
“Hahaha, I’m having a very rewarding time myself. Wouldn’t it be beneficial for Rome if she became Pharaoh after being influenced by Rome?”
He laughed heartily and gave a glance at Arsinoe, who was talking to Alexandria’s administrator.
He lowered his voice and said.
“What about that princess who is with you? Is she friendly to Rome?”
“Yes. She is as friendly as Princess Cleopatra. She is pure and simple-minded, so she won’t do anything harmful to Rome.”
“That’s very good. It doesn’t matter who becomes king as long as Egypt’s stability is not shaken.”
Marcus nodded his head slightly as an answer.
He took his eyes off Arsinoe and pointed at Pompey again.
“By the way, who is that young man with Magnus? He seems to be following him around since earlier.”
“Don’t you know him? That young man is Gnaeus, Magnus’ eldest son. I think he is about 10 years younger than you, but he seems quite capable. Magnus probably wants his son to gain some experience, so he takes him everywhere these days. Maybe he will take him to the bad breath expedition too?”
“The eldest son of the great Pompey Magnus…”
Marcus recalled the records he had read about Pompey’s eldest son.
Gnaeus did not surrender even after his father was defeated by Caesar, and he gathered soldiers in Africa and resisted.
But he couldn’t do anything against the enemy that his father Pompey couldn’t beat either.
He was defeated at the Battle of Thapsus and fled to Hispania with his brother, where he gathered more troops and confronted Caesar.
In the end, Gnaeus was defeated again by Caesar, who marched to Hispania, and he was captured and executed while fleeing.
He was not as capable as his father, but he could be praised for his perseverance and fighting spirit.
‘But that’s not enough.’
The successor of Pompey’s family was not a position that could be handled by someone who was just decent.
His father’s halo was too strong, and the people’s expectations were too high.
Maybe he felt their eyes staring at them.
Pompey brought his son forward and walked toward Marcus.
His voice was soft but dignified.
“Sorry for making you wait. It seems that our ship had some water damage, so I went to check it out with some annoyance. By the way, Marcus, I didn’t expect to see you at the port. I’m really glad.”
“I didn’t expect to arrive on the same day either. It must be Jupiter’s guidance.”
Marcus shook Pompey’s hand with a full smile.
Pompey also smiled broadly and introduced the young man behind him.
“Since it’s a good opportunity, let me introduce him. This is Gnaeus, my eldest son. I wish I could have brought my second son Sextus too, but he couldn’t come because he sprained his leg during military training.”
“I’m Gnaeus Pompey. I’m trying my best not to disgrace my father’s name.”
“I’m Marcus Crassus.”
Their formal names were exchanged briefly.
Cicero, who was watching from the side, sneaked into the conversation and raised his voice exaggeratedly.
“Now that I think about it, both Gnaeus and Marcus inherited their father’s names. They also have something in common that they have qualities that are not ashamed of their names.”
“I’m still lacking compared to you or me. Well, there are cases like Caesar who showed his prominence late, so I guess I’ll have to wait for 10 years as you said.”
“Gnaeus, even though your father says that, he must be proud of you more than anyone else. Don’t worry too much.”
Gnaeus smiled as if he was fine and nodded his head.
It was a fresh smile that anyone would like.
But Marcus saw it.
He saw a subtle emotion passing through his eyes for a very brief moment.
No matter how proficient he was in controlling his expression, it was not easy to hide his true feelings through his eyes without making a tremendous effort.
The emotion that flashed in Gnaeus’ eyes was a familiar one that Marcus had encountered many times.
It was a kind of emotion called anger and jealousy.
It was more than simple envy, but resentment toward others.
And that emotion was clearly directed at Marcus.
He thought he had hidden it well, but it was obvious to Marcus.
‘I have a guess, but…’
He had an idea of Gnaeus’ psychological state.
The heavy sense of duty and pressure to lead Pompey’s family.
And the situation where his rival, the successor of the Crassus family, was already praised as the best ever.
He must have suffered from tremendous stress and pressure.
And his father kept talking about Marcus, so he couldn’t have good feelings for him.
But the difference between Gnaeus and Marcus was too big to be considered as competitors.
For Gnaeus, Pompey was a great being that he couldn’t catch up with even if he devoted his whole life.
But a person of the same generation who was only about 10 years younger than him was already standing shoulder to shoulder with his father.
And Marcus didn’t stop there.
No matter how hard Gnaeus tried to catch up, he felt that the gap was not narrowing, but widening.
The senatorial senators openly said that it would be their victory if a generational change occurred.
Eventually, negative emotions accumulated unconsciously, and jealousy gradually turned into hatred.
He hated someone he had never seen properly, which didn’t make sense, but his heart was already filled with hostility toward Marcus.
‘If only he wasn’t there…!’
He felt this emotion clearly.
He smiled brightly on his face, but he had a sharp blade in his stomach.
Marcus looked at him with a cold eye.
‘He. He might cause a big trouble if I leave him alone.’