Chapter 2: Crassus, The Richest Man in Rome (1)
Chapter 2: Crassus, The Richest Man in Rome (1)
When Jae-hoon opened his eyes again, his mind felt strangely blank.
I must have closed my eyes in the library, but where am I? Did I faint and get taken to the health room or a hospital?
However, as he looked around, the scenery was far too unusual for a health room or hospital.
Is this a drama set? Or am I still dreaming?
The bed he was lying on looked luxurious and impressive, but its softness didn’t compare to the cheap mattresses at home. There were no fluorescent lights on the ceiling, leaving the room dim, and the walls were adorned with beautiful landscapes.
Jae-hoon wasn’t an expert in art, but he could clearly tell it was a mural with an old-fashioned style.
You can’t find a house like this these days unless it's a set for a drama or movie. How did I get here?
Once he realized he was in a place that seemed unimaginable, his mind cleared up.
He quickly sat up on the bed and looked down at himself.
“What? Why am I wearing something like this?”
He was dressed in a strange one-piece garment with short sleeves that reached his knees, and a belt with bizarre decorations. Since it was a single piece, he wasn’t wearing pants, which made him feel very uncomfortable. But it wasn’t just the clothes that felt off—his body also felt different.
It seemed as if his height had decreased and his vision had lowered. Reflexively, he tried to reach for his cell phone, but his belongings were nowhere to be found.
Confused and unsettled, Jae-hoon walked around the room, searching for a mirror.
“Young master, are you awake?”
"Young master?"
The woman who entered wearing a veil spoke in a language that wasn’t Korean. However, he understood her words and was able to reply fluently in this unfamiliar language.
"Hey, hey... I think I’ve come to the wrong place. I didn’t sneak in, but it seems someone brought me here..."
The woman, dressed in a long, robe-like outfit, tilted her head, smiled vaguely, and said, "It seems you drank too much yesterday. Even though the elders warned you not to drink so much wine. If you don’t listen to the elders, you might not be allowed to go to the bar anymore."
"Elders? A bar? No, first tell me where the hell is this place? I haven’t left Gyeonggi-do, have I?"
“Don’t you remember? Yesterday, Quintino had to carry you because you drank so much that you lost consciousness. The elders were furious because such behavior, especially from a nobleman, was seen as a disgrace.”
The woman’s words, which he couldn’t fully understand, began to give him goosebumps.
Why does she call me Young master?
He wanted to ask if she had mistaken him for someone else, but her expression suggested that wasn’t the case.
"Hey... I have an assignment to submit by tomorrow, so I need to leave now. I have work to do..."
"Young master Marcus has work to do?" The woman’s eyes widened in confusion. "It seems like you’re still not fully awake. I’ll speak to the elders."
The woman turned to leave the room, but Jae-hoon quickly called her back and asked more questions.
"Hey, hey! Where is this place and why am I wearing something like this? Where have all my belongings gone?"
"Yes? Of course, this is the mansion of the Crassus family on Palatine Hill, and you are the young master, Marcus." The woman approached with a worried expression and examined Jae-hoon’s face. "Are you feeling unwell or did you have a nightmare?"
"No... that's not it..."
"Young master? Why are you treating me so carefully?"
Jae-hoon felt as though his head might explode. The two small, clean hands he saw were clearly different from the hands he remembered. For a moment, an absurd thought crossed his mind.
"Hey, bring me a mirror..."
"Yes, I will bring it."
The woman left the room and quickly returned with a small bronze mirror. Jae-hoon was at a loss for words when he saw the mirror, which looked like something from a museum.
He held the mirror with trembling hands and looked at his face, too shocked to even scream.
A Latino boy with black hair, but with a completely different appearance from any Asian features, stared back at him in the reflection.
Is this me?
The woman, Kore, spoke softly as Jae-hoon continued to stare at himself in the mirror with wide eyes. "It seems like yesterday's fatigue hasn't worn off. Should I tell the elders that you might have trouble attending class today?"
"Wait. What’s your name...?"
"I'm Kore, young master. You even forgot my name. It seems you're really not feeling well. Should I call for a doctor?"
"No, don’t call a doctor... ugh!"
As he continued to stare at his face in the mirror, a sudden headache hit him. Jae-hoon collapsed, clutching his head in agony. Kore, her face pale with worry, rushed outside to call for help.
People entered the room, trying to speak to him, but he didn’t hear them at all. Instead, his mind was flooded with knowledge—names of people, landscapes, and things he had never seen before. Slowly, Jae-hoon began to remember who he was.
Marcus Licinius Crassus.
He was the eldest son of Rome's richest man, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and he was Marcus Licinius Crassus II.
The Crassus family, now the most prestigious aristocratic family in Rome, had produced consuls in the past and led the Optimates, who controlled the greatest wealth in Rome.
I don't know what the hell is going on, but I, Jae-hoon, have become the eldest son of this wealthy family.
Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, Jae-hoon lost consciousness for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, it was dark around him.
"Young master! Are you okay?" Kore, who had been anxiously watching him, jumped up from her chair. "I'll bring the elder. Please wait a moment."
Kore hurried out of the room and returned a few minutes later with a stern-looking middle-aged man.
Even though Jae-hoon had never seen him before, he recognized him immediately.
It was Marcus Licinius Crassus.
He was the patriarch of the Crassus family and the father of Marcus II, who Jae-hoon had now become.
"Tsk tsk, what a sight. The eldest son of the Crassus family, drunk from a young age, behaving like a fool."
"Th-that’s..."
Jae-hoon knew he hadn’t done any of those things, but the memories of Marcus drinking alcohol were vivid in his mind, so he couldn’t make excuses.
Crassus glared at him, clicked his tongue in disapproval, and turned away.
"I give you my name in hopes that you’ll become like me, so how could someone like this emerge? Publius has no choice but to continue the family's prosperity."
Publius was Marcus' younger brother, the second son of the Crassus family. Marcus had fallen so out of favor with his father that Crassus openly spoke of entrusting the family’s future to his second son.
Crassus left the room without saying another word. After a brief glance at Jae-hoon, Kore followed him out.
Left alone in the dark room, Jae-hoon lay on the bed, calmly reviewing the situation.
He was Marcus Licinius Crassus II. This was an undeniable truth. It was confusing, but it was his reality now. The problem was that he had become the infamous 12-year-old prodigal son who was tarnishing his father's name.
Marcus had caused numerous disturbances using his family's wealth and prestige, and his notoriety was well-known in the city of Rome. While someone might wonder what a 12-year-old could do, Marcus was a troublesome child. He frequently harassed those who bothered him, all while carefully avoiding the law.
The targets of his harassment were mostly slaves from other households or fallen commoners, so his father had initially turned a blind eye. In this era, slaves were considered property, and no one cared much about the mistreatment of lower-class individuals. However, as Marcus’s actions became more severe, Crassus could no longer overlook them. He forbade Marcus from using slaves for violence without cause.
So, Marcus turned to flaunting his indulgence in food and drink.
Though Romans generally drank a lot of wine, it was common to dilute it with water. Those who drank strong wine and got drunk were seen as ill-mannered or poor drinkers. But Marcus regularly got drunk in the mornings and spent time with the sons of disreputable nobles. As a result, his father’s trust in him plummeted.
"It’s the perfect example of a typical, mindless aristocratic scion. I can’t believe I have to live as someone like this."
Jae-hoon had adapted to his new life with surprising calmness, despite the sudden changes. Back in Korea, he had been a "dirt spoon," destined to live in poverty and pay off loans for the rest of his life. So, living as the son of an ancient aristocratic family, where he no longer had to worry about money, felt like a vast improvement.
Although the family’s legacy would be inherited by his younger brother, Jae-hoon had no desire to continue it.
It was enough for him to live a comfortable aristocratic life, staying in the shadows of his distinguished father and younger brother, by being just moderately foolish.
Speaking of Crassus, he was a great magnate who formed a triumvirate with the famous Caesar and Pompey to rule Rome, right? Good, good. Now, I can say goodbye to my life as a "dirt spoon" forever.
Life as an ancient aristocrat might be somewhat uncomfortable, but he could endure it for the luxury he had always longed for.
If he changed too suddenly, others would become suspicious, so he figured he would need to gradually adopt Crassus’s way of life.
Just as his heart swelled with excitement at the thought of such a hopeful future, a piece of historical knowledge flashed through his mind.
Wait a minute! Didn’t Crassus die after pursuing an ill-fated expedition to match Caesar and Pompey’s fame?
The memory was accurate.
Crassus, who led an ill-fated expedition to Parthia, a powerful empire in the East, died after suffering a humiliating defeat.
The problem was that Publius, the second son who had been earning renown in battle, also died during this campaign.
Jae-hoon’s plan to ride comfortably on the coattails of his father and younger brother faced a crisis before it even began.
His expression twisted into a grimace, like a crumpled piece of toilet paper.