“So, what do you think?”

  “I don’t know. Young Caesar certainly turned the Forum upside down yesterday.”

  “But the voices opposing Pompey are also loud. Other senators will step up to block the trademark law as well.”

  Cicero listened silently to his colleagues.

  The road to the Forum was already bustling with people heading to vote.

  Lost in thought, Cicero looked at the crowd.

  Lucius Julius Caesar was certainly a unique fellow.

  Didn’t he step forward confidently without getting flustered even when Cato picked a fight a while ago?

  Handling such a situation wasn’t easy even for experienced senators.

  Insurance, then Palmolive.

  And this time, even the enactment of the trademark law.

  If this succeeds, young Caesar would be proving that he possessed not only business skills but also political talent.

  “Say, Cicero. Did you hear the rumor?”

  “What rumor?”

  Cicero asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

  “There are rumors circulating about Tribune Rufinus.”

  “Rufinus. You mean the Tribune who opposed the enactment of this trademark law.”

  “Yes—the one who became tribune with the backing of Senator Hortensius.”

  “What rumor is circulating about that Tribune?”

  Cicero asked.

  Rumors in Rome were never something to be taken lightly.

  In Rome, rumors were weapons.

  A single rumor could lead to ruin or great success.

  Following Cato, even Quintus Hortensius Hortalus was joining in this game.

  Hortensius was a man evaluated as Rome’s greatest lawyer and orator.

  The fact that that old fox stepped in could not be ignored.

  “They say Rufinus visited the Temple of Vesta alone last night. It seems quite a few people saw him.”

  “He visited the Temple of Vesta alone?”

  Cicero frowned.

  Visiting the Temple of Vesta alone ahead of the Popular Assembly was unusual.

  Did he simply go to pray?

  No, then he wouldn’t have specifically chosen the Temple of Vesta.

  “He visited the temple so that other people could see him. He must have a purpose.”

  “I think so too. Besides, wasn’t there a rumor that Goddess Vesta gave a revelation for both Palmolive and insurance? And Rufinus visited the Temple of Vesta. Doesn’t sound like a coincidence.”

  At that moment, Cicero found a familiar face far ahead.

  The young boy who caused all of this.

  Lucius Caesar was passing through the street with his attendant.

  “I can’t even guess what on earth is going to happen today.”

  ***

  “Why did you refuse the Mistress’s offer?”

  Felix grumbled as he followed me.

  “If you asked the people on that list, you could have passed the trademark law much more easily today.”

  “Probably. But that’s exactly why I shouldn’t.”

  The list my father prepared over his lifetime.

  It contained the names of people who had received help from my father.

  “If I ask them for help this time, the debt will disappear. Rather, we will become indebted to them.”

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  “But isn’t passing the trademark law that important?”

  Felix asked.

  “If things go wrong, we might have to close down the Palmolive business.”

  “Then let’s pass the bill today.”

  The air in Rome was chilly. It seemed winter was coming.

  “It’s already winter. I should get mother a new silk stolla.”

  “Sometimes I really envy your composure, Young Master.”

  “The die is already cast, Felix.”

  “The die is already cast... That’s a very apt expression. Who said it?”

  “Caesar said it.”

  I answered with a smile.

  It wasn’t wrong. Caesar was said to have spoken those words before crossing the Rubicon.

  Of course, Felix wouldn’t know that.

  “It will be written in history books later. That Lucius Caesar said that ahead of a historic vote.”

  "I'm not sure about that."

  I kept walking, feeling the chilly wind.

  As Pompey said, the Tribunes opposing me wouldn’t accept defeat easily.

  But the problem was how they would counterattack.

  It was virtually impossible to prepare countermeasures for all situations.

  Now everything depended on my improvisation.

  While I was lost in thought, Felix pointed to one side and said.

  “We’re almost there, Young Master.”

  Where he pointed, a massive temple building was visible.

  It was the Temple of Castor, where the vote was held today.

  The front of the temple was bustling with citizens who had flocked there from early morning.

  “Yesterday the victims brought carts, and wooden tablets with names written on them were piled up like a mountain.”

  “Who knew there were so many swindlers in Rome. Truly terrifying.”

  “I heard those wooden tablets are still piled up in the Forum.”

  Between the citizens, dozens of huge flags were erected, representing each tribe exercising voting rights.

  “Young Caesar!”

  Some citizens approached, chanting my name.

  They were people belonging to the Victims Association.

  “We have been waiting for you to come, sir Caesar.”

  “We're sure that the bill will pass without a problem!”

  “I think so too, everyone.”

  I shook hands with all of them.

  There were so many citizens gathered that my hand felt numb.

  It seemed to have increased several times in the meantime.

  Did more citizens come after hearing the rumors from yesterday?

  While shaking hands with citizens, a man in a toga approached my side.

  It was Pompey.

  “Ah, young Caesar. You’re finally here.”

  “Sir Pompey.”

  “An army gathered by money always succumbs to greater money.”

  Pompey said, looking at the people gathered around me.

  “But people gathered under the same belief can never be swayed by money. You have created a truly powerful army.”

  “But I have no intention of sending them to war.”

  I replied with a laugh.

  They were people who gathered believing I would help them.

  No matter how important this bill was to me, I had no intention of driving innocent citizens into danger.

  “And after all, I am not the Gracchus brothers.”

  “Even the Gracchus brothers wouldn’t have thought of a method like yours. By the way, look over there.”

  Looking where Pompey pointed, I saw Crassus’s face sitting in a litter.

  “Like a crow picking at corpses.”

  Pompey muttered quietly.

  Just then, the trumpet sound announcing the start of the Popular Assembly resonated, and Tribunes appeared one by one on the temple stairs.

  Amidst the murmuring of citizens, the Tribune presiding over the Popular Assembly stood at the center of the stairs and shouted.

  “Before starting the vote, any Tribune wishing to speak, step forward!”

  While everyone was silent, one Tribune slowly walked down the stairs.

  It was Tribune Rufinus, who gave a speech opposing my bill yesterday.

  “It’s starting now.”

  I adjusted my posture.

  So, how do you plan to play this?

  ***

  “Boo!”

  “Tribune who doesn’t care about citizens, step down!”

  At Rufinus’s appearance, jeers from citizens poured down.

  After what happened in the Forum yesterday, public opinion had clearly swung my way.

  But despite the fierce opposition of citizens, Rufinus wore a calm expression.

  What is he planning?

  “Citizens of Rome! Before today’s vote, I intend to reveal a fact to you.”

  He pointed to the temple behind him as if he had received a divine revelation.

  “Just yesterday, I visited the Temple of Vesta to pay my respects to the Goddess!”

  Before citizens could react, he continued shouting.

  “And in the temple, Goddess Vesta revealed her sacred form to me and spoke!”

  What?

  At the utterly preposterous words, I let out a hollow laugh for a moment.

  “The Goddess said she personally appeared in Lucius Caesar’s dream and taught him the recipe for Palmolive!”

  I wasn’t the only one who scoffed at his words.

  “I don’t know what nonsense he’s trying to spout.”

  Pompey glared at Rufinus, shifting his massive body.

  The reaction of the citizens was the same.

  After a heartbeat of confusion, the jeers surged back.

  “Are you out of your mind?!”

  “What blasphemy is that! Are you going to spout such lies in the sacred Popular Assembly?!”

  But Rufinus continued his speech.

  “And Goddess Vesta said she wanted the ‘sacred Palmolive’ to spread throughout all Rome!”

  He raised a finger and pointed towards me.

  “But what is Lucius Caesar doing now? He is pursuing personal gain while monopolizing Palmolive to himself!”

  At the same time, citizens’ gazes focused on me.

  “Furthermore, he is now trying to monopolize the sacred Palmolive forever by enacting this evil law called the trademark!

  Citizens! You have been deceived by Lucius Caesar!”

  As soon as he finished speaking, citizens began to murmur.

  And I…

  I laughed.

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud.

  Clever.

  There were rumors among citizens that I made Palmolive after receiving a revelation from Goddess Vesta.

  I even asked the Vestal Virgins myself to fuel such rumors.

  He’d taken the rumor I’d planted and tried to turn it into a noose.

  The crowd went dead silent.

  Rufinus’s face tightened. “What’s so funny, Lucius Caesar?”

  Everyone stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

  I pointed at him and shouted, “Tribune Rufinus—you’re right!”

  There was one fact Rufinus hadn’t expected at all.

  Under normal circumstances, a Patrician like me would have no right to speak in the Assembly.

  But this was different.

  Rufinus had attacked me publicly and demanded an explanation.

  That meant no one could object if I took the floor now.

  I spread my arms.

  “Goddess Vesta did give me a revelation!”

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