The Mad Tycoon of Rome

explain himself, it was up to Septimus to explain this time.

 

Thanks to this, Septimus was in a position where he had to say that, he had read all of this information in the book he had obtained, which he himself heard first time in his life.

 

At the appointed time, a row of fancy carriages with senators arrived from afar.

 

The judges, as well as the incumbent consul Lucullus, were visible.

 

Lucullus, who got off the carriage, looked around and tilted his head.

 

“I came here because I was told that you had developed something that could fundamentally change the cavalry system of the Roman army, but I don't see anything so grandiose.”

 

All Roman officials had experience serving in the military.
Cicero, a representative scholar of Rome, also served in the military during the war.

 

For this reason, although there were many Roman senators who were not proficient in the military, it was good to say that there were very few people who were outsiders.

 

Publius Barinius, the praetor, pointed his finger at the saddles of the horsemen lined up on the plain.

 

“There's something hanging under the saddle.
Is that an invention?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Crassus nodded confidently.

 

“What's the use of that? A footrest? A simple tool like that would change the Roman cavalry system from the ground up?”

 

Other legislators also agreed with Barinius' opinion and responded that they did not trust this.

 

“Hmm…
Well, if you listen to this, you will understand.”

 

Crassus signaled to begin, despite the dubious reactions of the other members of the legislature.

 

Septimus took a step forward and bowed his head respectfully.

 

“My name is Septimus, who was given the name of the Licinius clan by Crassus.
It is an honor to be able to explain this in front of those who are like the heart of Rome.
First, let me tell you about the stirrups.”

 

Septimus took a real stirrup and showed it right in front of the senators.

 

“These stirrups are saddle braces for horses.
They are very useful for mounting and balancing on horses.”

 

A middle-aged man belonging to the knight class asked with an expression of incomprehension.

 

“Isn't it possible to balance on a horse if you have properly learned horsemanship?”

 

“Yes.
But you have to be a great horseman to keep your balance on a wobbly horse and make a perfect charge with only two legs.
A master of such horsemanship may not need these stirrups so much.
It means that you can achieve almost the same level of stability.”

 

When Septimus gave the signal, the horsemen waiting on the plain rode forward.

 

The cavalrymen released their hands from their reins and charged forward with spears in one hand and shields in the other.

 

Some other cavalrymen, even on horseback, shot their arrows in a very stable position, hitting the target.

 

Even mock battles that assumed close combat on horseback were surprisingly stable.

 

The cavalrymen swung their weapons skillfully, bowing freely to the right or left.

 

It was a perfect posture for slipping and falling off a horse unless you had considerable horsemanship skills.

 

The expression of the members of the lawmakers who were bored changed in an instant.

 

In particular, the reaction of the generals who had the experience of actually commanding a corps was dramatic.

 

Gaius Toranius, who had served as a cavalry officer, immediately raised the question.

 

“Aren't they exceptional in horsemanship?”

 

“Those who are accustomed to horses are right.
But if you don't have stirrups, you can never leave the reins like that and charge while holding the weapon with both hands.
The same goes for the archers.
Riders of such skill are only in the powerful knightly classes.”

 

As Septimus' explanation continued like flowing water, the lawmakers exclaimed exclamation.

 

In fact, it was very difficult to raise skilled cavalrymen in Rome.

 

In order to become a cavalryman who could play an active role in real battles, you must learn horseback riding skills from an early age.

 

This would have been impossible if it were not for the descendants of powerful knights or aristocrats.

 

So, when Rome lacked cavalry, there were times when blood was transfused from outside.

 

Septimus looked around at the members of the council and continued with a confident voice.

 

“Current Rome is a professional soldier system.
If you use these stirrups, it will be easier to train cavalry than before.
It can solve the lack of cavalry power at once.”

 

The senators, all of whom had served in the military at least once, took this quite seriously.

 

Those who knew how much cavalry was worth, especially in large rotations, nodded frantically.

 

Crassus opened his mouth with a powerful voice as he stood in front of the lawmakers whose expressions had changed 180 degrees from the first time.

 

“Dear Members of Parliament, I believe you are all aware by now.
Besides, for practical reasons, the strengthening of this cavalry force is essential, even in order to effectively counter the threatening enemy we may face in the future.”

 

“A threatening enemy? Are you talking about Gallia or German?”

 

“They are also a threat, but the target I am talking about is the Parthia of the East.
If we subdue the Mithradates of Pontus who is currently harassing us, we will have no choice but to face the Parthia.
In the relationship between nations, there are no permanent allies.
Don't you need to think of a countermeasure?”

 

Parthia was a great power in the East that governs modern Syria and northern India.

 

Claiming to be descendants of Persia, they also made significant profits from intercontinental trade.
In other words, it was also a country that became an opportunity for East Asia and Europe to recognize each other.

 

Lucullus asked after carefully observing the cavalrymen demonstrating on the plains.

 

“You mean this would be a great countermeasure against Parthia?”

 

“Yes.
Do you know what the main force of the Parthian army is?”

 

“I think I've heard rumors that cavalry is excellent.”

 

In fact, Crassus' knowledge was limited to that much, but Marcus gave Crassus a tip in advance.

 

Of course, the source was said to have been heard through a merchant from Parthia.

 

Crassus was amazed at Marcus' thorough investigation.

 

Now, his trust in his eldest son has grown to a level that no one else could compare.

 

“The main force of the Parthians is a large number of archers and a small number of heavily armed cavalry, called cataphracts.
Rome now has less cavalry power than them, so we have to fight in areas where cavalry is difficult to maneuver.

 

“However, if we have a cavalry force equal to or better than theirs, there is no need to confine the battlefield to a specific area.
Of course, the cavalry, which is much more substantial than now, will be a very useful force when fighting the Gauls and Germans.”

 

Most of the senators reacted positively to Crassus' words.

 

Even if they want to reinforce the cavalry power, they couldn't try it because it was not easy to train it, but if the difficulty of training is drastically lowered, there was no reason not to try it.

 

The consul, Lucullus, made provisional conclusions.

 

“First of all, it would be better to go in the direction of mounting all the stirrups on the warhorse.
And as for the reinforcement of cavalry power, if Pompey returns later, let's listen to his opinion and decide the direction.”

 

Crassus' face hardened slightly when the story of Pompeius, a potential rival, came up.

 

In the end, no matter how ardent he may be, Pompey has the highest say in matters related to the military in Rome.

 

It was also a reality that could not be overturned by any means at this point.

 

Pompey was currently away from Rome to put down Sertorius' rebellion in Hispania.

 

The rebellion of Sertorius, who had been persistent, seemed to be almost suppressed two years after Pompey was put in.

 

If he returns after quelling the rebellion, his already huge fame will soar to the point of not knowing the end.

 

It was a situation that Crassus was never happy about.

 

However, a few days later, news that dispelled Crassus's concerns flew to Rome.

 

**

 

With mixed feelings, Marcus accepted the correspondence that came directly from Capua.

 

He expected this to happen, but when he checked it with his own eyes, he felt bitter about what would happen in the future.

 

As always, Spartacus, who was guarding Marcus' back, expressed his doubts.

 

“You don't look so good.
What's wrong?”

 

“I'd rather see this for myself than explain.”

 

“Yes? What is it about…”

 

After confirming the contents of the letter, Spartacus couldn't speak any further with a devastated expression on his face.

 

He was so surprised that he lost my balance for a moment and even stumbled.

 

He looked back at Marcus with a look of disbelief.

 

“Is this…
is this true?”

 

“It must be assumed that it was sent directly by my father's subordinate who resides in Capua.”

 

“How…
how did this happen…”

 

The letter fell from Spartacus' trembling hands.

 

Even Danae, who picked it up! made a noise and her eyes widened.

 

What was written in the letter was not very long.

 

[A group escape of more than 70 slave gladiators from Capua.
Currently flees to the forest near Mount Vesuvius.
The owner of the gladiator training camp and all those involved are presumed to have been murdered.]