Lista Night:
"This esteemed senator, I haven't moved at all, I'm just standing here."
"Lord Strabo Pompey can vouch for me."
Night spoke with a mocking curve at the corner of his mouth, nonchalant and calm.
He didn't need to restrain Helena, even if she wanted to slaughter the entire Senate, it would be perfectly reasonable.
She was, after all, the Dragon of Carthage.
Killing Roman nobles?
That was basically tradition.
The fact that she hadn't already transformed and gone on a rampage in the capital was already a gesture of respect to the Twelve Olympians.
And now that he was once again named, Strabo Pompey looked utterly miserable.
This time, even though he didn't want to stand up, he had to.
He was sure that the other party had definitely recognized him, otherwise he wouldn't have been making fun of him all the time.
And he had witnessed with his own eyes how Lista Night treated the young nobles as 'spies' during the election for the tribune, and directly lied and killed them.
He was well aware of the ruthlessness of this man.
They will take action when they say so, without any regard for the so-called laws.
It was better to say that the Twelve Tables were a tool for him to exert his tyranny and a high-sounding synonym for justice.
The laws were basically defined by this guy, who held the upper hand.
Anyone who was against him would be labeled a clown.
It was just a typical large-scale double standard scene.
Now that there were no civilians present, it wasn't even a show at all.
Thinking of this, Strabo Pompey said stiffly. "Indeed, Sir Lista did not do it.
We cannot insult the noble character of a nobleman because of some prejudice.
Insulting aristocrats in Rome is punishable by death. I ask this senator to watch his words!!"
Strabo Pompey's words instantly left the still-screaming, eye-covering senator completely speechless.
???!!!!
Are you f*cking insane?!
'I just had my eyes gouged out in front of everyone, and you're telling me I'm slandering him and even deserve the death penalty?'
The key point is, many of the elder senators had gone completely silent, a clear sign of tacit compliance.
Back in the day, Night dealt with them the same way.
You think they never tried to resist?
Those who dared say a single "no" ended up losing hands, losing heads and the weeds on their graves are three feet tall by now.
In the end, it was Marius who stepped forward to put a stop to this farce.
He didn't even look at the injured senator, he simply stated that Lucius Caesar's proposal was not in accordance with proper procedure.
Lucius Caesar:
"Then let's make it reasonable.
I propose that Lord Lista Night be tasked with resolving the current Social War.
If he can succeed in quelling the rebellion, then by merit alone, granting him private army privileges is perfectly justified."
The Social War?!
The very senators who were protesting seconds ago now froze in surprise.
Rome had deployed massive legions, spent a fortune, and thrown countless generals and warriors into the conflict—yet had still failed to subdue the allied armies.
Now you're saying one man can bring peace?
Even if you allowed him to raise his own army, with a bunch of fresh recruits, there was no way he could defeat the vast and entrenched alliance forces.
This was something utterly impossible.
So… if they agreed, what was the harm?
And thus, with a slow retreat by the Senate, and mainly due to the silence and fear of the majority, the few remaining senators who still wanted to resist were left confused and unsure what was happening.
The motion passed.
Even Marius was powerless to stop it.
After the Senate session ended——
Marius did not approach Night.
Instead, he left alone, expression clouded with gloom, pretending not to recognize him at all.
He was no longer that ignorant young man from years ago.
Nor was he that young man whose eyes once sparkled with awe for the hero Lista.
He had worked so hard, struggled so long, just to one day sit in the Consul's seat.
And yet, that man had shown up and proved with sheer power that:
If effort were enough… then why would the world need heroes?
With just one hand, he covered the sky——
By simply showing strength, the others bent without resistance.
Even the terrifying girl, whose face they could barely see, could gouge out a senator's eyes with ease.
And what if her target had been him?
Marius shivered.
In the face of overwhelming power, unless you were sleeping surrounded by the Roman legions, how could you ever sleep peacefully again?
But——
When he thought of that radiant, domineering figure that descended like a new rising sun, Marius felt furious, bitter jealousy burning in his heart.
Especially Lucius Caesar.
Marius had begged him countless times to support him because of their family ties, because he had married into the Caesar family, because he was young Caesar's uncle.
But Lucius Caesar, the old fox, had always looked down on Marius's humble roots.
He chose neither Sulla nor Marius.
If Lucius Caesar, this former consul—had backed him, Marius would have already crushed Sulla and ruled Rome with iron authority.
And now, just when Marius was about to finally defeat Sulla——
Lucius Caesar came back with that man and stood openly by his side.
Marius was seething with madness.
In the original history, when he realized he couldn't beat Sulla,
he chose to take someone down with him, so, even before fleeing, he slaughtered Lucius Caesar's entire household.
The uncle whom young Caesar admired most…killed the beloved uncle of his heart.
In this alternate timeline, Marius was even more filled with resentment.
No——!!!!
Rome is mine!! It can only belong to me.
Just like in the history of the Triumvirate, when a young Julius Caesar witnessed Pompey's triumphant return, bathed in glory, and awakened to a truth:
A man must not be without soldiers or power.
He gave away his daughter to Pompey, his own brother-in-law, just to gain a legion and wage war in Gaul.
In the end, by force alone, he became unstoppable, and upon returning——
Even the godlike Pompey could not stand in his way.
When you are strong, everyone fears your will.
Your own power is your greatest capital.
Not like now, fighting in Senate chambers, forming cliques and factions, because no matter whether it's Sulla's camp or Marius's…
When Night appeared——
One sentence.
Everyone became one voice.
That kind of dominance made Marius burn with envy.
And finally, he understood one truth——
The importance of strength.
Originally, Marius had always looked down on individual power.
So what if one person was strong? Even mythological heroes could kill ten, a hundred, or a thousand people—
But what about an army of ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million?
As long as he could control Rome, implement a dictatorship, and have millions of Roman troops behind him, with endless young Romans ready to replenish the ranks—
What hero couldn't be brought to heel?
Power was what mattered most!
However, what he saw today completely overturned his belief:
Even someone with absolute political authority, if they were weak in personal strength, would still bow when their life was in danger.
His so-called army couldn't protect him in time.
In that moment, Marius felt an urgent desire.
Something clicked in his mind—
and he suddenly changed his route home, instead heading toward a beast arena favored by the nobles.
.
.
.