"All these people came to donate?"
"You didn't threaten them, did you, Young Master?"
Felix looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.
"If not, why else would this many merchants be lining up to donate?"
"I don't think Roman merchants would just hand over their money just because they were threatened."
I replied with a laugh.
Threaten them—seriously?
Anyone listening would think I'm some mafia boss going around extorting protection money.
But it was reasonable for Felix to think that way.
Merchants and businessmen scrambling to find me just to hand over their money sound ridiculous.
Thinking rationally, it was an incomprehensible situation.
For merchants, a donation was essentially the same as throwing money away.
But this Rome was different.
"Since the Trademark Law was established, countless merchants have created their own brands."
I said.
A trademark was also the first step toward something like a corporation.
The birth of a brand also signifies something else.
"Advertising."
"Pardon?"
Felix tilted his head.
"Advertising? What do you mean by that?"
"They realized that promoting a brand brings in money. It was already proven by my Palmolive."
Caesar Palmolive.
Nowadays, most Romans check my brand before purchasing Palmolive.
People started buying based on the brand—and the story people believed about it.
It was the story of fire insurance that saved citizens from bankruptcy, the Palmolive created through a Goddess's revelation.
And this time, it was massive support for the veterans.
Every action I took led to building the image of the Caesar brand.
"But what does that have to do with other merchants wanting to donate to the veterans' fund?"
Felix asked.
"In the end, doesn't that only benefit you, Young Master?"
"By donating to the veterans' fund, these merchants—no, these companies—can share in that same image. The merchants must have realized that as well."
Merchants really are the same in every era.
It hasn't even been a year since the Trademark Law was enacted, yet they've already grasped the core of marketing.
"If they build a reputation for supporting veterans, they will be more popular among the Roman citizens. And that means more sales and profit in the end."
"Then they would be able to fully recover the amount they donated this time. And they all rushed here to make sure everyone heard about it before Saturnalia."
Felix muttered.
"I couldn't have imagined it would go that far."
"It's a much more sophisticated method than threatening them, isn't it?"
I answered with a smile.
Anyway, it was a good thing for me.
Crassus had donated a significant amount for the fund, but when it comes to money, the more the better.
Right now, there were countless veterans in Rome.
Since its founding, Rome has always been a nation engaging in wars big and small.
The number of veterans would continue to grow in the future.
If I could gain their support, I could gain that much influence and power.
"We might as well create a completely new brand."
"A new brand... Do you mean creating something other than the Caesar crest?"
"No, we'll keep the existing brand but add a new mark."
Saying that, I looked at the wine amphora placed on the table.
Amphorae, mostly made of clay, were easy to engrave patterns or letters on their surface.
You just stamp the clay and bake it in the kiln, and you're done.
"We should create a new symbol for the veterans' fund and engrave it on the amphorae. We can give that right not only to our products but to all merchants who donate to the fund."
"Then other citizens will be able to know they donated to the fund just by looking at the product. And the profits of the merchants who donated will increase accordingly."
"It seems you're finally getting the hang of it."
"Even had you been born a slave, you'd still have ended up the richest man in Rome."
Felix shook his head.
"To extract donations from Roman merchants just by stamping a mark for them. Who would have known such a thing was possible? It's money out of basically nothing."
"It might feel strange now, but you'll get used to it soon."
I shrugged.
In the 21st century, it was one of the most natural things.
Countless corporations promoted their eco-friendliness and social donations.
There was so much of it that consumers barely paid attention anymore.
But Rome right now was different.
With the introduction of trademarks, the concept of a 'company' was gradually taking shape.
Depending on who dominated marketing first, a massive gap was bound to form.
The merchants who caught onto that could certainly be said to have an excellent sense for business.
"Send them in. I need to meet them in person and have a chat."
"You mean personally, Young Master?"
"Saturnalia is just around the corner, isn't it?"
I nodded.
Perhaps I was watching the birth of the very first capitalism.
It was a new concept of capitalism that didn't exist in original history.
A so-called Roman capitalism combined with the politics of Rome right now.
The person who started this was me.
If so, there could be only one person to be the captain of this new ship.
"Let's give these people their Saturnalia gifts as well."
***
"Are you saying you received this directly?"
As Cato raised his voice, the slaves nearby hurriedly backed away.
It was not a wise move to stay close when the master was angry.
"Are you saying you went to Caesar's house and received it yourself?!"
"I was merely invited to lunch, so I went. This was given to me as a gift by Cornelia. Should I have refused the gift then?"
Marcia raised her voice right back at him.
Cato and Marcia glared at each other in silence.
"Do you not know how I fought against Lucius Caesar in the Senate?"
"I know."
"And knowing that, you went to that boy's house and got a Palmolive from his mother?! Do you have any idea how you've turned me into a laughingstock right now?"
As Cato slammed the table, the amphora containing the Palmolive shook.
On the bright red amphora, there was a rose-shaped mark, and next to it, another symbol was engraved.
It was the Caesar brand.
"Cornelia merely gave it as a gift. It's just a single amphora."
Cato glared at the red amphora.
The amphora had a new phrase engraved on it that he hadn't seen before.
Latin letters that looked as neat as if stamped with a seal.
[Veterans Support Fund]
It was the exact same phrase Lucius Caesar had used when tempting the Senate with the lottery.
"You've made me the laughingstock of Rome, Marcia. For you to receive something like this behind my back while your husband is in the middle of a fight in the Senate."
While Marcia turned her head away, Cato picked up the amphora.
"If it was a gift and not something you bought, then you won't mind if I throw it out, will you?"
"Do whatever you want."
Stomping over to the window, Cato prepared to throw the amphora.
But the next moment, he had no choice but to freeze.
Dozens of people on the street were looking up at him through the open window.
"Isn't that Cato?"
"I think so."
What would happen if he hurled an amphora stamped Veterans Support Fund into the street?
After hesitating for a moment, Cato stepped back from the window.
***
"Welcome, young Caesar."
Ahead of Saturnalia, I visited a senator who lived not far from us.
It was one of the few domus in the Subura district, the home of a minor senator.
Despite my sudden visit, they welcomed me gladly.
"We didn't expect you to visit so suddenly."
"Since Saturnalia is just around the corner, I came to pay my respects. I also had a separate favor to ask of you."
At my gesture, the slaves who followed me brought in the amphorae.
"Ah, Roser Palmolive! My wife had been pestering me every day, saying she wanted more of this."
The middle-aged Senator said with a laugh.
"A rumor I heard today says even Senator Cato is using this."
"Senator Cato uses Roser Palmolive?"
I couldn't have imagined that.
The man who threw such a fit, claiming I broke Rome's traditions, was using my premium Palmolive.
I originally made it targeting Roman noblewomen, anyway.
"They say citizens passing by Senator Cato's mansion saw it. Since the red color is quite conspicuous, you see."
"I'll have to ask Senator Cato about it later."
I thought that man only liked wine.
I didn't know he had such tastes.
"You mentioned you had a favor to ask of us, Caesar?"
"Yes. I would like to buy one of the slaves in your domus, Senator."
"A slave from our house?"
The Senator asked back in a surprised tone.
"Forgive me—it's just rare for someone to come in person to buy a slave like this..."
"It's not common, I know."
I nodded.
Usually in Rome, when buying a slave, you bought them at the market.
It was rare to visit an individual directly like this.
But I didn't need just any slave.
"I heard there is a personal maid who attends to your wife."
"Ah, yes. The girl we brought in last year. She's diligent and kind-hearted; my wife and I both like her."
"I won't force you to sell her to me."
I said.
"But I will pay above the market price. It won't be a bad deal for you, Senator."
"Ah, of course."
The Senator smiled and nodded.
"If you want that girl of course we can give her to you. We'll only accept the amount we paid when we bought her last year."
"The market price must be different now from back then. It will be a hassle to buy a new slave, so I will add a premium."
"It's fine. Building a friendship with you, young Caesar, is a better reward for me."
The Senator shrugged.
"By the way, I never imagined you would have your eye on that girl. Since you are, well..."
"Pardon?"
"I thought you had no interest in female slaves. You don't even visit the brothels like everyone else does."
Ah, so that's what he meant.
Among Roman nobles, that sort of thing was normal.
Spending the day at a brothel or keeping pretty slaves around was nothing out of the ordinary.
But I was too busy to spend my time like that.
"I think you misunderstand, Senator. I am not buying her for myself."
"If you don't need her for your household… why her?"
"For now… let's say she's a gift for a friend. Once she's mine, I'll grant her freedom."
Buying a slave as a Christmas present for a friend.
That's certainly uncommon as well.
An old Santa Claus dragging a line of slaves tied behind his sleigh.
Imagining that, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
***
"Io, Saturnalia!"
"Io, Saturnalia!"
The streets of Rome were filled with the sounds of citizens greeting each other.
Saturnalia, celebrated every December, was a festival honoring the god Saturn.
At the same time, it was the longest and most popular holiday in Rome.
But this year's Saturnalia was a bit more special.
The first lottery drawing was about to take place.
As all the citizens flocked to the Forum with excited expressions, two names were constantly on people's lips.
Those names were Cicero and Caesar.
"So where are they doing the draw today?"
"Rumor has it the young Caesar is picking the winner himself."
"O Saturn, hear me! Please pick me!"
"Shouldn't you be praying to the Goddess Fortuna, not Saturn?"
Amidst streets filled with laughter, Saturnalia finally began.