"Why are you planning to spend so much money on the allied cities?" Brutus asked, unbuckling his armor and setting down his sword.
The accommodations provided for us in Tarracina were spacious. An entire domus, originally belonging to a local nobleman, had been handed over for our exclusive use.
"It's not as if many citizens from the allied cities would make the trip to Rome just to vote anyway."
"If we were only talking about votes, you'd be right."
Just as Brutus said, if my goal was only to garner voter support, pumping money directly into Rome would be far more effective.
No matter how much I spent on the allied cities, the political return on investment would naturally be lower.
"However, the power of the allied cities is constantly growing. Rome today is no longer just the city itself, but the people of Italy."
That was the exact reason why Hannibal ultimately failed to conquer Rome.
He had crossed the Alps, launched a surprise attack, and secured countless victories.
But there was one thing he hadn't accounted for: the unwavering loyalty of the Roman allied cities.
Even when the war seemed hopelessly lost, the vast majority of the allies stood firmly by Rome's side.
Thanks to them, Rome was able to prevail.
The same was true for my father. During the civil war, he secured the support of the allied cities, which allowed him to swiftly bring all of Italy under his control.
Decades ago, following the Social War, Rome and her allied cities had been bound together into a single community of citizens.
"The word 'Rome' is no longer just a city; it has become a symbol that binds all our citizens together. Spending money for their sake is hardly a waste."
Brutus nodded, a look of genuine surprise crossing his face.
Man, did that sound a little too pretentious?
Oh well. It's not like I'm lying.
I just didn't tell him the whole truth behind my actions.
"But allied cities are driven by their own interests. They don't just move based on loyalty alone, do they?"
"Loyalty is born from interests, Brutus. Not the other way around."
A brief silence fell over the room as Brutus sank into thought.
"I knew you had your hands in several businesses," he finally said, "but... I had no idea you had this much money to throw around."
Brutus shook his head.
"Promising such massive investments to the allied cities... no one has ever done anything like this."
"To be honest, I don't actually have that many coins on hand right now," I replied with a smile.
However, I had an ace up my sleeve.
It was my father, who would soon return from Hispania.
I was already looking forward to the 'gifts' he'd be bringing back.
Hispania was teeming with countless undeveloped silver mines.
Thanks to my knowledge of the future, I knew exactly which regions held the most profitable veins.
The hardest part of the mining business was simply locating the highest-yielding areas.
Even 21st-century corporations had to burn astronomical amounts of money on surveys and exploration.
I, on the other hand, didn't have to do any of that.
Therefore...
"I have more than enough to cover investments of this scale."
***
"Drain the water! Pump the groundwater out before the shafts collapse!"
In a mine somewhere in Hispania, laborers clad in tunics shouted as they operated the Archimedes' screws installed deep within the earth.
Ever since Spurius and the new engineers arrived, numerous mines had resumed operations, and output was rising at a blistering pace.
"Seriously, how on earth did Caesar manage to find all these mines?"
"It seems those engineers from Rome know a secret or two."
"Haven't you heard? Caesar's son received a revelation from the goddess Vesta and created Palmolive. Maybe he received a revelation from Vulcanus this time."
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be Pluto or Dis Pater? It's related to the underworld, after all."
"Hey, you lot! Quit yapping and get back to work!"
Spurius and his crew didn't just bring maps of where the silver was buried.
They completely overhauled the existing equipment and mining procedures from the ground up.
"Just using a single Archimedes' screw isn't enough! We need to install multiple water screws in every shaft so..."
Once a silver mine began to flood, miners couldn't dig any deeper, causing extraction rates to plummet.
However, by installing water screws and pumps powered by both manpower and mules in every shaft, drainage became immensely more efficient.
Adding newly designed intake and exhaust shafts for ventilation was just one of the many improvements.
"Just how many more of these do you plan to build?"
"It's still not enough."
Spurius said, pointing at the designs drawn on his papers.
"I have some new methods I want to test for the ore sorting and crushing processes as well. If we use these, we'll be able to extract far more silver with even greater efficiency."
"..."
The local engineers, who had initially looked on Spurius with suspicion, eventually had no choice but to admit defeat.
But that didn't mean there were no problems. The biggest one was the backbreaking workload.
The local engineers and laborers were forced to scramble across Hispania just to keep up with Spurius's relentless demands.
"Just how much silver does Caesar actually need?"
***
"I believe that wraps up our negotiations regarding the investment."
My schedule in Tarracina concluded much faster than anticipated.
The welcoming ceremony ended on an amicable note, and the city officials were eager to participate in the negotiations.
Thanks to the massive investment funds I promised, the citizens threw their full support behind me, meaning the tower construction could proceed smoothly.
"Now, let's discuss the towers a bit more."
"Our city might have less to offer upfront compared to others, but we can provide the land and manpower required for the tower construction this very day."
"I will certainly give that favorable consideration. Once the roads are improved and the towers are completed, it will be a massive benefit to Tarracina as well."
However, building the towers wasn't the only thing on my mind.
"By utilizing these towers, we can also drive out the bandit gangs that plague travelers and merchants on the roads."
"The bandits, you say?"
"Right now, if you encounter bandits on the road, you really only have two options. You either fight them off, or end up their hostage."
In Rome, law enforcement on the roads was practically non-existent.
While the allied cities operated their own security forces, it was exceedingly rare for them to reach the scene in time.
Most of the time, they arrived long after the damage was done, or they simply didn't show up at all.
If you were kidnapped or murdered on a deserted road, there was no one around to even report it.
It wasn't until the reign of Augustus, when large-scale anti-bandit campaigns were launched and these bandit gangs were finally wiped out.
"The towers require personnel to operate them. And those operators will have no choice but to work in isolated areas, far away from the cities."
"Then there's a strong chance they could be targeted by bandits as well."
"Exactly."
I nodded.
I couldn't just build the towers, toss the operators inside, and tell them to figure it out.
If I were deployed to a place crawling with bandits, I'd probably run away too.
No matter how good the pay was, very few people were willing to gamble their own lives for it.
For all of Italy to be connected by these towers, securing the roads had to come first.
"But once the towers are fully operational, we will be able to drastically reduce the number of bandits across Italy."
Once the tower network was established, merchants wouldn't need to travel around lugging fortunes in coins anymore.
They could send word through the towers and settle the payment in another city.
That alone would eliminate the main prize bandits were after.
Furthermore, the very existence of the towers would act as a massive deterrent.
"Most of the towers will be built near the main roads. So, if the operators spot bandits, they can immediately send a distress signal to the nearest city," I explained.
"Then, the cavalry can be dispatched right away to wipe them out."
Hearing my words, the city officials exchanged glances with each other.
"Actually, sir Caesar, there was something we meant to tell you."
One of the men cleared his throat.
"Ever since you announced your tour of the allied cities, a few bandit gangs in the surrounding regions have been showing signs of suspicious activity."
"Suspicious activity?"
What exactly is that supposed to mean?
The man hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"According to rumors, they've been plotting some sort of scheme to do you harm..."
"And why are you only telling me this now?"
At my question, the men all shut their mouths tight.
Well, the reason was painfully obvious.
They were terrified I'd cancel my visit to their city if I knew.
"For your visit, our city has deployed more manpower for security than ever before!"
Another man hastily added in a desperate tone.
"We plan to do absolutely everything in our power to ensure you arrive safely at the next city."
"I'm glad to hear that. However, from now on, I'd appreciate it if you shared all relevant information with me beforehand. I'm not exactly fond of keeping secrets between friends."
The men nodded with grim expressions.
Bandits targeting me, huh?
Now this is getting interesting.
To safely build the towers, I needed to secure the roads first.
That was one of the very reasons I had so readily accepted the Senate and Hortensius's proposal.
"I have a new proposal for you all."
Saying that, I clapped my hands together.
Where there is a problem, there is always a solution.
And as luck would have it, I already held the key in my hands.
"Before I embarked on this journey, the Senate granted me a certain imperium."
Truth be told, it wasn't a particularly impressive imperium.
It just allowed me to lead a small contingent of troops for my personal escort and request support from allied cities if necessary.
But in the end, authority is all about how you interpret it.
"Acting upon this authority, I would like to formally request your support."
"By support, what exactly do you intend to..."
"The total eradication of the bandits."
Countless allied cities were currently throwing themselves at my feet for the chance to build a tower.
On top of that, I had already promised Tarracina a massive investment.
I had laid out a feast more tantalizing than anything they had ever seen.
The allied cities were practically drooling as they watched me.
So, I just had to use that greed to my advantage.
If not now, I might never get another chance to rally the allied cities together under a single banner.
"We are going to wipe every last bandit from Roman soil."
***
"Raising a large anti-bandit force by asking each city for cavalry? Are you sure that's okay?"
Antony asked, pulling on the reins of his horse.
Even after arriving in the city, Antony had been outside the walls every single day, training with the rest of the escort.
Meanwhile, Brutus seemed to spend all his time cooped up in the domus, writing something.
The two of them really were complete opposites.
"The Senate gave me the authority to take necessary measures for road safety. I also have the authority to request troops from the allied cities when required."
"Wasn't that given to you strictly for when you're in actual danger?"
"Yes, and I'm in actual danger now."
I replied as my horse snorted beneath me.
Having a saddle definitely made riding so much easier.
As I gave the reins a light tug, my horse snorted again and came to a halt.
"If we don't act now, we won't ever get another chance to root out the bandits. There aren't many occasions that will compel the allied cities to join forces like this."
"Baiting the allied cities using your investment funds and the towers... Well, securing the roads will benefit them greatly too," Antony said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"But the cities will probably try to get away with sending as few troops as possible. You've already promised Tarracina a massive investment, haven't you?"
"Are you saying the other allied cities will just pretend to help?"
"Raising and maintaining a cavalry costs a fortune. If it were me, I'd probably wait and see what the other cities do before committing."
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Even though they were competing for the towers, dispatching cavalry was still an expensive endeavor.
Just then, I caught a glimpse of people entering through the city gates.
It was a merchant accompanied by a group of armed slaves riding beside him.
Hmm...
There might actually be a solution.
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
"If money is the issue, wouldn't solving that be enough?"
"Are you saying you'll pay out of pocket to the cities that send cavalry?"
"We don't need to fund it ourselves. This campaign could turn quite a hefty profit on its own."
"A profit?"
Antony tilted his head in confusion.
"You mean the loot the bandits have stashed away? I doubt that'll amount to much."
"The bandits themselves will fetch a price."
I smiled and pointed toward the group of people at the city gates.
In this era of Rome, bandits faced capital punishment.
Executions and crucifixions were standard, but...
There was another form of punishment as well, one that could be quite profitable.
"For years, these bandits have kidnapped, murdered, and robbed countless innocent citizens on the roads," I stated.
"So it's only fair that they pay for their crimes with their own flesh and labor."
***
Several days after Lucius Caesar left Rome, the very first letter sent by the young Caesar arrived at Pompey's estate.
"So, this is a letter from Lucius?"
"Yes, Father. See for yourself. It seems he's trying to copy you."
"Copy me? What do you mean by that?"
"You'll see once you read it yourself."
Pompey raised an eyebrow and took the letter.
It wasn't written on papyrus, but on pure white paper.
As Pompey read the letter, his eyes gradually widened in shock.
"What kind of crazy stunt is this kid pulling now?!"