Chương 117: Spreading the Good Words

As with all things, it began with something trivial. Lucius Julius Caesar had formed an organization to deal with the flood of counterfeit Palmolive products. It was called the Palmolive Victims' Association. They shared information to track down the fraudsters selling the fakes, while simultaneously providing funds and legal representation for lawsuits.

"There he is! That's the bastard who sold me the fake Palmolive!"

"Grab him before he runs away!" This organization was unlike any collegium Rome had ever seen. Never before had a Roman politician sponsored legal advocates and lawsuits for so many ordinary citizens.

"I always thought only the rich could afford advocates. Thanks to the lawsuits, we got our money back without ruining ourselves over legal fees." When Lucius pushed for trademark laws and the punishment of fraudsters, these people gathered in the Forum to show their direct support. Some of the wax tablets they had once stacked into a small mountain in the Forum were still there. Even after the counterfeit Palmolive crisis died down, many of the members stayed and continued to interact with one another.

Naturally, these people harbored immense goodwill toward Lucius Caesar, the man who had helped them.

"Isn't he an extraordinary man? He even founded a fund for retired legionaries."

"And that's not all. He personally listened to the citizens' grievances and invented those streetlamps. The signal towers, too."

"After all, he is the man who received a revelation from Vesta herself. I wouldn't be surprised if other gods gave him revelations as well." They continued to meet regularly, helping one another whenever someone ran into trouble. However, their numbers weren't particularly large just yet. Once the Palmolive issue was resolved, the majority of the members simply stopped showing up. Then came two major turning points: the bandit subjugation campaign and Marcus Junius Brutus.

"Has everyone heard? I hear the Senate granted young Caesar imperium."

"Wait, really? He's going to command a legion at his age?"

"Strictly speaking, he isn't commanding a legion. He's only been authorized to recruit cavalry from the allied cities as an escort." The news that Lucius Caesar was leaving Rome to inspect the safety of the roads across Italy immediately caught the members' attention.

"Has anyone heard any details?"

"My cousin lives in one of the allied cities, and according to him..." But they had very little access to reliable information. Even after Lucius commenced his bandit subjugation campaign, they only received sparse, unverified rumors. Then, one day, everything changed.

"Have you all read this?"

"Read what?"

"Brutus's book! I hear Caesar is publishing his own account of the campaign as well!"

"Wait, is that true?" Two accounts of the bandit campaign were published. One was compiled from the letters Pompeia had received from Lucius, while the other was Brutus's personal account of the events. Under Felix's supervision, hundreds of copies of both books were produced and sold. And a significant number of those copies ended up in the hands of these very members.

"Listen to this passage. They kidnapped citizens right off the streets and sold them as slaves. Does this make any sense?!"

"These bastards should have been caught ages ago. At least they're finally getting what they deserve." Their interest only grew stronger after Lucius Caesar returned to Rome.

"Perhaps we should invite Caesar to our meeting hall."

"How could we possibly presume to invite such a busy man ourselves? Don't say such stupid things." But they had another option.

"You want me to hold a book reading?" Brutus asked, scratching his head.

"Why me, of all people?"

"Your book is a masterpiece, Brutus. It will go down in Roman history! Especially the part where you described the subjugation campaign as..." Worn down by their persistence, Brutus finally agreed. On the day of his first public reading, Brutus was left completely dumbfounded. At least a few hundred members were waiting for him.

"What on earth is this..."

"We rented a separate venue just for today's reading. Right this way." Before he knew it, Brutus was standing at the center of a massive theater. As he took the stage, thunderous applause erupted from all sides.

"This is Marcus Junius Brutus, the man who commanded the bandit subjugation alongside Lucius Julius Caesar!" The reading began to thunderous applause and ended as a resounding success. Through events like these, Brutus gradually became one of the organization's central figures. At the same time, new faces began joining the group. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. They were the young nobles of Rome.

"Right this way. I'll guide you." Brutus said, his voice brimming with excitement. I followed him, and it wasn't just the two of us. A large throng of people surrounded us. So all these people were members of my fan club now. I recognized quite a few familiar faces among them. In Rome, it was customary for clients to visit their patrons every morning to pay their respects, and I received my fair share of morning visitors as well. Of course, when I was busy, I usually just gave a quick nod and moved on.

Parading through the Forum with a massive entourage of clients was one of the most common ways to display one's political muscle.

"They started out by renting a single floor of an insula. But soon, the members pooled their money and bought the entire building. They're planning to buy another insula soon to set up a new branch."

"Is that so?" I replied with a light cough. Who would have thought supporting the victims of the Palmolive scam would snowball into what was basically a full-blown fan club? I was fairly certain I had cut most of their funding after the trademark laws were passed. Had they really kept this going on their own all this time? Just then, I spotted a massive crowd standing in front of an insula. I saw placards everywhere, all welcoming me by name.

"Caesar! Caesar!" As ordinary citizens stopped to stare at the spectacle, I felt my face flush crimson. It was probably best to get inside the insula as fast as possible. I shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the people standing near the front.

"We never dreamed you would visit our organization in person. Please forgive us for such a humble welcome."

"Thank you. I'm eager to head inside and see the place." Brutus and the others guided me in, explaining things as we went.

"We commissioned mosaicists to complete this piece recently. I hope it is to your liking." The moment I entered, I was greeted by a massive work of art. What the hell is this...

"Don't tell me this is supposed to be me?"

"Who else would it be?" I stared blankly at the mosaic covering the entire floor. It had been made in the traditional Roman style. Like the famous mosaic of Alexander the Great, it was composed of countless tiny tesserae, likely numbering in the millions. It was beautiful and breathtaking, yes—but that wasn't the problem.

"I really don't think I'm this handsome. And I'm definitely not this muscular." Right in the center of the mosaic was a depiction of me riding a horse. A ridiculously muscular, ruggedly handsome man that was obviously heavily romanticized. In front of me was a man nailed to a cross. I assumed he was the bandit leader I had crucified. It was clearly a depiction of the bandit subjugation. To the left of the idealized version of me, allied cavalrymen on horseback were depicted with heroic flair.

"Is it not to your liking?"

"Of course it is." I quickly added.

"I was simply so moved I couldn't find the words." At my response, everyone around me let out a collective sigh of relief.

"We are thrilled to hear that."

"We originally planned to send this piece to you as a wedding gift, but the artists have been so busy lately..." I looked over the members and nodded. Calling them 'supporters' felt like a massive understatement at this point. Buying an entire building and commissioning a huge, expensive floor mosaic of me went far beyond ordinary support. At this point, 'fanatical supporters' might be more accurate.

"Brutus, may I have a word with you in private?"

"Of course. The rest of you, finish preparing the welcome ceremony." I followed Brutus up the stairs. A short while later, the two of us were sitting in a meeting room, sipping wine.

"You look rather surprised. Or has something made you uncomfortable?"

"Uncomfortable? Not at all. Quite the opposite, actually." I waved my hand dismissively.

"I just never expected there to be this many members. And I certainly didn't expect you to be so involved here." It truly was unexpected. Of all people, Brutus was a core figure in this organization. At my words, Brutus let out a dry cough.

"I only came here to introduce your achievements. But to my surprise, they embraced my work wholeheartedly. I've spent my entire life reading the records of other historians, but..." Brutus's face turned slightly red.

"This is the first time so many people have genuinely loved something I wrote. In a way, it's all thanks to you. You were the one who allowed me to accompany you on the campaign, and you were the one who helped me publish my book."

"But you were the one who wrote it, Brutus. No one else." So Brutus hadn't joined because he was my fan. He had joined because his work had received such an overwhelming response here? Brutus avoided my gaze and coughed again.

"It's not just me; everyone here is someone you've helped, one way or another. Some were saved from fraud, while others were rescued from the clutches of bandits. Isn't it only natural that they would want to repay you?"

"Even so, there's no need to go as far as making giant mosaic piece of me." I replied with a laugh. Having a giant art of me like that just felt a bit too self-congratulatory. Well, it wasn't like I could tell my supporters to tear down something they made just for me.

"Then how about you set a direction for us?"

"A direction?"

"We meet frequently and help each other out, but it feels like it isn't enough. I've been thinking it would be good to have a long-term goal for the group. If you set one for us, wouldn't everyone gladly follow?"

"In that case..." I nodded. He had a point. This was no longer just a simple fan club. If steered in the right direction, they could become the hands that shaped Rome for the better; but if mishandled, they could turn into a violent mob acting in my name. Then it was only right for me to provide them with a proper direction. Even in the 21st century, countless fan clubs made donations or performed charity work in their idols' names. And as it happened, there was exactly something I needed done.

"As a matter of fact, I was planning to help more citizens moving forward."

"Help the citizens? How so?"

"To be precise, I plan to support the collegia. Ensuring they receive proper legal aid and can help one another." There was no better example than the people right in this building. I had provided the Palmolive victims with legal support and a platform to share information, asking for nothing in return. Of course, I reaped massive benefits from the process as well. Passing the trademark laws would have been impossible without their vocal support. My next plan was exactly the same.

If I supported the collegia and gathered information along the way, I could make Rome a much safer place. If another incident like the recent uproar happened again, I'd be able to respond instantly.

"It would be a tremendous help if you and the other members could spread my plans to the other collegia they're involved."

"If that is all, I'm certain everyone will eagerly agree." Brutus replied.

"Now then, let's head back down. Everyone must be waiting with bated breath. They've been dying to give you their present."

"A present? What is it?"

"You'll see it for yourself soon enough." I followed Brutus back down the stairs. And the moment I reached the bottom, I couldn't help but gasp.

"What on earth is this..." A massive plaster statue stood before me. But it wasn't just any statue. Anyone could tell it was a statue depicting me. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that the statue depicted me half-naked, with only a piece of cloth barely covering my vital areas.

"The members pooled their money to have this made to celebrate your visit today. I hope it is to your liking."

"There could be no better gift than this." I forced a smile as I replied. A Greek-style plaster statue of me, half-naked. How exactly was I supposed to react to this?

"I am so overjoyed I'm practically speechless." Looking at the cheering crowd, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. I suppose being popular comes with its own unique set of headaches.

"There are quite a few nobles here, not just commoners." Felix noted, scanning the documents. Across from him, Pompeia was half-reclined in her chair.

"I heard many young nobles followed suit and joined after Brutus did," Pompeia said.

"It's proof that Lucius's actions are drawing significant attention among the young nobility."

"Even so, I never expected the membership to be this large," Felix muttered. Lucius planned to introduce his new collegia support policies to these members first, having them return to their respective collegia to propose the ideas.

"It is a brilliant plan. Persuading the collegia of the entire city through his most loyal supporters..." Pompeia said as she read over a document.

"Educating his supporters, who will then go out to persuade others..." She suddenly burst into laughter. An amusing realization had just crossed her mind.

"Doesn't this sound exactly like spreading a new religion?"