Sparta: Many childrens, Many Blessings, Starting from the Gladiator Chapter 59 59

Returning to the office, Lucretia was already waiting for him, flipping through the expenditure records of the past few days.

"Did you get it out of him?"

She asked without lifting her head.

"Yes."

Marcus briefly explained the situation.

Lucretia put down the wooden board and frowned. "Valerius… this person is not easy to deal with. He is one of the oldest senators in Capua. His family has been operating locally for three generations. Their influence is deeply rooted and intertwined. Gracchus has fought him for many years and has never gained the upper hand. Instead, he has been caught with several handles by him."

"So we have to be careful."

Marcus poured a cup of water and drank it in one gulp. "Starting today, strengthen the guard. Double the night posts at the training ground, increase the number of people in the dock patrol team, and have your people watch Valerius's mansion to see who he has been in contact with recently, especially unfamiliar faces."

"Understood."

Lucretia noted it down.

"There's one more thing."

Marcus took out a small wooden box from the drawer and pushed it to Lucretia. "There are fifty denarii inside. Go and grease the palms of the lower-level officials in the Senate — clerks, ssengers, guards, even the slaves who clean. Don't ask too much. Just have them notify us imdiately when they hear any news about the dock, tariffs, or . Spend the money on the blade."

Lucretia picked up the wooden box, weighed it, and the corner of her mouth showed a slight smile. "I'm good at this. For those small characters, a little sweetness is enough."

After she left, Marcus sat alone in the office, staring at the flickering fla of the oil lamp, thinking about the next actions.

Valerius wants to bring down Gracchus and is using the dock as the starting point.

And he, Marcus, is stuck right in the middle.

This is a crisis, but also an opportunity.

If he can resolve this crisis, his value in front of Gracchus will be even greater — that guy is insidious, but his rewards and punishnts are still fairly clear.

If he can instead use this opportunity to seize Valerius's handles or even strike at his forces…

At this mont, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Co in."

Saxa pushed the door open, holding a roll of sheepskin paper in her hand, her face carrying a hint of excitent.

"News from Leta's side,"

She placed the sheepskin paper on the table. "Just received by carrier pigeon. She said Valerius has recently been secretly contacting another pirate group in Sicily, wanting to open a new smuggling channel to bypass us and Gracchus."

Marcus unrolled the sheepskin paper.

It was information written by Leta in code — this was their agreed communication thod. Even if the carrier pigeon was intercepted, it would be unreadable.

Translated, the general aning was: Valerius had sent an interdiary to Sicily to cooperate with a pirate group called "Blood Shark". "Blood Shark" and Leta's "Sea Snake" are mortal enemies. They often fight over territory and business, with blood debts piled up on both sides.

"Blood Shark…"

Marcus frowned.

He had heard this na before. It was one of the most brutal pirate groups on the eastern diterranean coast. The leader was said to be a madman who liked to skin captives and use their hides as sails.

"Leta asks whether she should take action and 'deal with' that interdiary."

Saxa made a throat-slitting gesture. "She said it can be done without anyone knowing, just throw him into the sea to feed the fish."

"No."

Marcus shook his head. "Tell her to stay put and just keep watching. We can use this opportunity to figure out Valerius's smuggling network — from Sicily to Capua, this line definitely has more than one interdiary."

"Then what do we do?"

"Let Scarface investigate Lucius. That's the land line. Let Leta keep an eye on 'Blood Shark's' movents. That's the sea line."

Marcus drew two lines on the table with his finger. "Go at it from both ends. Once we have enough evidence, we'll directly give Gracchus a big gift — he'll definitely be happy to see evidence of his political enemy smuggling contraband."

Saxa smiled, her eyes curving. "Boss, you're getting more and more like soone who sches."

"In this world, if you don't know how to sche, you won't live long."

Marcus put away the sheepskin paper and stuffed it into the bottom of the drawer. "By the way, where is Octavius?"

"He's at the training ground, teaching those big guys how to break down doors."

Saxa said. "He said the Combat Team mbers have enough strength, but their technique is too crude. They don't even know how to use clever force when smashing doors. They need redial lessons."

Marcus nodded, walked to the window, and pushed open the wooden window.

Outside, the sky had already darkened, but torches were lit in the training ground, illuminating everything brightly.

Octavius was demonstrating how to smash open a reinforced wooden door with his shoulder — not hard ramming, but first kicking the door fra to loosen it, then hitting the lock position.

The Combat Team mbers ford a circle around him, watching without blinking.

A few people from the Intelligence Team were practicing disguise in the corner — Amir was teaching them how to change their gait and posture to look like people of different professions: rchants should stand tall with chest out, slaves should lower their heads and hunch, craftsn should hold one hand loosely as if holding a tool.

Drusus from the Logistics Team was inventorying a pile of newly purchased supplies: linen, herbs, whetstones, ropes.

Two young n stood beside him learning accounting. Drusus counted while teaching: "One bundle of linen, twenty feet, unit price three copper coins, total price…"

Everything was advancing according to plan.

But it was still not fast enough.

Valerius's moves were faster than he had expected.

The tariff proposal would be voted on in the Senate next month. Before that, the dock could not have any chaos — otherwise Gracchus would be the first to use him as a scapegoat.

"Saxa."

Marcus turned around.

"Yes?"

Saxa was fiddling with her small knife.

"Tomorrow take two people, rent a house near Valerius's mansion for long-term surveillance. I want to know who he ets every day, where he goes, what he does — especially when he ets unfamiliar faces."

"Understood."

Saxa put the knife back into her sleeve. "How detailed do we need to watch?"

"Detailed enough to draw out his daily activity route."

Marcus said. "Also, be careful. Valerius is not Batiatus. He is more cunning, has more guards, and there may be hidden sentries in the mansion."

"Don't worry."

Saxa grinned. "I'm best at dealing with cunning people. Besides, with this face of mine, I don't look like soone who does bad things, right?"

She turned and left, her footsteps light and quick.

Marcus sat back at the desk, spread out a new sheet of sheepskin paper, dipped the pen in ink, and began writing a new plan.

Counter Valerius's conspiracy.

Consolidate control over the dock.

Expand the power of "Shadow" — still need to recruit more people, especially in intelligence.

Also guard against Gracchus possibly turning hostile at any ti — that guy is like a venomous snake. When he needs you, he smiles warmly. When he doesn't, he bites.

Outside the window, the sky was completely dark and the stars had co out.

In the training ground, the evening training had begun.

…

Three days later, the Senate's investigation team arrived at the dock.

They did not co quietly. They ca openly — two ornately decorated carriages, with eight cavalry guards in front and eight behind, marching grandly into the dock area and stopping in front of Marcus's small office.

The leader was an old senator nad Sextus. His hair was completely white, his back slightly hunched, but his eyes were sharp as knives.

He was a famous "clean stream" in the Senate, hating corruption and bribery the most, and despising underground dealings.

Gracchus sent him to investigate the dock riot, clearly intending to borrow a knife to kill — if Marcus had problems, Sextus would not be rciful.

If Valerius had problems, Sextus would not cover for him either.

This was a hot potato.

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