Sparta: Many childrens, Many Blessings, Starting from the Gladiator Chapter 75 75

Leaving the tax office, Marcus returned to the training ground.

The sky was already bright, and morning training was underway in the courtyard.

Gisco was leading the Combat Team in shield formation practice, their battle cries shaking the air.

Amir's Intelligence Team was preparing to head out. When they saw him return, they gathered around.

"Boss, there's progress."

Amir said. "We have a lead on Old Limp Cassius."

"Where?"

"In the slums north of the city. He has a distant nephew living there. Soone saw him go there yesterday."

Amir paused. "But the terrain is complicated. We didn't dare act rashly."

"Take there."

"Now?"

"Now."

Marcus called Octavius. The three changed into plain clothes and headed north of the city.

The slum was outside Capua's city wall, a spontaneously ford shantytown inhabited by the poorest people — escaped slaves, bankrupt farrs, disabled veterans.

The roads were muddy paths. Houses were made of wooden boards and rags. The air was filled with the sll of excrent, urine, and rot.

Amir led the way, twisting and turning through the alleys, and finally stopped in front of a shack.

The shack was very low. The door was a tattered cloth curtain. Inside it was pitch black.

"This is the place."

Amir said softly.

Marcus lifted the curtain, bent down, and entered.

It slled even worse inside than outside.

Dry grass was spread on the floor. In the corner, a person was curled up, wrapped in a ragged blanket, trembling.

Hearing the noise, the person raised his head — it was indeed Old Limp Cassius. His face was gaunt and unrecognizable, eyes sunken, full of fear.

"Don't… don't kill …"

He shrank back into the corner.

"I won't kill you."

Marcus squatted down, took out two flatbreads from his bosom, and handed them over. "Eat."

Cassius stared at the flatbreads, swallowed hard, but didn't take them.

"Eat. There's no poison."

Marcus broke off a piece himself and put it in his mouth.

Only then did Cassius snatch the flatbreads and wolf them down.

But he ate too fast and started choking, stretching his neck.

Marcus handed him a water skin. He gulped several big mouthfuls and finally caught his breath.

"You… who are you?"

He looked at the three of them warily.

"The people who will save you."

Marcus said. "Scarface is looking for you. He wants to kill you to silence you."

Cassius's face turned white.

"I know… I know too much… That evening, I saw Scarface and his n kill Lucius at the dock… I was hiding behind a water barrel. They didn't see …"

"Did Lucius talk to a limp man before he died?"

Marcus asked.

"Yes… there was a limp man, wearing a cloak. Couldn't see his face clearly."

Cassius recalled. "They argued for a bit. Lucius pushed the limp man and cursed him as a 'traitor who eats from one side but works for the other.' Then Scarface and his n ca…"

"What about the limp man afterwards?"

"He ran. Scarface's n chased him but didn't catch him."

Marcus quickly analyzed in his mind.

The limp man was the key.

He knew Lucius and probably knew Scarface too.

Lucius called him a "traitor who eats from one side but works for the other," which ant the limp man used to work for Lucius and later betrayed him.

Who could it be?

"What other features did the limp man have?"

Marcus asked. "Besides the limp, anything else?"

"He… he was missing a little finger on his left hand."

Cassius said. "When they were fighting, his cloak lifted a bit and I saw it. His left hand only had four fingers."

Missing a little finger.

This feature was easy to rember.

Marcus noted it and asked again: "Did you see anything else?"

"No… that's all I saw. Then I ran away as fast as I could."

Cassius grabbed Marcus's arm. "My lord, save … I don't want to die…"

"I'll arrange a safe place for you."

Marcus stood up. "But before that, you have to do one thing for ."

"What thing?"

"Write a testimony."

Marcus said. "Write down everything you saw, exactly as it happened, and put your fingerprint on it. After you finish, I'll send you to a place where Scarface can't find you."

Cassius hesitated.

"If you don't write it, I'll hand you over to Scarface right now."

Marcus's face turned cold.

"I'll write! I'll write!"

Amir took out the charcoal pencil and papyrus he carried with him. Cassius lay on the ground and wrote crookedly.

He didn't know many characters, but he wrote the key parts clearly: ti, location, people involved, Scarface killing Lucius, and taking the seal.

After finishing, he added his fingerprint.

Marcus put away the testimony and nodded to Octavius. "Take him away. Go to Leta's fishing house. Tell her I sent him and have her hide him well."

"Understood."

Octavius picked up Cassius — the old man was as light as a bundle of firewood — and left through the back door.

Marcus and Amir also left the shack and headed back.

On the way, Amir asked softly: "Boss, with the testimony, can we clear the suspicion?"

"It's not enough."

Marcus shook his head. "We still need to find that limp man and the seal. The seal is the key — Lucius was carrying it when he died. It must be very important."

"A limp man missing a little finger…"

Amir thought for a mont. "I think I have so impression… There's an ironsmith in the west of the city. He used to be a gladiator. Missing a finger on his left hand and has a limp leg. Later he stopped blacksmithing. No one knows what he's doing now."

"What's his na?"

"I think it's… Draco. Yes, Draco. Ca from Nodus training ground. After he got injured, he retired."

Nodus training ground.

Again Nodus.

Marcus felt he was getting closer and closer to the truth.

"Find him, but be careful. He might be dangerous."

"Understood."

By the ti they returned to the training ground, it was already noon.

Marcus had just entered the gate when Saxa ca up to him, looking excited.

"We found Theodorus!"

"Where?"

"Leta's people just delivered him. He's hidden in the secret room in the fishing house."

Saxa said. "The kid is scared out of his mind. He thought we were going to kill him, so he confessed everything — he really had an affair with Livia, and not just once. They t privately three tis at a farm outside the city."

"Any evidence?"

"Yes."

Saxa took out a small bag from her bosom and poured out several items: a silk handkerchief embroidered with Livia's na initials;

A silver ring with "To my Viper" engraved inside;

And a letter with explicit content, signed by Livia.

Evidence enough to bring sha to the Valerius family.

"Well done."

Marcus put the items away. "Where is Theodorus now?"

"Locked up. Leta is watching him."

"Have him write a detailed testimony, including the ti, location, and what happened during each private eting. After he finishes, give him good food and drink. Don't let anything happen to him."

"Understood."

After Saxa left, Marcus returned to the office and laid out everything collected today piece by piece on the table.

He sat down and began writing a plan.

Tomorrow noon — et Titus at the Seagull Tavern.

Tomorrow afternoon — find the limp man Draco.

Tomorrow night — organize all the evidence and prepare for the counterattack in the Senate the day after tomorrow.

Ti was tight, but enough.

While he was writing, the door opened. Lucretia walked in with a strange look on her face.

"Marcus, I found the limp man."

"So fast?"

"By chance."

Lucretia sat down. "I found Fabius — the coachman from Valerius's mansion. He told that the mansion used to have a guard captain nad Draco. Missing a finger on his left hand and has a limp from an old injury. Three years ago he was expelled by Valerius for gambling debts."

"Where is he now?"

"He runs an underground gambling den in the west of the city."

Lucretia said. "But Fabius said Draco has recently reconnected with Valerius and seems to be doing so 'dirty work' for the senator."

Dirty work.

Like eting with Lucius and then leading Scarface to kill him?

"Address of the gambling den?"

"Yes."

Lucretia handed over a note. "But Marcus, you must be careful. Draco is no pushover. He has over a dozen thugs under him, and there are traps in the gambling den."

"I know."

Marcus put away the note. "Thank you, Lucretia."

Lucretia looked at him, wanting to say sothing but hesitating.

"What is it?"

Marcus asked.

"You…"

Lucretia bit her lip. "You must win. On Gracchus's side… Mira was in a bad state today. I asked her but she wouldn't say. But I feel sothing happened."

Marcus's heart tightened.

Mira had only told him the truth this morning. If her state was off now, had Gracchus noticed?

"I'll handle it."

He said. "Go back first. Be careful these few days too."

"Mmm."

After Lucretia left, Marcus couldn't sit still.

He needed to go to Gracchus's mansion to check on Mira.

But he couldn't go openly. He needed a reason.

While thinking, urgent footsteps ca from outside.

Gisco rushed in, his face pale.

"Boss, bad news!"

"Speak."

"Lord Gracchus sent people. He said… he said Mira was caught stealing and is going to be publicly whipped!"

Marcus stood up abruptly.

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