Many believe that Gaius Julius Caesar was the first Emperor of Rome.

  However, that was a misconception.

  Caesar certainly shook the foundations of the Republic by ascending to the position of Dictator for Life.

  But he did not completely abolish the Senate, and he maintained the existing ranks and order of the state.

  So, who was the actual first Emperor of Rome?

  That was the baby currently resting in my arms. Octavian.

  A figure better known by the title Augustus. In the original timeline, he was Caesar’s adopted son and the man who became the first Roman Emperor.

  Octavian used the title Princeps (First Citizen) to hollow out the Roman Republic, leaving only a shell as he transformed it into an Empire.

  And that political monster was currently cradled in my arms.

  "It’s been a while. Have you been well, Octavian?"

  The baby smiled broadly and squeezed my finger.

  "My son really does adore Lucius."

  "They must share a connection of some sort."

  Atia and my mother chatted happily.

  The two had been close friends since I was a child.

  Unlike the tense standoff with Servilia just moments ago, the atmosphere here felt nothing but warm.

  "Well then, let's hurry to the triclinium. The guests will get tired of waiting. You come quickly too, Lucius."

  "Yes, mother."

  I walked on, still holding Octavian in my arms.

  Gaius Octavius Thurinus.

  I intended to become this child's patron.

  The monster with genius-level political and administrative acumen that swallowed Rome in the original history.

  What fate would Octavian walk in this world?

  "I'll take good care of you, Octavian."

  Whether he understood my meaning or not, little Octavian simply smiled and gripped my hand tighter.

  ***

  "I still don't quite understand," Felix said the day after the banquet.

  The banquet hosted by my mother had ended with great success.

  The newly unveiled 'Roser Palmolive' had garnered massive attention, and rumors were spreading like wildfire among the noblewomen of Rome.

  It was a new Palmolive exclusively for ladies of high status.

  This divine Palmolive was different from the ordinary stuff commoners used.

  Despite the jaw-droppingly high price, Roser Palmolive was not easy to acquire.

  It was given as a gift or sold only to women with connections to the Caesar family, specifically to my mother.

  Even after the banquet, Cornelia continued to supply Roser Palmolive to a select few women.

  As the rumors spread, countless noblewomen were now trying to curry favor with her.

  "Isn't it just Palmolive with a different scent and color? Why are so many noble ladies bowing their heads to the Mistress just to get their hands on it?"

  "The answer is simpler than you think, Felix."

  I answered with a smile.

  There was a term for this: the Veblen Effect.

  Regardless of the society, the upper class always wants to distinguish themselves from the commoners.

  "That’s why they wear expensive silk robes bought from the East and hire countless slaves to build massive houses."

  To the upper class, the true value or cost-effectiveness of an item was irrelevant.

  What mattered wasn’t value—it was that the item set them apart.

  For the wealthy, raising the price of an item can sometimes make it even more popular.

  "So, we need to keep the price of this Roser Palmolive as high as possible. If it becomes too common in the market, it will lose its magic."

  "At times like this, it feels like you can look right into people's minds, Young Master."

  Felix spoke with a look that suggested he was fed up with my scheming.

  In truth, I didn't figure all this out on my own.

  This was information gathered by countless psychologists and advertising experts over more than a hundred years.

  All I did was adapt it slightly adapting it to fit Rome in this era.

  No matter how much time passes, human psychology doesn't change.

  "Now that the banquet is over, let's focus on the technical school."

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  A specialized school to train technicians and engineers.

  The basic preparations were already complete.

  Thanks to the money ripped from the publicani, we didn't have to worry about funds for a while.

  We had acquired a new insula to use as the school building, and we had already selected the teachers and necessary materials.

  The central figure for this would be Vitruvius.

  He had already proven his capabilities through the installation of the water wheel.

  "As I mentioned before, the only way to promote the school is to hire criers," Felix said.

  "We should hire as many criers as possible to advertise in the Forum. Just like when we first introduced insurance."

  "For now, that seems to be the only way."

  There weren't many other options in Rome at this time.

  It wasn't like I could post an ad on the internet.

  The Forum was almost the only place where one could get everyone's attention.

  Having made that decision, Felix and I immediately started preparations.

  However, one person put the brakes on this plan.

  "Advertising like that will lead to a catastrophe."

  It was none other than the man who would be the center of the technical school.

  Vitruvius.

  ***

  "Why can't we advertise in the Forum?"

  Felix crossed his arms and stared at Vitruvius.

  This was the first time the two of them had been in a standoff like this.

  They seemed to get along well when we were building the Palmolive factory.

  I kept my mouth shut and listened to their conversation.

  "I fully support the technical school proposed by the sir Caesar. Until now, the only way for young technicians to learn skills was through a master or the collegia."

  Collegia referred to associations of colleagues, essentially guilds.

  They collected dues to support funeral costs for members or helped each other during difficult times.

  "The technical school will teach skills to newcomers without connections and simultaneously cultivate the talent needed for sir Caesar's businesses."

  "Then why do you oppose promoting the school?"

  "If we advertise in the Forum like that, we'll attract nothing but riffraff with no passion."

  Vitruvius continued.

  His argument was quite simple, clear, and logical.

  "This new school offers a living stipend to students just for receiving education. And if they pass the exams afterwards, we even provide them with a stable job."

  "So?"

  "Then even those with absolutely no passion for engineering or technology will blindly apply," Vitruvius said.

  "They'll apply just to get that easy money. Sorting them out from the serious candidates won't be an easy task."

  "And it will cost that much more money and time."

  I nodded.

  He had a point.

  The conditions I put forward were too good to ignore.

  Not just those with ability, talent, and passion, but countless people could apply simply for the money.

  Even if we filtered them out through exams, it would undoubtedly consume a significant amount of resources.

  "But there is no other way," Felix said, his tone still sharp. "Don't we need to advertise to get applicants in the first place?"

  "There is another way," Vitruvius replied. "We introduce a recommendation process."

  A recommendation process.

  I had a rough idea of what he was proposing.

  "We accept talent recommended by those already employed by Caesar's company, or by other technicians. That way, we can filter for individuals who truly have talent and passion."

  "But that will take too long," Felix countered while I remained silent. "You'd have to contact countless technicians to get recommendations, then contact the recommended people again to test them, wouldn't you? That's even more inefficient."

  "It might take a little longer, but in the long run, it's the more efficient method."

  Neither Felix nor Vitruvius was backing down.

  In the tense atmosphere, I fell into thought.

  Both of them made valid points.

  Felix's method would allow us to make the technical school known to a broad audience. The pool of talent would be wider.

  But the process of filtering the applicants was the problem.

  Conversely, Vitruvius's proposal would secure reliable talent from the start.

  But we wouldn't be able to recruit many applicants.

  Also, it would definitely take longer to gather sufficient manpower.

  So, whose side should I take?

  "Young Master."

  "Sir Caesar."

  The two men, who had been debating fiercely, turned their heads to look at the same time.

  "What do you think?"

  Why do I always end up in these situations?

  If I were stuck between beautiful women, that would be one thing, but I’d really prefer to skip mediating fights between grown men.

  Instead of answering, I shook my head.

  I needed to think a little more.

  What would be the efficient method in this situation?

  Both proposals were persuasive enough.

  If only I could combine the two...

  "There might be another way."

  "Pardon?"

  The two asked in unison.

  "Another way? What do you mean by that?"

  "Both of you, follow me."

  I said as I stood up from my chair.

  Why hadn't I thought of this before?

  ***

  Even after Palmolive shook up Rome, the insurance business was still thriving.

  Countless Roman citizens had signed up for fire insurance, and with Crassus's fire brigade deployed, fire damage had decreased dramatically.

  While Palmolive had improved cleanliness, insurance was the business that had directly changed the citizens' lives.

  But insurance didn't just end there.

  I walked past the reception desk, which was crowded with customers.

  We headed to the third floor.

  This was where the insurance records were kept.

  It was a place where literate freedmen and free citizen employees managed the documents.

  As the number of customers grew, some records were being stored in other insulae, but the information I was looking for was right here.

  The employees were busily moving about, organizing papyri and recording information.

  "Every time I see this place, I feel like there’s as much papyrus here as in the Temple of Saturn," Vitruvius remarked, looking around at the stacks filling the floor.

  The Temple of Saturn was a sort of state treasury where Rome stored its gold and silver.

  Of course, I heard that these days they were running out of space and storing things in the basements of other temples too.

  "But why did we come here? The insurance business doesn't seem to have much to do with school."

  "This might change your mind."

  Saying that, I called over one of the employees.

  "Bring me a section of the insurance subscriber list."

  A moment later, the employee brought a sheet of papyrus.

  When I unrolled the papyrus, the subscriber information was visible.

  Names and insured buildings.

  Even the monthly premiums.

  In Rome, the censors usually conducted the census.

  But the information we were collecting was far more detailed and accurate than that.

  The really important part of this data was something else.

  I pointed to one side of the papyrus with my finger.

  "What do you think this is?"

  "This is..."

  Both Vitruvius and Felix looked surprised.

  A single heading sat beside the names: Occupation.

  I ran my finger down the long list of trades on the papyrus.

  Masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, shipwrights, and more.

  The whereabouts of artisans tucked into every alley and corner of Rome—here, in the palm of my hand.

  I looked at the two of them and grinned.

  “With this, we can find almost every skilled craftsman in Rome.”

  Rome’s finest were already within my grasp.

  When I first started writing this story six years ago, I did a ton of research on Rome—and I genuinely enjoyed the whole process.

  

  I’m truly glad I decided to remake/translate this story—it brought my passion for Rome back, and it also lets me share that passion with all of you.