"The benevolent Crassus has drastically lowered the price of Palmolive for all Roman citizens!"

  "Now you can use plenty of Palmolive without worrying about the cost!"

  "Crassus's goal is to ensure every Roman citizen can use the divine Palmolive to their heart's content! Where else could you find a man more benevolent?"

  The Forum was bustling with criers shouting advertisements at the top of their lungs.

  They were all professional criers hired by Crassus.

  As they heard the criers' words, people passing through the Forum began talking heatedly.

  "The price of Palmolive really has dropped a lot. At first, it was so expensive I couldn't even dream of affording it."

  "Back then, it was a struggle just to find a bathhouse that had any left in stock. It has gotten easier to find lately."

  "By the way, have you heard the news? According to a report from Hispania, simply using Palmolive can prevent many diseases."

  "Is that really true?"

  Between Caesar's report to the Senate and Crassus's unprecedented price cut, Palmolive had become a necessity for many Romans within just a few months of its debut.

  But not everyone welcomed this new trend in Rome.

  ***

  "At this rate, we'll all go bankrupt without seeing a single coin!"

  "Lucius Caesar, didn't you orchestrate this whole thing?!"

  The angry publicani pointed at me. They couldn't hide their panic and anxiety.

  They had invested a considerable amount of money to enter the Palmolive business. To be exact, they had paid me a fortune for the construction of water wheels.

  "What do you mean I orchestrated this?"

  What does Crassus cutting his prices in half have to do with me?

  "Lucius Caesar, are you not running the insurance business together with Crassus?"

  One of them said, setting down his wine cup.

  "You lured us into investing in water wheels, and then used Crassus to lower the market price of Palmolive to drive us all into bankruptcy, didn't you?"

  "You intended to buy our factories for a pittance once we went bankrupt! Everything is clear now!"

  The accusations came pouring out as if they had rehearsed them.

  I had to admit that stung a little.

  It was true that I intended to acquire their factories cheaply if they went bankrupt.

  But I didn't want a situation like this.

  "You're already trying to delay or cancel construction of the water wheels."

  I placed both hands on the table.

  "How could this situation possibly benefit me? Crassus is helping me with insurance, not Palmolive. I was completely unaware of this matter as well."

  A long silence fell.

  They probably all realized that my explanation made sense.

  But understanding something and accepting it are two different things. Since this happened right after they accepted the water wheel proposal, their suspicion was reasonable.

  "So what are you trying to sell us this time, Lucius Caesar?"

  One man leaned forward.

  "It's a lifeline for all of you."

  "A lifeline?"

  "Crassus has cut the price of Palmolive by half. If so, you have no choice but to lower your prices to match his."

  "But that's basically handing money to the citizens. To sell Palmolive below the cost of production is insane!"

  "I know that. But it's not like there is no way out at all."

  With all eyes on me, I slowly opened my mouth.

  "There's another option. You can use my brand."

  "Your brand... Do you mean the Caesar crest?"

  "Don't tell me you're trying to acquire us..."

  "It is not an acquisition proposal. You will be able to maintain your businesses, after all."

  I continued my explanation.

  Actually, by 21st-century standards, my proposal wasn't that strange.

  A franchise contract.

  In exchange for providing my Palmolive production method, raw materials, and brand name, I would receive a percentage of the profits.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Coca-Cola was a good example.

  When Coca-Cola headquarters provided the concentrate and syrup, local partners around the world handled production and distribution of the finished product.

  Using this bottler network, Coca-Cola was able to conquer the global market in a short time.

  One brand, one product.

  One vision, one purpose.

  Hmm, I think I've heard that last part somewhere before.

  But in this era, the idea was bound to feel unfamiliar.

  The very idea of licensing a brand to someone else was novel.

  "Roman citizens trust my Palmolive brand. Even if they have to pay a higher price, they prefer my Palmolive over Crassus's."

  "And you are saying you will allow us to use that brand. On the condition that we share a portion of the profits."

  As expected, the publicani grasped my proposal surprisingly quickly.

  "Of course, I will provide the raw materials and the production method. All Caesar Palmolive must be of identical quality."

  If low-quality products were distributed, it would only ruin my brand's reputation.

  The publicani whispered among themselves, exchanging opinions.

  "Could you give us a moment to think?"

  "Of course."

  After several tense minutes, finally one of them approached me.

  "I am sorry, but I do not think we can accept your proposal, Lucius Caesar."

  ***

  "Why did those fellows reject your proposal, Young Master?"

  Felix sighed as he handed me a cup of wine.

  After the publicani left, Felix and I held a strategy meeting in my room.

  "If they used your brand, Young Master, they could sell the same Palmolive at a higher price, couldn't they? That would let them survive Crassus's price war. Accepting your proposal was the rational choice."

  "It would have been far more rational than paying a penalty to cancel the water wheel."

  I nodded.

  From a purely rational standpoint, the publicani's decision made no sense.

  Choosing to take the loss outright rather than sign a franchise contract with me made no sense.

  But I understood it to some extent.

  "The timing of this incident was too coincidental. The publicani think Crassus and I joined hands."

  Following the water wheel construction, Crassus's discount offensive, and now this franchise proposal.

  They must have thought all of this was a trap aimed at them.

  They wanted to wash their hands of the whole matter and get out before it was too late.

  "Then what should we do now?"

  "For now, we have no choice but to face Crassus on our own. In any case, we still have enough margin to hold out, so..."

  At that moment, my mother, Cornelia, entered the room.

  "Lucius, you have a guest."

  "A guest?"

  "It's a messenger from Crassus. A slave named Pollio; he said he came to deliver his master's proposal."

  Pollio? Wasn't he Crassus's personal secretary?

  Why did Crassus send him?

  When I stepped out into the atrium, I saw him standing to one side.

  He wore a tunic so refined and neat that it was hard to believe he was a slave.

  "Sir Caesar."

  "So you've brought a message from your master?"

  "Yes, he asked me to convey that he was satisfied with the insurance business. He said he didn't expect to recover his investment this quickly."

  "Tell him he'll make plenty of profit in the future as well."

  Crassus probably isn't entirely happy about it.

  He likely thought about seizing the insurance business if I failed to turn a profit.

  Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen.

  "The fact that you are here means your master has something to say to me. Please, sit comfortably."

  "Thank you."

  It was rare for a Patrician noble to personally receive a slave like this.

  But it was a different story for Crassus's personal secretary.

  As the saying goes, if you're going to serve, it's better to serve in a great house.

  "Sir Crassus recently cut the price of Palmolive in half. May I ask why?"

  "My master wishes for every Roman citizen to be able to use Palmolive without worry. Didn't the report from Elder Caesar in Hispania make that clear?"

  Pollio shrugged.

  "Using the divine Palmolive can also prevent diseases. This is all thanks to you, Lucius Caesar, who received a revelation from the Goddess Vesta. My Master simply wishes to share that benefit with as many Roman citizens as possible."

  "Selling Palmolive cheaply for the sake of the Roman people, is that it?"

  Even a newborn baby wouldn't believe that.

  To think Crassus, of all people, made such a decision for the sake of the Roman citizens.

  "And to achieve that dream, my Master wishes to make a proposal to you, sir Caesar."

  "Speak."

  Finally getting to the point.

  This proposal must be Crassus's true intention.

  "Wouldn't it benefit the Roman people more to have one stable brand rather than dozens of Palmolive sellers competing chaotically?"

  "So sir Crassus wishes to merge our brands. Like we did with the insurance business."

  "Yes. If we create a Crassus-Caesar brand, more efficient Palmolive production and distribution will become possible. You would also be able to earn greater profits than you do now."

  Certainly, that would generate far more profit than I make now.

  We could establish low, mid, and high-end product lines.

  A single monopolistic brand would come to dominate Rome's Palmolive market.

  Was this what Crassus aimed for from the beginning?

  To crush the other competitors with a price war and then merge with me, the only one left, to solidify a monopoly.

  After that, he could raise the price of Palmolive as much as he wanted.

  He could quickly make up for the current losses.

  Joining hands with Crassus again, huh?

  It wasn't a bad proposal for me either.

  "Please tell your master that I am truly sorry, but I cannot accept that proposal."

  Pollio furrowed his brow.

  "May I ask the reason?"

  "It's simple. It's for the sake of the Roman citizens."

  I replied calmly.

  When I started the insurance business, I didn't have a proper foundation.

  Receiving help from Crassus, who had a fire brigade, wasn't a bad choice.

  But now it was different.

  Palmolive was a market I had personally pioneered and grown.

  It would be one thing if he were merely taking a seat at a table, but it's another matter if he's trying to take the whole table for himself.

  And a Crassus-Caesar brand?

  If it were Caesar-Crassus, maybe. But I had no reason to bow my head first.

  If I obediently accepted the proposal now, the same thing would repeat in the future.

  Whenever I pioneered a new business, Crassus would simply use his overwhelming wealth to snatch it away.

  I stepped up to protect the Caesar family and my loved ones, not to work myself to the bone just to fatten Crassus's purse.

  Now was the time to draw a line.

  "Please convey this to sir Crassus. I am sincerely grateful for the generous proposal, but..."

  I said as I stood up.

  "For the sake of the Roman citizens, 'healthy' competition is necessary."

  ***

  After Crassus cut the price of Palmolive in half, shops in Rome scrambled to put Crassus Palmolive on their shelves.

  "All citizens will surely want to use the cheaper Palmolive."

  "Crassus Palmolive will sell like crazy now."

  Their prediction was correct.

  The poorer plebeians, living day to day, bought Crassus Palmolive.

  But then something happened that the shopkeepers hadn't expected.

  "Doesn't it seem like Caesar Palmolive is still selling?"

  "No, if anything, it seems to be selling even better lately."

  Sales of Caesar Palmolive didn't fall.

  No, they were actually increasing.

  "How on earth is this happening?"

  "Maybe people prefer the pricier Palmolive. Wouldn't they want something more refined than what beggars use?"

  People naturally think that if it's expensive, the quality is better.

  And Lucius Caesar was, after all, the man who had personally received a revelation from the goddess Vesta.

  But that alone couldn't explain the success of Caesar Palmolive.

  What the merchants didn't know was that a new sentiment was spreading among the Roman people.

  It was love for the Roman Republic.

  It was patriotism.

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