Chapter 71 71
"He ran in which direction?"
"How would I know that?"
The old man shook his head. "But Old Limp has a woman, Marta, who works at the laundry in the south of the city. If he ran, he might go find Marta for money."
Laundry.
Marcus finished the rest of his wine, stood up, and left.
Back at the training ground, he immediately called Amir over.
"Take two people to the laundry in the south of the city. Look for a woman named Marta and ask about Old Limp Cassius's whereabouts. Be careful — Valerius's people are probably looking for him too."
"Understood!"
As soon as Amir left, Octavius returned with a grave expression.
"Boss, something's happened."
"Speak."
"I was staking out the 'Wild Boar Tavern' today and saw Titus go to meet Scarface again."
Octavius said, "They went into the inner room. I couldn't hear clearly, but I saw Titus give Scarface a piece of paper. After Scarface read it, his face changed. He burned the paper."
"What paper?"
"Didn't see clearly, but when Scarface burned it, I saw a mark on it —"
Octavius gestured. "Round, with a triangle in the middle."
Marcus frowned.
He had never seen this mark before.
"Then what?"
"Then Titus left. Scarface sat in the tavern for a long time and drank quite a bit."
Octavius said. "Finally he came out and headed north of the city."
North of the city?
Oak Manor was north of the city, and the pottery workshop was also north.
"You continued following?"
"I followed for a while, but he was very cautious and circled several times. I lost him."
Octavius looked a little ashamed. "But I saw the direction he disappeared in… toward the pottery workshop."
The pottery workshop.
Marcus.
Gracchus's military equipment.
A terrible thought flashed through Marcus's mind.
Valerius had Scarface check the pottery workshop?
He wanted to get evidence of Gracchus's private military stockpile?
If so, then Scarface was now a double agent — openly working for Valerius, but actually doing things for Gracchus? Or the other way around?
"Where is Saxa?"
Marcus asked.
"Hasn't come back yet."
"Go find her. Tell her to immediately go stake out near the pottery workshop. If she sees Scarface, don't take action — just watch. I want to know what he's trying to do."
"Understood."
After Octavius left, Marcus paced in the office.
The situation was getting more and more complicated.
Valerius was investigating Gracchus's military equipment.
Gracchus was investigating Valerius's daughter's scandals.
He was caught in the middle, needing to clear his own murder suspicion while also helping Gracchus ruin Valerius.
Three days.
Only three days.
In the afternoon, news came from Lucretia's side.
"I got the list."
She placed a roll of sheepskin paper on the table. Her face looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes. She clearly hadn't slept either.
"The jasmine scent sold by 'Aroma Pavilion' in the past month — seven portions in total. The customer list is here."
Marcus unrolled the sheepskin paper and scanned it quickly.
Seven names: five noble ladies and two maids from senatorial mansions.
One name made his eyes stop —
"Livia Valerius."
Valerius's daughter.
"She bought some?"
Marcus asked.
"Twice."
Lucretia pointed at the record. "Once twenty days ago, once five days ago. Both times the quantity was not small — enough to last a long time."
"But she didn't need to buy it herself, right? She could have sent a maid."
"That's the problem."
Lucretia said. "Livia usually does send maids, but these two times she went personally. The shop steward said she was very particular and even asked about the formula for the fixative."
Marcus frowned.
Valerius's daughter personally buying perfume and asking about the formula? A bit strange.
"Can you find out who she met on those two days?"
"I'll try."
"Livia often attends tea parties with noble young ladies. I still have some acquaintances in those circles."
"Be careful."
After Lucretia left, Amir returned with bad news.
"Marta is missing."
Amir said. "The people at the laundry said she asked for leave yesterday afternoon, claiming there was something going on in her hometown. But I checked — Marta has no hometown. She was sold to Capua as a child."
"Taken away?"
"Possibly."
Amir's face looked ugly. "There were signs of a fight in the alley behind the laundry, and bloodstains on the wall."
Marcus clenched his fist.
One step too late.
Old Limp Cassius and his woman Marta had both disappeared.
They were very likely already dead.
The only eyewitness was gone.
"Keep looking."
Marcus said. "I want him alive or his corpse."
"Understood."
When the sky was almost dark, Saxa returned, covered in mud but with bright eyes.
"I found something."
She said. "Scarface did go near the pottery workshop this afternoon, but he didn't go inside. He just circled around a few times and left. But while I was watching, I discovered something else —"
She took out a small cloth bundle from her bosom, opened it, and inside was a bronze badge.
The badge was already rusted, but the pattern was still visible: an eagle clutching lightning.
"This is…"
Marcus frowned.
"A badge from the northern legions."
Saxa said. "I found it in the ditch behind the pottery workshop, stuck in a crack between stones. It was probably accidentally dropped by someone transporting the military equipment."
Northern legions.
Gracchus's military equipment came from the "phased out" stock of the northern legions.
"Also,"
Saxa lowered her voice. "I snuck into the workshop and looked. Some of the military equipment… is missing."
"How much is missing?"
"About ten swords and five shields."
Saxa said. "I counted. The numbers don't match what we saw last time. Either Marcus sold some secretly, or… they were moved."
Moved?
Why move them? Afraid of being discovered?
Or… did Gracchus have another plan?
Marcus picked up the badge and weighed it in his hand.
It wasn't heavy, but it felt heavy on his heart.
"Go rest first."
He said to Saxa. "There may be action tonight."
"What action?"
"Looking for someone."
Marcus said. "'Viper' Theodorus. Gracchus said he knows Livia's scandals."
Saxa's eyes lit up. "Do you know where he is?"
"I don't, but someone might."
Marcus said. "Although Nodus's training ground has fallen, some of those gladiators are still alive. Find someone familiar and ask."
"I'll go."
Saxa said. "I'm good at this kind of thing."
"Be careful."
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