Thinking about Tillus and his parents, Marcus and Livia soon shifted the conversation to another issue. Their own future.
"Without Iulius's support we will have to lower our standards a bit. The few coins I earn from the pottery can't buy much. There will be much less fancy food like ham or olives in the future."
Although Livia said this, Marcus knew what she was really hinting at. So far, his parents have supported him a lot. They even made sure he received some basic education which was not par for the course in the empire. However, Marcus had recently turned sixteen. He was now a fully grown adult. It was time for him to step up.
"Don't worry, mom. I won't let you suffer. You know I have not been slacking off lately. I have been making connections and chances are good that Edil Energus will give me a position under him. If I perform well, I will have a strong foundation to rise to better positions in the future…"
Marcus wore a proud smile as he said this. The position of Edil was not low in the empire's administration. They were responsible for local infrastructure, justice, and had many officials below them. Gaining the favor of an Edil was a great start to a career in administration. This had always been Marcus's goal. He wanted to work towards a position where he could bring real change. His ambitions were not low. If he were from a noble family, he would aim directly for the seat of senator.
However, Marcus could see that his mother's expression was not good. He was somewhat confused. Previously when he talked about his goals, Livia never showed such a reaction. When Marcus stopped, Livia took a deep breath and said something shocking:
"Marcus, why don't you consider joining the army?"
Instantly Marcus's eyes shot wide open as he raised his voice:
"The army?! Why would I go there after father just lost his life?!"
"Joining the army is an honor, Marcus! Your father sacrificed his life so we could live in prosperity and safety. As his son if you could continue his legacy, he would certainly be very proud."
"Mother…"
Marcus choked on his words. Of course, he knew about his mother's admiration for the army, but he couldn't believe she would say such words. His father just died and now she wanted to send him to death as well?!
"Mother, don't you understand that those are only the senate's lies? All that talks about honor, safety, prosperity. Isn't it just so they find more people who willingly risk their life?!"
"Watch what you say, Marcus! Our proud empire is built on the backs of the brave man risking their lives every day! How else could we grow from a single city to the biggest empire in the world? While others are travelling on rough paths, we have paved roads. While others dispose of their waste on the streets, we have a sewage system! While others can only settle along rivers, we have majestic aqueducts! How do you think we could accomplish all of this?"
"Of course I know this. But those are deeds of the past. Our current campaigns are meaningless sacrifices. The only reason we are conquering new territories is so the senate can plunder its riches. They are decadent and don't care for the people. Mother, if I rise in the administration, I can really change things. Even without sacrificing brave men there is much we can improve in the empire!"
"So you really don't want to honor your father's sacrifice? Don't you want to take revenge on those barbarians in the north?"
"Mother! How can you say something like that?!"
Marcus felt as if his mother had twisted a knife in his stomach. Didn't she imply that he doesn't care about his father's death?! At that moment Marcus couldn't continue the conversation.
"I need some fresh air."
Dropping those words Marcus stood up and left the house. Outside, he first took a deep breath before wandering aimlessly through the city. His thoughts replayed the conversation over and over. Unconsciously he reached the forum. At this point the previous obelisk had already been carried away to be stored and honored in the temple. Only yesterday's obelisk with Iulius's name on it remained until there were enough sacrifices to warrant a new Monument of the Fallen. And the cycle would continue…
Marcus let out a sigh. The noise of a crowd reached his ears. He knew it was the registration point for the army, which was not far from the forum. At this moment young men would stream towards it, signing up to 'defend the empire'. And his mother wanted him to be one of them. Marcus loved his mother. Usually, he would follow her wishes. But this time it was different.
The young man looked down his own body. Thin, with little muscle. Not especially tall. In the past he trained some sword fighting with Iulius, but his father soon had to admit that his son wasn't talented. This was also part of the reason why his parents made sure Marcus would get some education so he could get a good job in the future. Yet now it all seemed to be useless.
Well, to be fair to his parents, when Marcus was young the empire was in a rare period of peace. The army only defended the borders. There was not that much need for new recruits and even someone like Iulius had a lot of free time. But it all changed when the senate decided that the empire should not only dominate the land but also the water.
A few years ago, foreign bandits succeeded in some raids on the empire by leveraging their fast ships to come and go like the wind. Before the empire could react, those bandits had already escaped. The losses they caused were almost negligible in front of the vast empire. Yet the senate used those raids as justification to form a mighty fleet for the empire.
The construction of the fleet was already progressing nicely even before someone suggested that the trees growing in the northern Dark Lands would be great building material. And since it was only natural for the empire to always want the best, Emperor Gaius IV and the senate both decided to launch a campaign towards the north.
This was the official story. However, there were some unsavory rumors going around. It is said that the fleet isn't built to defend against raids. The real reason is that the senate is jealous of counties like Phinicia who dominate the sea trade, earning unimaginable riches. Marcus was quite inclined to believe that. If it was only about defending against raids, there would be no need to build heavy vessels able to traverse the sea. Instead, fast ships which could patrol the coast would be more efficient.
"Marcus!"
A shout suddenly snapped Marcus out of his thoughts. He looked around and saw a few familiar young men standing in the shadow of a popular bathhouse. They were three men, two were around Marcus's age while one was a few years older and seemed to the leader of the group. He was a handsome man with short black hair wearing a white robe of nice quality. This was Petrus. He and the others learned under the same mentor as Marcus.
Seeing Marcus walk over, Petrus frowned:
"Marcus, what's up? You don't look so good. Is it because of the registration over there?"
Petrus pointed with his chin towards the other side of the plaza they were standing on. It was where the army was currently registering new recruits.
Marcus stopped in front of his friends and took a deep breath.
"You're not far off. My father died in the last campaign. His name was announced yesterday."
Everyone was shocked. Marcus's friends patted his shoulders, offering condolences. They could see that there was pain in Marcus's eyes, but the young man tried not to show anything on his face.
"This is horrible. And the same people who killed your father are now over there finding new men to send to their deaths!"
"I hate them so much!"
"And there is nothing we can do but watch… for now!"
All of Marcus's friends expressed their indignation. It could be seen that they shared his views on this campaign to the north and the army in general. This was not surprising as they were all influenced by their mentor.
"But now my mother wants me to join the army to take revenge on those who killed my father…", revealed Marcus. Petrus instantly exclaimed:
"No! You can't do that, Marcus! The north is a death trap. Your life is too valuable. Weren't you trying to work for Edil Energus? This is where your future should lie. There you can make an actual impact!"
"Yes, Petrus is right."
"Exactly. Your life takes priority!"
Marcus listened to his friends and felt strengthened in his conviction. Perhaps he should go against his mother's wish just this once…