chapter 12 : Business and training

When Orion, Spartacus, Varro and the few other gladiators returned to the ludus, the gladiators who had not been selected welcomed them warmly.

 They congratulated each of them and did the same to Orion who was now the new champion of House Batiatus.

 Faced with him, the feelings of the other gladiators were mixed. For those who were at the arena today and saw his fight against Crixus, they had deep awe and utter respect for Orion.

 For some of the gladiators who remained at ludus, they were just happy for the new champion, they knew he was strong and would honor the ludus.

 Finally, for Crixus' friends such as Barca and the rest of the Gauls, they were not very happy.

After some people told them about the fight between Crixus and Orion, they started a rumor saying that the fight was rigged because Crixus would never have lost so easily.

 Orion for his part didn't care about all this commotion, he entered his dressing room where he found Zena sitting on the bed. When she saw him enter, she stood up and greeted him.

 "Welcome back master!"

 Orion: Hello sweetie, you can call me by my name if you want.

 Zena: No master, I don't want to be punished.

 Orion: (Sighs) It doesn't matter, we'll work on that. By the way, how do you know I'm your new master.

 Zena: In your absence, I returned to serve at the villa but the other slaves informed me that you had bought me.

 Orion: hum, so that's it...very good. You are hungry ?!

 Just as she wanted to answer, a guard knocked on her door telling Orion that Batiatus wanted to speak to him. He went out leaving Zena with food in the basket.

 Orion entered the villa where Naevia was waiting near the gates to take him to Batiatus who was waiting for him.

The lanista sat with a certain smile on his lips, he looked happy but also upset. Orion without even hesitating sat down and grabbed a bunch of grapes from the table before starting to nibble.

 Batiatus: Do you behave in my house as if you were at home!? Your status as the new champion of Capua does not allow you to do what you want AT MY HOME!! I SHOULD…(Orion interrupted)

 « Spare me your bullshit Batiatus. Where is my share of the winnings?! »

 Batiatus: INSOLENCE!!! I should make you

whipped for your insolence!

 Orion: You seem to forget that I am not one of your poor slaves Batiatus ! I'm your partner so please keep your voice down...look, I'm remaining polite and relaxed. Do like me !!

 Batiatus: We will be partners when you have honored your part of the agreement. Because of your antics the Magistrate left before your fight began. Where is the prestige of my ludus?!

 Orion: Your prestige is in the eyes and mouth of the public.

 Batiatus: The public?! I don't care about these less than nothing people!!

 Orion: Learn to think, dear associate! Your idiot magistrate is going to be overtaken by something inevitable, rumors from the public. Crixus, the mighty warrior and champion of Capua was defeated with insolent ease. If you paid attention to the audience you certainly noticed the silence caused by the progress of the fight.

 « As well as the appearance of the new champion of Capua! » Lucretia's voice was heard as she entered the room.

 Lucretia: Quintus, he's right, the public will carry your prestige! The rumor about Orion's beauty and strength, your new champion will bring this magistrate's ass back here and attract many more eyes here.

 Batiatus: I have to find a way to bring curious people back here to see you.

 Orion: I am your new champion, all you have to do is throw a party in my honor. Use my share of the winnings to contribute because your financial situation is not yet very stable.

 After these words, Orion left the room to return to his room. He was tired so he quickly cleaned himself up before returning to his bed after making sure Zena did the same.

 The next day, Salma brought Orion his food with Apollos guiding the cart. He took the opportunity to simply leave with them to introduce Zena to the others and ask the Spartans to train her in combat just like Salma and Sura, he did not want to maintain burdens.

 Marius informed Orion of their deal, apparently the blood of Venus was selling extremely well in Naples.

The distribution was small but the demands were great especially with the rich houses. Even Batiatus couldn't yet enjoy it because it was so expensive.

 Orion: How much are you selling our wine for?! Tell me how the first sales went.

 Marius: Well, at first I wanted to sell the little jar for 50 denarii but people started insulting me, one of them even tried to throw a stone at me but Ajax broke his arm and the jaw.

 Once the public had calmed down, I proceeded to distribute a small sample of the pure product to the rich and very little of the blood of Venus in normal wine to poorer people before leaving with the promise of returning the next day. .

 Orion: Not bad, not bad!!

 Marius: the next day when I arrived at the market, a large crowd was already waiting for me there. Everyone wanted to buy blood of Venus so I raised the price to 10 denarius for the small jar, I expected angry shouts but strangely the buyers were docile.

 I sold five small jars that day and two of them were sold to two travelers, one from Pompei and the other from Sinnuessa. After a few days, several merchants from the two cities came to Capua to buy our beverage. All this without counting the small doses sold to the less wealthy to dilute them in their own wine.

 Orion: How much for a dose to dilute?! Wait, that's why I see more and more people fucking on street corners. The brothels are really on fire right now.

 Marius: (laughing) it's exactly because of your wine and several people have become addicted to the blood of Venus in a few days, the dose ranges from five to 25 denarii. We only sell three times a week and it's been three weeks since we started selling.

 « You didn't tell him about the symbol we drew on the jars! » Celina's voice was heard as she entered the room with a serene smile. Orion looked at Marius curiously and the latter began to explain.

 Marius: Do you remember the mark you always left on your paintings?! These three circles linked in one line! Célina, my wise wife, had the idea of ​​reproducing them on the jars so that our products are identifiable.

 This time, Orion was impressed and especially by Celina's lively mind, he looked at Marius with disdain from the bottom up saying

 " You see ?! Maybe I would have been better off letting your wife manage our business! She's clearly smarter than you!"

 Marius: Repeat that a bit to see! I will sell your wine for less and less.

 Orion: You and I know very well that you cannot make such a move!

 Marius: Ah! And why ?!

 «You got a taste of seeing this business work and seeing people literally love what you sold! Your house will continue to be prosperous provided you sell well! » Orion said with a truly evil smile, all that was missing was a parchment and a quill as he said "Signs here!" to be the devil himself and Marius had the same smile now but rubbing his hands.

 Celina watched the two men's antics while laughing. She then thought of something and made a request to Orion.

 Her daughter Celia and her son literally worshiped Orion, even she had to admit that he is the most remarkable and brilliant man she has seen.

 She asked Orion if he could teach Marco his art of fighting and Celia her medicine and knowledge of herbs. Orion agreed, he truly loved these children, he considered this task an honor.

 For Marco, he asked Apollos and the other Greeks to give him preliminary training for three months before he took over. For Celia, he will start teaching his science in about a month.

 Celina thanked him sincerely before he went out to meet Sura. The beautiful Thracian gave him her best smile before congratulating him on his victory yesterday, Orion conveyed her husband's greetings to her before quickly changing the subject. He had asked Sura to find a certain person, Aurelia, Varro's wife.

 He had asked Sura to find her and offer her a position as a servant at Marius with a good salary.

Sura introduced herself to Aurelia as a servant of her husband's friend but the latter remained suspicious and Sura suggested that she go see Varro at the ludus in the days to come to reassure her.

 Orion: You did well Sura, thank you very much!

 Sura: Master, can I ask you a favor?!

 Orion: I'm listening.

 Sura: I would like to stay with my husband, please!

 Orion: And how?! Do you want to work in Batiatus' house?!

 Sura: I...I just want to be near him, we were separated for so long and it's entirely thanks to you that we found each other again. I know he is a slave now and his life will be in danger every time in the arena, that's why I want to stay close to him.

 He thought about it and tried to dissuade her from trying to stay there instead of just visiting but she insisted on his idea.

 Getting a woman in love to see reason was like drinking water while hoping to get drunk, it was impossible.

 That evening, Orion slept like a baby with his head buried in Salma's chest, he woke up in the early morning to do physical exercises and practice spearing with the Spartans who were already training when he wakes up.

 They did not fight with real spears but they were long rods of pure iron and very thick, they were heavy, much heavier than normal spears but they had almost no problem handling them because they have been training there ever since.

 Even though Sparta had lost its former glory during the Battle of Naxos against the Athenian fleet and their city had been falling into ruin for centuries, its inhabitants never lost their discipline and fighting spirit.

The spear had always been their weapon of choice and now any of them could easily crush any high level Hoplomach in the arena.

 A little later, Marco came to Apollos to begin his preliminary training in combat and Marius sat watching him with some pride and much expectation.

Orion came and sat near him and started munching on some fruit, they greeted each other and started chatting.

 Marius: Orion, over the last few days I've been thinking about something important.

 Orion: What then?!

 Marius: I want to resume my combat training! (he said while his gaze remained fixed on his son)

 Orion stood up, very interested in his friend's words. "This is a very good resolution! Why so suddenly?!" he asked amusedly.

 Marius: My son admires you so much, for him you are like a god and he wants to become like you, that's why he begged his mother to be trained by you. I'm not jealous of you my friend, I just want to be a role model for my son like you are too (he said with a certain glint in his eyes that Orion noticed)

 Orion: I understand and I completely agree with you!! Why don't you start preliminary training with your son and the Spartans?!

 Marius: So you're incapable of training your own friend personally?! Fake brother !!

 Orion stood up, « You think Spartans are weak?! These are fighters of a frightening level my friend, gods in human form! The only ones who have managed to get my blood flowing so far! » he said very seriously.

 « Forgive your friend Orion, he knows that Apollos, Stratos and Demiclas are warriors possessed by the gods themselves! However, he admires you even more and that is why he wants to be trained by you personally. » Celina's voice was heard as she walked out with Vaylin behind her.

 Marius: Woman…you…(Interrupted by Orion)

 « You…you admire me?! Marius…I didn't know I was your model, damn I'm so moved ! »

 Orion said pretending to cry to annoy his friend and it worked, they stood there arguing for the rest of the morning.

 Orion returned to the ludus in the afternoon with food, water and a jug of the blood of Venus in the cart accompanied by Stratos to whom he gave instructions before transporting everything to his lodge.

 « Look who's coming back! The illegitimate ludus champion who won in a fixed match!! » he heard someone say and looked at Barca who was the speaker With his tongue hurt it was really funny to listen to, he was sitting with Pietros, his lover who was massaging him and he still had his face marked from his last altercation with Orion who he looked at with hatred while as he spoke, some Gauls encouraged him behind.

 "The marks I have on your face and your missing teeth also come from an arranged match I think!" Orion replied mockingly.

 Barca: You took me by surprise, coward!! I will challenge you with my spear in my hand and on the sand of the arena, we will see if you will still be proud when...

 Orion sighed before leaving, shaking his head without Barca finishing his sentence, he came out later with his bodybuilding tools and began his intensive work session away from the others.

 Orion all this time was achieving one of his goals, a physique that will give him both overwhelming raw strength and abominable speed.

 He had made a program to work his muscles mercilessly and flexibility exercises bordering on torture.

 At dusk Spartacus and Varro came out to meet Orion who was already resting, it was their turn to train now under Orion's guidance as usual.

 For this session, he asked them to warm up because they were going to have a one-on-one practice fight with him.

 Spartacus and Varro looked at each other strangely because since they knew Orion, they used to fight him in 2v1.

 They had become strong, very strong even among the other gladiators especially for Spartacus who had Combat Instincts and enormous potential that Orion's training managed to awaken but even with their new skills they knew that a fight against Orion was extremely difficult if not impossible to manage.

 They warmed up and Orion told them that during the next sessions, they were going to give their all to the extreme against him, they were now going to have combat simulation sessions with several weapons and he would take the opportunity to give them combat tips

 They began to fight and Orion for the first forty seconds did nothing but deflect or dodge the blows of the wooden swords to gauge the progress of their speed and technique.

 Their attacks were very fast and precise, they took Orion seriously from the start and gave it their all.

 Even if for Orion who could practically see the seconds to come it was like fighting with predictable children, if another gladiator were in his place he would not have lasted long before succumbing to their blows.

 « Okay, it's time to end this. You guys have made great progress! » Orion said with a smile as the two attacked him.

He deflected Varro's blow before sending him a powerful left hook to the chin that knocked him out, he dodged Spartacus' blow before sending him to the ground with a sweep and just when the latter wanted standing up, the tip of Orion's training sword was already under his chin.

 " I win ! Get up and take 5 minutes of rest, we will continue again and again throughout the night to further refine your combat instincts!" he said calmly.

 The two nodded before getting up, they continued the same exercise throughout the night. Orion was not only helping Spartacus and his friend but he was also training himself to try new ways to refine his counterattacks and strengthen his automatisms.