Chapter 26: The People's Revolt

The first stone struck the gates of the Campum Ludus* at dawn.

Lucius bolted upright as the system's alert blared:

[Crisis Detected:

- Mob Composition: 300+ plebeian footballers

- Grievances:

- Imperial control of league rules

- Nero's "exploding ball" mandates

- Lack of pleb representation

Threat Level: Revolution imminent]

He reached for his dagger just as Nikias burst in, his tunic singed.

"They're calling it the People's League," the Greek panted. "They've got their own rulebook, their own refs—and they're stealing our players."

The demands were nailed to the Senate doors by midday:

1. Abolish Nero's "death matches."

2. Equal votes for pleb teams in league decisions.

3. Ban Greek fire from pitches (permanently).

The system's analysis was stark:

[Revolutionary Potential:

- 78% of players support the movement

- Key Leaders:

- Marcus (ex-mine slave turned striker)

- The Butchers' Guild (armed with cleavers)

- The Vestal acolyte's *younger sister* (oh no)

Nero's Response: "But explosions are pretty!"

Julia Antonia intercepted Lucius in the Forum, her silk shoes crunching on broken pottery. "They're playing their first match tonight. In the Subura."

Lucius knew what that meant—football was about to slip from Nero's grasp.

The "stadium" was a crumbling tenement courtyard, its goals marked with stolen togas. The crowd—reeking of cheap wine and rebellion—roared as Marcus led the Subura Wolves onto the pitch.

The system's scan picked out alarming details:

[Tactical Innovations:

- No referees (disputes settled by arm-wrestling)

- "Street rules" (walls are part of play)

- Ball replaced with a wine bladder (50% alcohol content)

Political Symbolism:

- Players wearing *red knotted cloths* (slave rebellion code)

- Chants of "Panem et Circenses Sunt Noster" (The bread and games are ours)]

Then the Vestal's sister—a fifteen-year-old firebrand named Livia—blew the starting whistle.

What followed was football, raw and untamed:

- First "Goal":A butcher scored by drop-kicking the bladder through a third-story window.

- First Fight:A senator's son got tackled into a laundry vat.

- First Miracle: The wine bladder didn't burst.

Final score: 7-5, though no one truly counted. The crowd carried Marcus through the streets, chanting:

"Nero's fire burns—our game lives!"

The emperor's response was performance art meets tyranny:

1. He declared the People's League "illegal."

2. Then challenged them to "prove their worth" in his new "Grand Tournament."

3. The prize? "One wish" (non-binding).

The system decoded the trap:

[Tournament Conditions:

- Matches played with Nero's "special" balls (likely rigged)

- Imperial Praetorians as "referees"

- Livia the Vestal sister banned (too inspiring)

Real Objective: Crush the rebellion publicly]

Marcus accepted anyway.

"We'll beat you at your own game," he vowed.

Claudia's lion, now a folk hero, made demands:

1. A gilded collar (done).

2. A seat on the league council (pending).

3. Daily belly rubs from Nikias (regrettable).

It also adopted a feral kitten from the Subura, which immediately:

- Shredded Nero's new lyre strings.

- Stole the high priestess's wig.

- Brought a dead rat to Livia as a gift.

The system's behavioral note:

[Feline Politics:

- Lion's Popularity: 89% (higher than Nero's)

- Kitten's Threat Potential: "Incalculable"

- Claudia's Sanity: Declining]

Nero's "Grand Tournament" opened with maximum spectacle:

- The pitch was lined with Greek fire trenches (lit for "ambiance").

- The ball was a gold-plated death orb (likely filled with scorpions).

- The crowd was 80% Praetorians in disguise.

The system's warning was dire:

[Match-Fixing Indicators:

- Referees armed

- Opposition team (*Nero's Golden Boys) juiced on stimulants

- Marcus's water bucket "spiked" (with laxatives)

Recommended Action: Cheat better]

Lucius's counterplay was simple: Bring the lion.

The match was chaos perfected:

- First Half:

- Marcus drank the "spiked" water—then revealed he'd switched buckets with Nero's captain.

- The Golden Boys abandoned formation (urgently).

- Second Half:

- The lion stole the ball, dribbling it with its paws past stunned Praetorians.

- Livia sneaked in disguised as a priest, scoring the winner with a header off the emperor's podium.

Final score: 3-2 to the People's League.

The crowd erupted. Nero screamed. The system rejoiced:

[Outcome:

- Rebellion legitimized

- Nero humiliated (but alive; see "benefits")

- People's League now controls 60% of football

New Status Quo:

- Greek fire banned (except for "art")

- Pleb teams get voting seats

- Lion appointed "honorary consul" (why not)]

At dusk, Lucius stood atop the Campum Ludus, watching two Romes below:

1. Nero's Rome:Where the emperor sobbed into his lyre, composing a ballad of betrayal.

2. The People's Rome: Where Marcus and Livia coached street kids in the beautiful game.

The system's final alert was hopeful:

[Football Status:

- Imperial Control: Broken

- Grassroots Growth: Unstoppable

- Next Challenge:

- Decimus still lurks

- The kitten just stole a plague rat

- Nero wants a rematch (with "trained eagles")]

As the first stars appeared, the lion roared—and across the city, a thousand voices roared back.