A week passed quickly.
News of the defeat of the Admiral of Campania reached Capua, causing shock among the upper class and the city's population.
The city of Capua was briefly engulfed in widespread panic, with nobles and merchants fleeing the city, causing congestion on the roads near the city gates.
The population of Capua did not want to become entangled in a civil struggle.
The council of Capua sent an emergency message to Rome, requesting assistance and reporting the details of the battle. They also forced all Roman citizens between the ages of sixteen and thirty to join the city garrison.
Septimus's bakeries and other well-known businesses were confiscated by the city council, which assumed control of Capua after the death of the prefect.
Septimus had already anticipated these consequences, so he withdrew the clones in charge and sent another group of clones to act as spies and informants, lurking within the city.
Every movement within the city became known to Septimus instantly.
Septimus found it amusing that most of his clones were mistaken for vagrants and forcibly recruited to serve in the city garrison, allowing him to infiltrate clones into Capua's defenses without even trying.
Septimus also increased the number of his clones. If it were not for the limitation in weapons and armor, he could have formed two additional legions. As a last resort, he could only keep two legions in reserve.
Free from the constraints of Roman law, and with sufficient manpower, Septimus began reinforcing the perimeter wall using wood, stone, and earth, starting with foundations capable of supporting a wall thirty meters high.
Septimus lacked the materials to construct the wall he envisioned and could only begin with the foundations.
Granaries were also built, along with barracks and military quarters within the villa's territory, to accommodate the troops.
The grain accumulated through commerce or harvested from Septimus's villa was barely sufficient to feed the thousands of clones for only three months.
The region of Campania was a major agricultural supplier for Rome. Septimus planned to plunder food from nearby villas if the situation with Rome could not be resolved.
Meanwhile, far away in Rome,
The noblewoman Cornelia Minor, exhausted from the long journey from Naples, was resting in her parents' house in Rome. She prepared herself with dresses brought from Egypt and recovered her strength before presenting her request to her uncle, Senator Scipio Nasica.
The Scipio family branch was connected to many distant and close relatives. Although Cornelia Minor's father was also a senator, his influence could not compare to that of Senator Scipio Nasica, who commanded the resources of the entire family.
As Cornelia Minor recovered from her fatigue, she also considered how to persuade her uncle. If necessary, she was prepared to sacrifice her body.
As a noblewoman, Cornelia Minor could not tolerate the idea of losing her status as the wife of the Admiral of Campania within high society.
She was not the only woman in the Scipio family branch, and her own family held only a distant connection to the main Scipio line.
"Prepare the carriage. I am going to my uncle Scipio Nasica's residence," Cornelia Minor said to a slave.
Thirty minutes later, the carriage rolled through the streets of Rome.
The city of Rome, as the capital of the entire Republic and the seat of the Roman Senate, had a population exceeding half a million inhabitants, making it severely overcrowded for its time.
The city's security was questionable, and women of the upper class only ventured out accompanied by guards. Cornelia Minor was heading toward one of the city's hills, where Senator Scipio Nasica's residence was located.
The hills of Rome represented high status, and only families who controlled power or immense wealth, including temples, were allowed to reside there. Cornelia Minor's father also lived on a hill, slightly smaller, alongside other senators of the family.
As she approached the residence, the guards at the gate informed Senator Scipio Nasica of the arrival of his distant relative, leaving him somewhat puzzled about the reason for her visit.
Under normal circumstances, Senator Scipio Nasica had little interest in meeting a distant niece, but the situation changed when the unexpected guest happened to be a beautiful woman.
"Very well, bring her to the resting area," Scipio Nasica said calmly to the slave.
As the patriarch of the family and a member of the neutral faction in Rome, his authority was not to be underestimated.
Ten minutes later, Senator Scipio Nasica and Cornelia Minor met in the resting area, first exchanging trivial conversation while enjoying wine and exquisite fruits served by slaves.
Seeing the relaxed atmosphere, Cornelia Minor began to recount her husband's misfortune, feigning sadness and melancholy over his bleak and unpromising future.
Scipio Nasica frowned as he listened to her story. He was not a naive young man easily manipulated by the sight of a beautiful woman crying and beating her chest to extract promises without weighing the consequences. He was a seasoned politician with years of experience.
Her husband's situation was thorny. If mishandled, it could become disastrous, yet the potential gains were tempting. For a prestigious Roman family, the issue could be resolved—the real question was whether it was worth resolving.
"Tell me about this young man called Septimus," Scipio Nasica said seriously.
Cornelia Minor spoke of everything she knew about Septimus, emphasizing that he had no ties to Sulla.
"I understand the situation. Sulla is fighting King Mithridates VI of Pontus and lacks sufficient troops to intervene in Rome, and even if he had them, it would be better to support Pompey," Scipio Nasica said, analyzing the matter.
Scipio Nasica concluded that Sulla would not support an unknown young man.
The conflict with the prefect was obvious to those involved. Anyone would feel greed toward the formula for white sugar.
After taking time to think, Senator Scipio Nasica found sufficient reason to intervene. That young man had gathered soldiers to face Roman troops, which meant he possessed money, charisma, and enough military talent to persuade and command forces on the battlefield against Rome.
Scipio Nasica also considered the young man's age. With such talent, he had risen in social class from an ordinary Roman citizen to someone capable of becoming part of the Roman elite. If Septimus could be married into a branch of the family, that talent could be secured to serve the Scipio name.
"The Scipio family maintains neutrality, but we have collateral members who support Cinna and Marius, and they can assist," Scipio Nasica said thoughtfully.
Cornelia Minor remained silent as she listened, inwardly delighted.
"I accept that young man's offer. In return, he must marry a woman of the family," Scipio Nasica finally said, having reached a decision.
Upon hearing the response, Cornelia Minor could not hide her joy. In her view, for a young noblewoman to marry Septimus was a blessing from the heavens, and her husband would be able to retain his position as Admiral of Campania.
"Very well. Now that we have resolved these matters, I would like to ask, in a more private place, about the situation in Naples," Scipio Nasica said with a smile, gently taking Cornelia Minor's hand.
Cornelia Minor understood the meaning. With a seductive smile, she took Scipio Nasica's hand, and together they headed toward the bedroom.