In a hall adorned with elegant wooden furniture draped in beautiful animal skins, the two ladies of the Scipio family and Senator Nasica were seated, watching with curiosity the small pastries made of sugar and wheat flour placed before them.
The pastries were an invention Septimus had recreated from the modern era to please his female slaves, and at this meeting they were used as luxurious appetizers to welcome the guests from Rome.
At that moment, Septimus entered the reception hall accompanied by two guards.
"It is a dessert that I have named pastry, and it is edible," Septimus said in a calm voice, interrupting the curious admiration of the three members of the Scipio family.
Senator Scipio Nasica and the two beautiful women turned to look at Septimus.
Fausta gazed at Septimus's heroic figure with pleasure, quickly forgetting her earlier reluctance to enter into marriage.
Lady Cornelia Minnor also looked at Septimus, appreciating his appearance with a broad, flirtatious smile.
Senator Scipio Nasica, on the other hand, observed Septimus with scrutiny, analyzing the young man's character. He had heard much about him during the journey and in Capua, but this was the first time he had seen him in person.
"You must be Septimus," Scipio Nasica said with a gentle smile.
Septimus introduced himself to the senator, and the two beautiful women also presented their names and family status.
"Young man, I have negotiated with Cinna, and he has agreed to mitigate your problem in Capua," Scipio Nasica said kindly.
Septimus and Scipio Nasica began to discuss the agreement proposed by Cinna and the arrangement of a political marriage that would benefit both families.
The idea of marriage to a lady of the Roman upper class was not appealing to Septimus, but he had several ways to control his future wife, preventing her from engaging in libertine behavior that could damage his reputation.
Septimus did not want his nominal wife to betray him with other men, and if Fausta attempted to deceive him, he would help her suffer a fatal accident.
After Septimus had gained enough power to challenge all of Rome with overwhelming force, he could arrange an accident for his wife. After all, in this era it was common for people to fall from their horses and break their necks.
At this moment, Septimus needed time to strengthen the foundations of his power in Rome. The agreement reached by Cinna could be broken once the balance of power shifted between the two sides.
"I accept Consul Cinna's demands, but the five million denarii must be paid within three months. I do not have that much money at the moment," Septimus said after careful consideration.
"Hahaha, you are a very sensible young man. There is no problem, Consul Cinna will agree," Nasica replied with a smile, knowing that Septimus had accepted Cinna's conditions.
The atmosphere of the conversation was pleasant on both sides.
"I have veteran legionaries who can fill the ranks left vacant by the fallen soldiers of the Admiral of Campania," Septimus said with a deep gaze.
Septimus wanted to use this opportunity to infiltrate his clones into the region of Campania.
"There is no problem, as long as they have clear origins," Scipio Nasica replied with a slightly cunning smile.
Up to that point, everyone interested in Septimus believed that he had only between two thousand and three thousand soldiers.
Senator Nasica and the nobles of Capua did not know when Septimus had recruited so many troops without drawing attention.
Septimus could only lie and tell the senator that his soldiers were vagrants and veterans recruited from all over Rome.
Although the explanation was ambiguous, Senator Nasica decided not to probe further.
That night, the delegation of the Scipio family rested at Septimus's villa.
The young Fausta cast a seductive glance at Septimus and was invited by the host to stroll through the villa, the walk ending in the bed of a modern-style room.
While Septimus kissed and embraced the beautiful Fausta on the bed, his attention also turned to the clones in charge of the villa's daily tasks, who were keeping watch over the other guests.
The twenty slave women were kept away from the Scipio family delegation. Septimus considered them his exclusive women, and, knowing the libertine nature of the Roman upper class, he had removed the slaves from the residence temporarily, leaving only the clones in charge of household duties.
If Senator Nasica were to harbor lascivious ideas about the slaves, a furious Septimus would turn him into a eunuch and inflict unimaginable tortures upon him, without granting the mercy of a quick death.
Lady Cornelia Minnor reunited with her husband, who appeared pale from the lack of sun exposure after a long confinement.
Sextus felt both ashamed and relieved to be able to retain his position as Admiral of Campania after his humiliating defeat. He had not held much hope of keeping his post.
The next day, the Scipio family delegation prepared to depart, leaving young Fausta at the villa.
"Young Septimus, I hope the wedding ceremony will be held in the city of Rome. I have many friends interested in meeting you," Senator Nasica said in a friendly tone.
"Also, do not forget to send 2,500 soldiers to my barracks," Sextus added, his voice slightly impatient.
Sextus had been released along with the soldiers who had surrendered with him. He was eager to regain power and needed the support of the newly recruited soldiers that Septimus offered as compensation.
"Do not worry. I will keep my word, and I will depart for Rome in two weeks," Septimus said with a calm expression.
Septimus planned to travel to the city of Rome with the intention of purchasing a hill and establishing a castle as a symbol of his power.
The idea of building an imposing, medieval-style castle in the center of Rome, as a display of his power and authority, excited Septimus.
The Scipio family delegation left the villa, heading for the city of Capua.
Meanwhile, young Fausta was enchanted with Septimus. The night before, they had engaged in sexual relations for a long time, leaving her completely exhausted.
The young noblewoman was also pleased with her new home, whose style differed from other Roman villas. She was already satisfied with the villa's comfort.
Fausta knew the source of Septimus's wealth and understood that her new young husband had considerable money. With the influence of her family, Septimus could easily become a senator within a few years, and the possibility of reaching the consulship was not out of the question.
Septimus understood the thoughts of this vain Roman noblewoman, and as long as she did not betray him with other men or cause him trouble, he was willing to keep her as entertainment.
Septimus's next objective was to prepare commercial caravans to restore the sale of white sugar throughout Rome.
It was also time to open another source of income. Septimus intended to begin the manufacture of paper.
Since the upper class in Capua had discovered that beets were one of the key ingredients of white sugar, the price of beets had been rising in the market. Anticipating this, Septimus had purchased a large quantity of beets, filling his warehouses before the incident involving the prefect, and, using the labor of his clones, had processed them into white sugar before they could spoil.
If Septimus wanted stability in his sources of income, it was necessary to trade in another revolutionary product of the era. Thus, the idea of creating a paper workshop emerged.
Before that, however, Septimus needed to occupy a large portion of the lands surrounding the villa.
The replication ability was a secret that Septimus guarded jealously.
It was necessary to give clear identities and origins to the large number of clones living in the villa. If there were only a few hundred, it would not be necessary, but with thousands of men highly trained in combat, it was essential to find a way to legitimize them and avoid suspicion.
Three days passed, and the state of emergency in the city of Capua was completely lifted.
The city of Capua opened its gates to merchants and travelers entering and leaving the city. A large number of men who had been forced to serve as guards in the defense of the city were demobilized and returned to their former occupations.
Senator Nasica, along with Sextus and his wife, did not remain long in the city of Capua, resting only one day before departing quickly.
The Roman Senate had to appoint a prefect in charge of the city in order to administer it. Senator Nasica planned to propose someone from his family for the position.
Nasica belonged to the neutral faction, keeping his distance from Cinna, but the Scipio family was large, and there were members who sympathized with Cinna's ideas. It was not difficult to find a member of the Scipio family who belonged to Cinna's faction and could be supported to occupy the post of prefect of Capua.
On the other hand, Septimus, aware of the situation, decided to wait half a month before sending out the caravans, allowing the news to spread and be absorbed throughout Rome.
As the saying goes, bad news travels faster than good news. It would take longer for the news of the pardon for the crime of the prefect's death to spread.
Knowing these circumstances, Septimus could only focus first on preparing his journey to Rome.