The atmosphere of the celebration quickly became lively.
Julius Caesar's actions did not go unnoticed, and many nobles and high-ranking officials noticed him.
Although they looked at Julius Caesar with slight contempt and displeasure.
Rumors said that Julius Caesar's mother was Septimus's lover.
In Roman high society, having several lovers was considered a normal custom.
For an important figure like Septimus, it was perfectly normal to have many women as lovers.
There were even women and men from Rome's upper class who had several sexual slaves or extramarital partners.
Although the nobles at the banquet knew about Julius Caesar's situation, they could not help feeling contempt or envy when they realized that he was part of Septimus's entourage and accompanied him.
Julius Caesar also knew that if it were not for his mother, Septimus would never have allowed him to be part of the expedition.
Septimus was, naturally, the center of attention at the banquet, and some people who considered themselves important surrounded him.
"General Septimus, I wonder what your chances are of winning this campaign. I have heard that the Kingdom of Pontus has an army of 300,000 men, which will not be easy to defeat," Lamia said with a flattering expression.
"A few locals are nothing more than a disorganized mob with no determination to fight; no matter how many there are, they will not be able to defeat my legions," Septimus said calmly, without concealing the disdain in his words.
"As expected of Rome's foremost general, we wish you a triumphant return, General," King Diotarus of Galatia said with a flattering expression.
"We wish the General a triumphant return."
"We wish the General a triumphant return."
"..."
Everyone raised their cups. Septimus smiled and drank his wine, then looked at Diotarus indifferently.
Diotarus's desire to restore his kingdom would not be achieved simply by saying a few nice words; he would have to pay a very high price.
The atmosphere at the banquet was extremely lively, and everyone showered Septimus with praise. Of course, Septimus listened to them, but he did not take them to heart.
"I wonder what the General intends to do with the spoils of war," Lamia said with a smile on his face.
"If you are willing, I can sell you part of the spoils at a fair price," Septimus said calmly.
Merchants accompanied the Romans on every expedition, helping the army manage the spoils of war, naturally at very low prices.
They then transported those spoils to different places to sell them, making enormous profits; it could be said that everyone got what they wanted.
"This is wonderful. I hope to buy some slaves and transport them to Rome. Just by taking them there, I'll be able to make some money," Lamia said with a laugh.
"Oh, come on, everyone knows you're the richest among all of us."
"I am very interested in land and real estate in Bithynia, and I would like to buy some property there if the price is right."
"No problem."
Septimus responded to the business requests made by the group of people surrounding him.
The best way to get rid of random war spoils was through this group of merchants.
Septimus did not want to waste his time trading on his own or looking for channels to sell land that was of no use to him, tax rights in distant places, or looted supplies that he would not need.
The purpose of the banquet was to assign those various profitable but tedious tasks to a group of local Roman nobles.
As he watched them discuss the distribution of the spoils, Diotarus discreetly revealed a smile, but only he knew the concerns he harbored in his heart.
Septimus seemed to have little interest in helping him restore his kingdom. What should he do?
It would be terrible if Septimus wanted to annex Galatia.
Thinking of this, Diotarus looked at Terentius.
Terentius gave him a reassuring look, which calmed him down.
The banquet finally came to an end, and Septimus felt tired.
Dealing with these businessmen was very tedious.
Terentius, accompanied by Septimus and his personal guards, arrived at the residence that had been prepared for him.
"This is a property that Diotarus purchased. When he learned that you were coming, he insisted on giving it to you," Terentius said with a smile.
Septimus walked around the estate, which covered at least two hectares and featured gardens, pools, and a hot spring where one could enjoy a thermal bath even during the winter.
Its location and status were quite good; it seemed that Diotarus had truly put a great deal of effort into it.
"Did you take his money?" Septimus asked calmly.
"Yes, he gave me 200,000 German marks, along with many valuable gifts and beautiful women. He also promised that if I managed to convince you to help him restore his kingdom, he would give me a property in Galatia valued at 3 million German marks," Terentius said with a mocking smile.
Terentius did not know Septimus personally, but he was familiar with the rumors circulating about him.
He understood that Septimus's personality would be very easy to offend if he found out that someone was deceiving or using him.
As a veteran politician, Terentius would not keep secrets that could cause a misunderstanding with Septimus.
After all, that was what Rome was like in those days, so it was unrealistic to expect them to be incorruptible.
"It is not impossible for him to restore his kingdom, but he has to accept some conditions," Septimus said after thinking for a few minutes.
He had already thought about how to deal with Galatia.
The Roman system was such that allies were responsible for providing troops to help Rome wage its wars.
The provinces were responsible for collecting taxes, but they generally did not have to provide soldiers. On occasion, they could provide troops.
Septimus's intention was to incorporate many areas into the Roman provinces and increase the diversity of kingdoms around the Mediterranean while enhancing his prestige and reputation through the allied kingdoms.
Although Septimus had recruited some Thracians and Greeks, he felt that it was not enough.
Although the Celts were not especially strong warriors, they were acceptable. Therefore, he actually wanted to position Galatia as an ally of the Romans in order to recruit a large number of troops who would also serve as expendable forces during the war.
"What are your conditions, General Septimus?"
At that very moment, a tall, red-haired Celtic girl appeared before them.
This young woman carried herself with noble bearing and exuded a charming and sexy aura; she looked quite similar to Taylor Swift in later generations.
"Who are you?" Septimus said, frowning.
"Her name is Monile. She is Diotarus's daughter, a princess of Galatia. Diotarus was worried that no one would attend to you, so he specifically ordered her to serve you here," Terentius said quickly.
"The Princess of Galatia?"
Septimus was somewhat surprised, as he had never expected Diotarus to offer his daughter in order to restore his kingdom.
"Monile is willing to serve as a slave and attend to General Septimus for the rest of her life, without demanding or expecting any reward."
Monile said as she lowered her head, her face flushed red.