On the outskirts of the city of Rome, a cavalry of 300 soldiers in black armor approached at a steady pace.
Behind the cavalry, a caravan of transport wagons advanced slowly, and a group of legionaries in black armor was responsible for protecting the flanks of the caravan.
Septimus had decided to visit the city of Rome at Sulla's request.
The preparations for the African campaign would take time.
Departing for Africa with a large army was not an easy task; it involved organizing ships, preparing supplies, etc., which would take time. In addition, Septimus planned to mobilize 10 legions and the respective supplies.
Taking advantage of the preparation time, General Sulla requested a meeting with Septimus in the city of Rome.
On the other hand, Septimus also wished to visit the city of Rome; although he could visit the city of Rome through his clones, the treatment he received was different.
It is very different to visit a city as an unknown nobody compared to visiting a city as a celebrity.
Septimus's reputation was notable, and his military feats that influenced the decisive victories of the war were undeniable.
Most nobles considered Septimus as Sulla's main general and the general who fought and won the battles that determined the victory of the war.
It can be said that Septimus, through the fiercest and most important battles, was responsible for half of the victory in the civil war.
The cavalry in black armor and the caravan entered through the gate of the city of Rome without being stopped by the garrison.
Septimus's standard was known, and the guards did not ask questions.
The streets were quiet, and the people in the streets appeared apathetic.
Now, all of Rome remained immersed in madness. Some people added individuals with no relation to the list of enemies of the state of Sulla in order to obtain their properties, like Crassus. Some even included their own brothers on the list to obtain their properties, like Catiline. The ugliness of human nature was displayed in all its splendor at that moment.
Septimus headed to his residence in the city of Rome, which he had bought during his first visit when he met with the Scipio family.
Times had changed, and Septimus's status slightly surpassed that of the Scipio family for most nobles.
The recent events in the city of Rome did not go unnoticed by the spy clones, and Septimus knew perfectly what Sulla had done and his purpose.
Up to this moment, most people were unaware of Sulla's intention to become dictator for life.
The concept of a dictator for life was unknown to many Romans, and Sulla had to be cautious in making his preparations.
In the original history, the death of Julius Caesar was influenced by the fear that nobles and senators felt toward the establishment of a monarchy.
Septimus did not plan to oppose it.
In Sulla's original history, the greatest changes he achieved after becoming dictator for life were to reduce the political power of the plebeian social class and strengthen the authority of the Senate, increasing the number of senators from 300 to 600 and requiring that all jury members be senators, etc.
After completing his reforms, Sulla voluntarily resigned from his position as dictator.
Therefore, in reality, Sulla was a complex and idealistic politician, far superior to Caesar, who was focused solely on becoming emperor.
Septimus had no intention of intervening, and Sulla's appointment as dictator for life and his subsequent policies did not affect him.
Septimus's visit also had the intention of spending time with the Purchel sisters and experiencing Roman culture.
Another matter that also influenced Septimus's visit to the city of Rome was the location of the young Julius Caesar.
During the battle and conquest of the city of Rome, the whereabouts of the young Julius Caesar were unknown to Septimus, and he initially thought that he had fled the city.
On the contrary, the young Julius Caesar was hiding in a slum of the city in the dilapidated house of a freedman and protected by two trusted slaves of the Julia family.
Subsequently, Julius Caesar remained hidden and managed to avoid the initial chaos in the city.
Roman legionaries would not loot the dilapidated house of a poor freedman.
Sulla could not kill all the nobles related to Cinna and Marius; after all, the noble class was highly interconnected, and it was common for many noble generals of Sulla to have relatives who were very loyal subordinates to Cinna and Marius.
Sulla's focus was directed toward trying to gain the support of prominent noble families.
A letter from Sulla was sent to the Julia family indicating that the young Julius Caesar must divorce his wife or he would be labeled an enemy of the state.
The young Julius Caesar, as in the original history, refused the divorce and remained hidden in the dilapidated house of the freedman, waiting for an opportunity to escape the city.
A spy clone, by chance, managed to find the location of Julius Caesar's hiding place.
It was very easy for the spy clone to discover the differences between a pampered young noble and a slave.
Septimus found himself in a dilemma, not knowing how to contact the young Julius Caesar or how to approach him without raising suspicion.
The best way to approach the young Julius Caesar that Septimus could devise was to recreate a situation of coincidence between both parties.
Two days passed slowly, and Septimus rose from bed, leaving the naked bodies of the Purchel sisters in view.
The Purchel sisters, from their first encounter with Septimus, had decided to attach themselves to the young prominent general without showing any intention of withdrawing.
The Purchel brothers were considered enemies of the state, and after Septimus went to the city of Praeneste, the brothers went elsewhere, leaving the two sisters of the family in Septimus's residence in Rome.
Septimus's reputation among Sulla's army was very notable, and the legionaries would not dare to force their way into Septimus's residence.
The Purchel sisters would be very safe in Septimus's residence and would avoid many difficulties that would be hard to overcome for a noble lady.
On the other hand, the intentions of the Purchel brothers were to use the two young women to win over Septimus. One sister would become Septimus's wife, and the other would become his lover.
A marriage between Septimus and the Purchel family would be enough to alleviate the difficult situation of the Purchel family.
Appius Purchel hoped that his sisters would influence Septimus and manage to get him to speak with Sulla to remove them from the list of enemies of the state.
Septimus had no intention of marrying one of the Purchel sisters; history portrayed the sisters as promiscuous women who cheated on their husbands.
The Purchel sisters, for Septimus, were toys.
After getting up, two slaves approached and helped Septimus put on his black armor.
At the entrance of the residence, there were two wagons and 30 horsemen with black armor and crossbows in their hands.
Sulla was busy and would take a few days to meet with Septimus.
On the other hand, Septimus would take advantage of the time to hunt on the outskirts of the city.
The advantage of Septimus's replication ability gave him the freedom to have free time and at the same time take care of various tasks through his clones.
The clones scattered throughout the city of Rome were responsible for multiple tasks such as espionage, trade, land purchases, military training, etc.
Septimus could give the impression of living a hedonistic life, but his efforts through his clones almost never stopped.