The dark-skinned man, surprised by the sudden declaration of the group of mysterious men, began slowly backing away.
After 10 minutes, the news about the arrival of the intruders and their purpose was reported to Dionysius.
Dionysius quickly walked to the villa gate with a dozen armed men protecting him.
Although the villa had nearly 200 armed men guarding the gate compared to the group of 32 intruding riders.
The difference between veteran soldiers and novices could be seen at a glance.
With a single look, Dionysius easily discovered the identity of the group of intruders.
True Roman soldiers!
The intruders displayed discipline and the confidence of battle-hardened soldiers.
Unlike simple bandits seeking money.
The words and claims of the Roman slave turned out to be true.
Dionysius regretted not having established a stronger friendship with the Roman noble whom he had purchased by chance.
Leaving behind his slight regret, Dionysius showed a false smile while gesturing to his slave to bring the sailor clone.
"Welcome to Crocodilopolis. I am Apollonius Lysimachus of Crocodilopolis," said Dionysius in a loud voice, displaying a flattering expression.
The mounted clone rider removed a small leather pouch full of coins that was tied to the horse.
With a dull thud, the small leather pouch was thrown at Dionysius' feet.
The startled Dionysius stepped back two paces before looking at the coins exposed from the leather pouch.
"The money in the pouch is the payment and will serve to redeem the Roman noble Apulius Caputo," said the clone rider with a serious expression.
Inventing a random name and an identity as a Roman noble from the region of Campania was not considered taboo for Septimus.
Dionysius' expression changed slightly as he looked at the money in the pouch and listened to the Roman rider's words.
"The Roman noble is a guest of my villa, and I would like to offer you lodging and a welcome to the city," said Dionysius with a false smile on his face.
The clone rider coldly observed the plump Egyptian noble without giving a response.
The scene quickly became awkward.
One minute later, a figure slowly emerged from among the crowd of armed men protecting the villa.
Another mounted clone rider advanced slowly while pulling the reins of a horse.
The sailor clone approached and, with an agile leap, mounted the horse.
"The money in the pouch will be used to settle the price of my freedom," said the sailor clone with a serious expression as he mounted the horse and turned around to leave.
The group of clone riders also turned around and galloped farther and farther away.
Dionysius watched the departure of the group of Romans with slight regret.
The opportunity to forge a friendship with a Roman noble and establish connections with a famous general in Rome had been completely lost.
It is difficult to imagine that a newly purchased slave would possess the distinguished identity of a Roman noble.
On the other hand, the group of clone riders headed to the outskirts of the city of Crocodilopolis and rented a small inn not far from the city gate.
Egypt was not a lawless chaotic territory, but neither was it a completely safe place.
Like any large kingdom of Antiquity, it had very safe and wealthy areas and others that were more dangerous or unstable.
The current pharaoh was Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros), a competent ruler, though not an exceptional one.
Security around the city of Crocodilopolis was decent, and renting a small inn outside the city would not pose a danger.
The clone riders settled into the inn during the afternoon when the city gates were about to close.
The night passed quickly, and the sunlight marked the beginning of a new day.
20 clones armed with daggers entered the city after paying a small bribe to the guards.
The clones headed toward the slave market.
In the bustling slave market, the leader of the slave caravan was busily negotiating with a merchant.
After confirming the slave merchant's location, the clones dispersed.
An assassination?
A death that would be too easy and too quick.
Although the slave merchant had saved the sailor clone's life, his intentions had been sinister, and the humiliation suffered had to be avenged.
Septimus had also witnessed the cruelty of the slave traders and their blatant disregard and cruelty toward human life.
The cries of the newborn abandoned on the road had managed to affect Septimus deeply, and the memory remained fresh.
The clones had organized massacres, but in most massacres, harming small children or newborns had always been avoided.
The psychological barrier of killing a newborn was not easy for Septimus to overcome, nor did he have any intention of doing so.
The recent years of peace and the experience of being a father had also affected Septimus.
On the other hand, the clones could pretend to be slaves, but they could not be treated and humiliated like real slaves.
The clones took turns watching the slave merchant and the mercenaries.
The mercenaries took turns working or spent most of their time in brothels, filthy taverns, or gambling.
A week of boring surveillance passed quickly.
The slave merchant left the city of Crocodilopolis with the mercenaries.
20 kilometers from the city, on a desolate road.
A caravan advanced slowly.
The wagons used as cages were almost empty of slaves but full of merchandise.
10 mercenaries mounted on horseback were responsible for protecting the entire caravan.
The peaceful atmosphere and the sun made the mercenaries drowsy as they advanced along the desolate road with sleepy expressions.
Dozens of arrows shattered the silent journey, piercing the arms, shoulders, or legs of the mercenaries mounted on horseback.
From the surroundings of the desolate road, a group of armed men or men holding bows suddenly appeared.
Around the desolate road, trenches had been dug, covered with wooden planks, and camouflaged with the surrounding earth.
More than 60 armed clones surrounded the caravan and attacked.
After 30 minutes.
Almost all members of the slave caravan had been captured.
Septimus did not understand the local language, and learning an ancient language was not so easy and would take a great deal of time.
The shared experience of all the clones could help accelerate the learning process, but it would still take time.
On the desolate road, a group of clones was responsible for managing the provisions and belongings looted from the slave caravan.
On the other hand, 30 meters away from the caravan, groans of pain and lamentations could be heard.
The leader of the slave caravan and the mercenaries were being flayed and castrated.
After three hours, the caravan, now directed by the group of clones, headed toward the city of Crocodilopolis.
In the city of Rome, Septimus slowly opened his eyes, and his perception returned to the city of Rome.
The construction of a castle-style mansion on the hill where the Vatican would be built in the future would take too much time.
Republican Rome possessed mature engineering, but it could not compare to its splendor during the Imperial era.
In comparison, another new business attracted Septimus' attention.
During the last few years, the invention and sale of paper had not attracted attention or popularity comparable to sugar.
The creation of paper and its widespread popularity would take too much time.
On the other hand, Septimus did not completely remember the paper-making techniques, and consequently had to begin experimenting from the most basic level with different materials.
After countless experiments and the use of different materials, the region of Campania managed to produce low-cost paper that was more durable than papyrus.
In order to increase the sales of the new paper, Septimus decided to create the first newspaper in Rome and in the entire world.
The connection between all the clones created a communication advantage that would be difficult to surpass and could be very useful for spreading and controlling information throughout Rome.