The procession of prisoners and spoils finally passed by Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Septimus spotted Pompey and Crassus among the crowd and politely greeted them with his hand. Pompey forced a smile.
Crassus returned the greeting and nodded cordially to Septimus with a false smile on his face.
Just then, Pompey and Crassus felt a sudden silence envelop them, broken only by the rhythmic pounding of footsteps.
When they turned around, they saw three centurions carrying military banners bearing the iconic emblem of three decapitated heads.
Behind them, rows of soldiers wearing Roman-style armor but black in color and silver masks marched toward them with strange and synchronized steps.
Their strides were powerful and resonant; their feet touched the ground almost simultaneously, producing a loud synchronized impact.
The sharp spears, the clashing of armor, the rhythmic pounding of footsteps, and the shouts of the centurions merged into one harmonious whole.
The entire column of legionaries advanced in unison, leaving Pompey and Crassus completely stunned.
How had Septimus achieved this? As military commanders, they knew firsthand the importance of such discipline.
Was Septimus a master strategist blessed by Jupiter according to the rumors?
They had heard about the incredible discipline of the black-armored army and the astonishing ability to change formations within minutes in the middle of battle, but they had not completely believed it back then; now, it seemed almost certain.
Not only Pompey and Crassus, but also the Roman citizens were completely astonished.
They had witnessed triumphal processions many times before, but never had they seen such a disciplined and imposing column marching before them.
"An invincible army! Truly an invincible army!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Upon hearing this, others echoed the opinion, agreeing that with such discipline, it was no wonder Septimus's army was invincible and feared, achieving triumph at the young age of 21.
Pompey, however, had a pale face, his fists clenched so tightly that his veins bulged.
"This young man should not be underestimated," said Crassus, equally surprised.
If before he had harbored a certain resentment and jealousy toward Septimus's achievements, now he was convinced; without a doubt, he could not train such an army.
Pompey snorted and turned around to leave.
The lively day finally came to an end, and the following day Sulla once again invited Septimus to his residence.
After several cordial greetings, Sulla said, "I know you are very dissatisfied with me, but I hope you can understand me. I am not deliberately targeting you; having so many troops represents a significant threat to Rome."
"I understand. My legions will be dissolved, and I will only maintain three legions to protect my commercial interests in the region of Campania," said Septimus calmly.
He knew that celebrating a triumphal procession and controlling a region near Rome went against the norms, but Sulla's lifelong dictatorship violated Roman norms in the worst possible way; neither of them could possess the moral authority to accuse the other of violating the laws of Rome.
On the other hand, Septimus's clone army was a private military force that had demonstrated it had no scruples about confronting Rome.
Sulla was wary of Septimus's military strength, but he was not a completely irrational person, and as a mature politician he knew how to compromise. Confronting a young general with remarkable merits and a great army would have significant consequences that would affect Rome and his family.
Setting aside unnecessary thoughts, Sulla took a sip from his cup.
"Let us leave our differences behind and… let us toast to our reconciliation!" said Sulla with a calm expression.
"Cheers!"
After the toast, the atmosphere between the two improved considerably.
Sulla greatly appreciated Septimus's military training methods, and he wished for his talent to serve Rome and the Senate.
Judging by his behavior, Sulla seemed like an idealistic politician. Unlike Julius Caesar, he did not crave power, but instead focused on strengthening the authority of the Senate, hoping that the Republic would endure.
"I have heard that you plan to assign land to my soldiers. How do you intend to settle them?" asked Septimus calmly.
"I have already established several colonial cities in Greece, Pontus, and Sicily; you may settle your soldiers there," replied Sulla cautiously.
Septimus briefly considered Sulla's idea and found it beneficial for the introduction of a large number of clones into Rome.
Roman cities were of several types: colonial, autonomous, and foreign.
Colonial cities enjoyed the highest status, since they were often composed of Roman veterans who possessed full Roman citizenship.
Unlike the later perception that colonies had low status, this was an entirely different concept.
"I do not object. You may choose the available cities to settle my legionaries," said Septimus calmly.
Septimus might lack many things, but certainly not clones.
The integration of a large number of clones into several colonial cities would be beneficial in the long term.
During the war, the clones expanded their numbers to avoid delaying agricultural activities throughout the entire region of Campania.
After the war, nearly 100,000 became a burden.
The 100,000 clones were healthy men who consumed a great quantity of grain every day.
Sulla was unaware of Septimus's replication ability and the astonishing capability to form several legions within a single week.
For Sulla and the Roman Senate, the remaining three legions did not represent a very serious threat, and they also trusted that after prolonged peace they would eventually dissolve.
Although Septimus was wealthy, having to pay a great quantity of money monthly in salaries over the long term would accumulate into an enormous sum that would represent a heavy burden for Septimus.
On the other hand, stopping or delaying the salaries of legionaries was a highly dangerous activity with a high probability of guaranteed death.
Sulla was a general and understood those aspects perfectly.
Rome had many examples of generals assassinated or betrayed by their own armies, and the reason was almost always related to money.
More importantly, Sulla believed that dispersing Septimus's soldiers would weaken the number of experienced veterans in the region of Campania and make it more difficult for him to recruit legions with experienced soldiers.
"Your legionaries will receive good compensation," said Sulla with a smile. "Now that the war is over, what are your plans?"
Septimus reflected for a moment; in reality, he had also considered it.
His original ambition after transmigrating into the body of a young citizen with mediocre origins had been to become a small merchant surrounded by beautiful slave girls, but after acquiring the replication ability and having everything he desired at his disposal, his ambitions shifted toward enjoying the era and doing whatever he wanted without restrictions.
On the other hand, Septimus had also considered occupying a position in politics and enjoying the experience of engaging in heated debates within the Senate against other elderly men.
Unfortunately, according to Roman law, 30 years old was the minimum age to enter politics.
This year Septimus was only 21, so politics was temporarily ruled out, and supporting a clone to begin a political career was also discarded due to the lack of prestige and clear origins.
Even Septimus's own family background was a source of suspicion for many nobles in Rome, not to mention clones who appeared out of nowhere.
The only path remaining to him was the reconstruction of the region of Campania and the creation of a commercial empire, until the arrival of the imperial era.
It should be emphasized that Septimus's reputation as a deranged sadist had gradually changed into that of a brave and daring man due to his military feats.
That was the reason he dared to think about politics.
"Politics is not an option for the moment, and I would like to develop the region of Campania," said Septimus calmly without revealing his true purpose.
Sulla frowned slightly. To be honest, at first he had planned to get rid of Septimus, but due to various circumstances, the plans changed.
He also admired the young man's military talent and hoped he would be useful for Rome.
"There is no problem," said Sulla.
"Hello readers,I want to apologize for being so quiet over the last few days.I started a new job, and these past two weeks have been honestly overwhelming.However, I've managed to organize my schedule, and I'll be more focused on uploading new chapters on Webnovel.Thank you for your understanding."