Chapter 7 – Commercial Expansion
Three weeks passed.
During these three weeks, Septimus sent 50 clones to Naples in two groups and increased by 10 the number of clones dedicated to producing white sugar.
He also sent 120 clones to fight in the underground arena, surprising Gaudas, who now looked at Septimus as a psychopath who adored blood and slaughter.
That combat experience in the underground arena generated a remarkable improvement in the combat skills of all the clones, including those training in the ludus, which pleasantly surprised Gaius. At first, he did not pay much attention to those 30 men, but with the rapid improvement of their fighting abilities, he was pleasantly surprised by their talent.
Finally, since Septimus began producing sugar, he had been discreetly selling it in Naples at 40 denarii per pound. A Roman pound equals about 335.9 grams, which generated great profit for him.
With such a high price, sugar could only be considered a luxury intended solely for the Roman upper class, accustomed to extravagance and excess.
In Rome, where the gap between rich and poor was so pronounced, for the Roman upper class spending 40 denarii or more for a pound of sugar was not considered expensive, which is why the Gracchi brothers wanted to implement reforms in Rome.
Having dedicated 50 clones to trading and protecting his sugar sales, Septimus accumulated a fortune of more than 70,000 denarii in these three weeks.
Today, Septimus, together with 10 clones, planned to buy a villa outside Capua and relocate the sugar production to the villa.
Having made his decision, Septimus and his clones met with the seller, agreeing on a price of 75,000 denarii for the villa without the slaves.
Observing the vast expanse of olive and grain fields, along with the comfortable and spacious residential area and the two warehouses used to store grain, Septimus felt satisfied with the villa. In this place, he would establish his first foundation. Currently, the villa was located two days from Capua, neither too close nor too far.
He first moved the sugar production to the villa and established a guard of 300 clones dedicated to protecting it. He increased to 100 the number of clones dedicated to sugar production and added another 50 clones for the operation of the villa, maintaining a total of 450 clones.
Septimus also planned to buy 20 beautiful virgin slaves in Naples to serve him in the residence as maids and occasional lovers. He could not always delegate household tasks to his own clones, and with his great wealth, maintaining a few lovers would help him enjoy this era.
Having established his objectives, Septimus set out to accomplish them.
A month passed.
During this month, the number of clones in the villa increased to 450, which led Septimus to build wooden huts to accommodate them. He also increased the number of clones responsible for trading in Naples from 50 to 100 clones and assigned another 100 clones to trade in Rome and Sicily, dispatching 200 clones to each place.
Septimus had no other option; he had nowhere to house so many clones, and Rome, as the capital of the Republic, required personnel, as did Sicily, since it was farther away.
In this month, Septimus also earned more than half a million denarii. White sugar had become a popular product among the Roman upper class, becoming indispensable at Roman banquets and on elite tables.
Although the estimated profits from sugar sales aroused the greed of some influential people in Rome, the discretion of the clones, combined with the unstable political situation in Rome and the atmosphere of social and political unrest among the upper spheres of Rome, allowed him to continue.
Right now, Septimus planned to buy the surrounding villas and expand his own villa into a small walled town.
With the idea of increasing his clone force to half a legion to protect his assets, Septimus was aware that by purchasing large quantities of construction materials, the upper class in Capua would set their sights on him. His advantage lay in his ability to have a large number of clones loyal only to himself and hardened in combat.
With his cloning ability, his advantage in forming a legion became evident. He only needed to pay for weapons, armor, and food. He did not need to pay salaries or money for training. His own clones were skilled warriors and were an extension of himself, so he did not need to pay them wages. All the clones were one.
With that idea in mind, Septimus calculated that the cost of weapons, armor, and food for his half legion would total 425,000 denarii.
Although it was an enormous amount, if it were another person, the price to form half a legion would be more than double that amount. Septimus estimated that in another month he could gather the money and the number of clones to form the half legion.
What Septimus ignored was that his situation was already becoming known among the people of Capua. People in Capua were talking about a wealthy young man with a villa outside Capua who traded with different cities in Rome.
Two weeks passed.
Septimus formed his half legion, and of the three neighboring villas surrounding his villa, he managed to buy two nearby villas.
The only thing that made him frown was the last villa. Although his clones politely presented themselves with the intention of buying the villa at a price above its value, the slave in charge of that villa hurled insults at his clone and ordered him to leave, while Septimus pondered the situation.
Three beautiful young women with graceful figures entered the area that Septimus used for work, carrying wine and fruit.
"Young master, we have come to feed you," said one of the young women with perky buttocks and small breasts as she sat on Septimus' lap and fed him fruit.
Another beautiful young woman with blonde hair and sharp features stood behind Septimus and began massaging him, while the third young woman with black hair and well-proportioned buttocks and breasts stood at his side with a jug of wine as Septimus grabbed her buttocks.
In recent weeks, Septimus had enjoyed these 20 virgin beauties he had bought for a large sum of money, giving them a place as his women and administrators of his daily life.
As a modern person, Septimus did not consider himself a saint, but the treatment he gave his slave women was the best possible that could be given in this era.
Each day, Septimus enjoyed five different slave women, rotating the 20 for his personal service.
While Septimus enjoyed this treatment, he suddenly stood up from the couch and dressed himself, frowning and sighing.
"The problems that must come will come," Septimus said to himself as he rose and headed toward the entrance of the villa.
At the entrance of the villa
"I have come to inspect the assets of the villa. Step aside," Titus, the tax collector, said angrily to the two clone guards at the entrance.
"We cannot grant you entry to the villa until we receive orders from the young master," one of the clone guards said coldly to Titus.
"I represent the Fiscal Authority of Rome. Step aside, or you will end up crucified," Titus shouted angrily at the clone guard.
Amid the shouting between the clone guard and Titus the tax collector, Septimus, together with six clone guards, headed to the entrance of the villa. Upon seeing the fat tax collector, he felt the impulse to kill him, but he restrained himself.
Looking coldly at the fat tax collector, Septimus said, "What brings you here, Lord Titus?"
The tax collector Titus frowned at Septimus' attitude, but he did not care. Today he had come to take a slice of money from this young man.
"I have come to verify your assets in order to estimate the amount of tax you must pay, young Septimus," Titus said.