Inside the residence, with the help of the slave women, Septimus put on a white toga.
It was not that Septimus was pretentious, but the toga was a very complicated garment with many folds that required assistance to put on.
The toga was made of white wool cut in an oval shape, and its thickness varied according to the seasons of the year.
It was a garment for adults, and Septimus, at almost 18 years old, could wear it.
"How good it looks!" Septimus could not help but exclaim.
Septimus had short black hair and, thanks to good nutrition, was taller than his peers, measuring approximately 1.75 meters.
His light gray eyes had a touch of cynicism, which gave him the appearance of a vibrant young man with a malicious air.
"It's fine," Levi said with a smile.
The toga clothing was too cumbersome and restrictive; Septimus did not particularly like it.
"The guards and the carriages are ready, young master. You may depart at any time," one of the slave women said humbly.
"Then let's go," Septimus replied.
"Long live Septimus!"
"Long live Septimus!"
"Long live Septimus!"
Septimus, together with two slave women, left the residence and was received by one hundred guards in beautifully decorated black armor standing in orderly formation.
Their arms were extended at a 45-degree angle, making a gesture that would be considered a fascist symbol in the modern era.
A classic salute of the Third Reich!
Of course, this was not Septimus' intention; it was simply the traditional Roman military salute. Later, Hitler adopted the Roman salute as his official greeting, and many Hollywood film companies, in order to avoid sensitive topics and audience criticism, began to avoid or replace the original Roman salute with similar variants.
Series or films about Rome, even those that showed Roman salutes, only dared to show a few fingers.
The Roman salute became extremely popular in the modern era, prevailing in the United States from the 18th century until 1937, before Roosevelt replaced it with other greetings for political reasons.
Septimus responded with a Roman salute; this was his newly established personal clone guard with the sole purpose of protecting his authority and demonstrating power.
Septimus planned to form a personal guard of 300 men dedicated to his security, composed of 60 cavalry soldiers and 240 infantrymen, all with the finest and most elaborate military equipment, distinguishing themselves from other legionary clones.
However, due to limitations of time and equipment, the personal guard had not yet been fully established.
"Let's go," Septimus said with a gesture of his hand.
He was not going to bring any of the women to the banquet. Septimus was jealous and did not know what might happen.
Septimus' villa was located relatively far from Capua but relatively closer to the estate of Marcus Atilius Severus. After half a day of travel, Marcus' estate came into view.
Upon seeing Septimus' numerous entourage, Marcus was slightly surprised by the imposing presence of so many guards in black armor.
"Is it necessary to bring so many people?" Marcus asked after a cordial greeting.
"Of course it is. Capua is not safe; attacks are frequent. I only want to protect myself," Septimus said with a smile while the guards remained outside and only two accompanied him.
Upon entering the mansion, Septimus realized what the estate of a traditional Roman noble was like: a luxurious Greek-style mansion.
In the center there was a courtyard with the appearance of a garden, where various flowers bloomed in vibrant colors, and a large pond filled with exotic fish.
Surrounding the courtyard were columns separated by numerous stone pillars, where slaves worked diligently. Upon seeing Septimus and two silent guards in beautiful black armor, they immediately stopped and made a respectful bow to the distinguished guest.
"Haha, you must be Septimus! I have heard a lot about you!"
Just then, a middle-aged man with dark hair laughed loudly as he came out, accompanied by a lovely girl of about twelve years old.
"This is Aulus and his daughter Sepia,"
Marcus introduced.
"Hello, my name is Sepia. Your sugar is delicious!" the girl said seriously. She had a sweet appearance, clear and delicate skin, so tender that she looked truly adorable.
"Really? I brought another delicacy that you might like," Septimus said with a smile directed at the precocious girl.
"What delicacy?"
"I call it candy."
Septimus asked someone to bring a bottle with two handles and a narrow neck, took out a piece of candy, and handed it to Sepia.
"This was originally a gift for you. You don't mind, do you?" Septimus said to Marcus.
"Of course not," Marcus said with a laugh.
He had someone bring the bottle and brought one for himself and another for Aulus.
"How delicious," Sepia said while chewing the candy with a sweet smile on her face.
Marcus and Aulus also tasted the candy, surprised inwardly.
Unlike Sepia, who only knew about food and drink, both of them recognized the enormous economic benefits: another industry as valuable as that of white sugar.
"This is made with white sugar; the process is very difficult, and so far only a few pounds have been produced," Levi replied. Since no one knew about this product, he could pretend that the process was complicated.
"At what price do you plan to sell it?" Marcus asked.
"For now, it is 100 denarii per pound. If the process improves, it could drop to 50 denarii per pound," Septimus said.
The making of candy began as a whim of Septimus to avoid presenting gifts that were too expensive at the banquet; the idea of selling it only occurred to him after seeing the reaction of Marcus and Aulus.
Marcus and Aulus were shocked by the extremely high price.
This candy is worth more than its weight in silver.
"What a precious gift!" Marcus exclaimed.
Aulus was even more enthusiastic than Marcus and took Septimus to the hall to introduce him to the other nobles.
"This is Vitius. His family runs a gladiator training camp," Aulus said.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. Let us keep in touch," Vitius said with a cordial smile.
"This is Clavius."
"Delighted to meet you."
"…"
"This is Fulvia. She is engaged to a Roman noble and will marry next month."
"I have heard about you. You have been quite famous in Capua lately," said a beautiful young woman who had not yet turned twenty.
There were only about twenty people there, but most of them were nobles of Capua who supported Marcus in taking the position of prefect of the city. Septimus was discreet and rarely had the opportunity to meet the upper class of the city, without considering it necessary to build relationships with people he would probably kill within a few years.
"Marcus, I did not expect you to invite such a traitor to Rome. I am very disappointed," said a young man with a sneer of contempt, holding a cup of wine.
When he finished speaking, the hall instantly fell silent.
Some looked at Septimus mockingly; despite knowing the bloody character of that young man, they were still quite displeased with Septimus because of his enormous wealth and humble origins.
"Licinius, do not say that. Now we are all on the same side," Marcus said, frowning. He was truly being disrespectful.
"Who are you?" Septimus asked coldly.
"Licinius Cornelius Guta. My father is named Lucius Licinius Guta, a member of the council of Capua," the young man said proudly.
Septimus frowned. He truly did not know who this bastard's father was, nor where he got so much nerve to challenge him.
He dared to kill a prefect and take the admiral of Campania prisoner. Did this idiot really think he would not do anything to him?
Marcus began to grow uneasy when he saw Septimus' cold gaze. He regretted inviting Licinius to the banquet; he was a problematic young man who easily offended people with his words. But Septimus was a psychopath who had even dared to kill a prefect.
Licinius' father was a great friend of Marcus. It is a pity that his son is only a stupid young man who values family origins and despises people without great family backgrounds.