As the clone legions spread throughout the region of Campania, the situation on the battlefield in Rome changed slightly.
The consul Norbanus, together with Senator Carbo, entrenched themselves in the city of Rome and refused to confront Sulla's army.
Sulla separated four legions from his army and assigned them to Pompey and Lucullus with the purpose of attacking cities and municipalities throughout the Italian peninsula.
Although Sulla's army was reduced by half, as a great general with military experience, the defenses of Sulla's army in Rome were impenetrable.
A huge, well-fortified military camp was built on the outskirts of Rome; Sulla was a cautious general who was not easily blinded by victory.
Unlike other generals who claimed to have won battles thanks to their own abilities, Sulla always maintained that his victories were entirely due to good fortune.
Later, he even added the Latin word Felix (a person favored by good fortune) to the end of his name, so that his full name became Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix.
Sulla's army consisted of 6 legions and 6,000 cavalry soldiers, but it gave the impression of having more legions.
On the other hand, the four legions led by Pompey and Lucullus were divided into two.
Sulla's orders for Pompey and Lucullus also included recruiting troops throughout Italy.
Pompey was the kind of person who could easily rely on his charm, yet whose talent far surpassed that of others—one of the reasons why General Sulla entrusted him with the mission of leading troops to attack Italian cities.
Throughout his life, the great Pompey celebrated three triumphal processions: one for victories in Africa, another for victories in Europe, and another for victories in Asia—an achievement unique even in Roman history. Known as the Son of Rome, he was deeply loved by the Roman people.
He and Caesar were close friends; Caesar was the first to deceive Pompey, and Pompey, not to be outdone, married Caesar's daughter. Both were allies in the First Triumvirate and rivals who fought for Roman power; their lives were a complex mixture of love and hate, a relationship that cannot be described simply as a male friendship.
Pompey was a man who pursued glory all his life, and Sulla knew his character and talent.
The young General Pompey was also pleased with the mission assigned by Sulla. The looting of cities and the recruitment of legions would rapidly increase his influence after the war.
Moreover, these were times of war. If Sulla covered the expenses of his soldiers, Pompey could accumulate a fortune through the looting of enemy nobles or elites.
With this money, once Sulla conquered Rome, he could seize the opportunity to launch a wave of purchases, acquiring various properties and estates from supporters of the faction of Cinna and Marius.
Due to the historical interference of Septimus, Pompey's situation during the war changed, and his plans to accumulate wealth resembled the later actions of Crassus.
Crassus became the richest man in Rome by acquiring a large number of cheap properties during this period.
In the original history, the young General Pompey did not have many opportunities to accumulate wealth.
On the other hand, real estate in Rome was notoriously expensive, so this was probably the best opportunity to purchase it at a low price.
Sulla also sent messengers to the region of Campania to request military support from Septimus.
The great general Sulla was intrigued and wished to meet the talented young Septimus, who had granted him half of the victory in the civil war.
Septimus's actions in the region of Campania gave him a reputation for cruelty.
Many of Sulla's generals were friends with the Scipio family, and Septimus's actions against Lucius Scipio were considered a betrayal. General Metellus was the most outraged, as he knew Lucius Scipio and they were friends.
The Scipio family was a prestigious family that represented the dignity of Rome; many members of Sulla's faction had friendships with the Scipio family.
The Scipio family was not a radical ideological enemy of Sulla's faction, but rather an aristocratic house in a complicated political position. In the original history, Consul Lucius Scipio was treated with clemency and set free.
Although Sulla, as a Roman, felt uneasy about the ruthless and cruel treatment that Septimus gave to Consul Lucius Scipio, he did not reprimand him.
Reprimanding Septimus would make no sense, and Sulla needed Septimus's legions to win the war.
Septimus defeated the Scipio family, and his skill as a general was recognized throughout Rome. Sulla considered it not worth offending Septimus for the sake of the Scipio family.
The Romans held a superstitious belief regarding the Scipio family, the family of the god of war. In that context, Septimus's victory was truly astonishing.
Four days passed.
The Roman army on the walls of the city of Rome noticed the departure of four legions.
Marius the Younger proposed the idea of leading an army to attack Sulla's forces, but many nobles within the city opposed it.
Marius the Younger was the son of Marius; even if he did not possess ten times his father's abilities, he was at least six or seven out of ten. However, he did not compare to the renowned General Sulla.
Many nobles within the city of Rome lacked confidence in defeating Sulla and did not trust in the victory of Marius the Younger.
Marius the Younger did not have the opportunity to demonstrate his skill as a general against Sulla.
On the other hand, the army of Pompey and Lucullus advanced rapidly through the cities of Italy.
The soldiers were motivated by the idea of looting fortunes and seeking revenge.
In the original history, Sulla's men were particularly ruthless; when their relatives and friends were killed by Marius and Cinna on the way to Greece, they returned to Italy with extreme cruelty, looting all the properties of nobles who supported Marius and Cinna.
Rome, in turn, attacked regions that supported Sulla, and both sides clashed repeatedly, plunging Italy into widespread conflict.
Every city conquered by Pompey and Lucullus faced a massacre of supporters of the ideas of Cinna and Marius.
The messengers that Sulla sent to the region of Campania also informed Septimus about Sulla's request.
Septimus mobilized five legions to march in support of Rome.
Along the long Appian Way, an army of thousands of soldiers marched rhythmically.
The army wore Roman-style armor, but the most distinctive color was black. The soldiers carried standards bearing the ominous symbol of heads impaled on spears.
The Appian Way stretched toward the city of Rome, and as a main road, it was very convenient for the march of soldiers.
Septimus was at the front with his personal guard of clones.
He felt quite uncomfortable—how could a commander-in-chief be at the front? But that was the norm in the Roman army.
The clone soldiers marched without making noise.
Occasional shepherds along the road could only watch with surprise and fear from afar as the immense army marched toward Rome.