A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Septimus and his clones briefly enjoyed an African hunt before returning to the city of Utica.
The clone army had recovered its previous losses, and the 9 legions were controlling the city of Utica and training inside a camp near the city.
A group of clone mercenaries was formed, made up of 500 clone light cavalry riders, with the purpose of protecting Roman trade caravans and learning horseback combat skills from the nearby Numidian tribes.
The clone spies also split up and slowly spread throughout all of Africa.
The Roman province of Africa and the kingdom of Numidia became places with a great source of clone spies.
On the other hand, Septimus also intended to send a group of clones disguised as merchants to Egypt from the city of Utica, but before he could implement his idea, he abandoned it.
The journey to Egypt by land from the city of Utica was very rough; it was safer to avoid the pirates in the Mediterranean than to begin the journey over land with a caravan.
Why was the journey to Egypt dangerous?
Present-day Egypt was largely covered by deserts and semi-deserts. The western part was the Libyan Desert, which covered two-thirds of the country, mainly shifting sands interspersed with oases such as Khaga and Siwa; the eastern part was the Arabian Desert, mainly gravel desert and exposed rocky hills.
It could be said that 95% of the country was desert; if the clone spies wanted to reach Egypt, they would have to travel through the desert and face numerous groups of bandits along the way.
Septimus had suffered greatly in the Sahara Desert, and if possible, he wished to avoid the dangerous Egyptian desert filled with shifting sands. A very difficult place to cross without more experienced guides. Ordinary people who ventured into the desert would surely die, with no possibility of survival.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious residence in the city of Utica, Septimus approved the deployment of clone soldiers to maintain the security of the region.
The war in the Roman province of Africa created a chaotic environment ideal for many groups of bandits.
The insecurity of the African province severely affected the commerce and agriculture of the region.
In 82 B.C., North Africa was still not a vast desert as it would become in later eras. The Carthaginians excelled in two things: commerce and agriculture, and their agricultural technology was very advanced.
The grain they produced was not only enough to make them self-sufficient, but they were also capable of exporting it.
Maintaining the security of the African province was also part of Septimus's obligations as protector, and he could gain commercial benefits by restoring stability to the region.
The task of eliminating the bandits would take more time, and Septimus decided to remain until it was completed.
Inside a study, Septimus watched a naked clone slowly divide in half.
The two connected clones looked like Siamese twins slowly separating until they finally split apart and formed two completely naked people.
The two clones rose from the floor, got dressed, and left the room without saying a word to Septimus.
No matter how many times he witnessed the replication process, Septimus still felt astonishment at the magical process.
After observing the replication process, Septimus turned his attention to the province's upcoming tax auction.
During the last week, a large number of Phoenician merchants and Roman nobles dedicated to commerce had entered the city of Utica.
The patrols of the Roman legions and the purge of bandit groups generated stability in the region, causing many nobles and merchants to see an opportunity to make money.
Everyone's purpose was very simple: to obtain the right to collect taxes in the Roman province of Africa.
Due to the war, the matter of tax subcontracting in Africa had been delayed. To resolve the issue of tax subcontracting for the following year, the governor of Africa, Appius, issued a call to all merchants interested in subcontracting the taxes of Utica to submit their offers.
The current governor had been chosen by Septimus 5 days earlier after offering his two young daughters as lovers.
Septimus gladly accepted the two young women and indifferently granted the position of governor to Appius.
No matter who held the title of governor, the city of Utica would remain under Septimus's control.
Septimus's reputation and influence gave him the authority to appoint the governor of the province of Africa without receiving much opposition.
Formalities could neither prevent nor restrict Septimus and his legions.
For example, in the original history, Pompey appointed his brother-in-law as governor of Sicily after conquering it by using the influence of his legions.
Septimus dressed himself with the help of the governor's two daughters and left the luxurious residence.
Near the public square in the forum of Utica, headquarters of the Council of Elders of Utica, which had been temporarily requisitioned by the governor as a meeting place.
A large number of carriages were already parked in the square, and Roman nobles along with Phoenician or Numidian merchants gathered in small groups.
Tax collection was a lucrative business that attracted many merchants and nobles. Every province had to pay Rome one-tenth of its income, commonly known as the tithe.
These taxes were collected by tax collectors, who then kept one-tenth as commission. In other words, one percent of the income of the entire province ended up in the pockets of the tax collectors, demonstrating just how substantial their profits were.
Septimus's carriage quickly attracted the attention of everyone present.
The iconic banner of three decapitated heads impaled on spears stood majestically, signaling the identity of the person inside the carriage.
The carriage quickly arrived at the entrance of the forum, and a group of clone guards approached, opening a path from the carriage door to the entrance of a majestic building.
Septimus stepped out of the carriage wearing his black Roman general's armor, a red cape, and the emblem of the three decapitated heads stamped across his chest.
The merchants and nobles lowered their heads as a sign of respect, not daring to look directly at Septimus or draw his attention.
Septimus's reputation had spread throughout the entire province of Africa and the kingdom of Numidia, and his ruthless methods against his enemies had also become known.
The dozen Numidian tribal leaders who betrayed Septimus were subjected to the scorching sun of the Sahara Desert for 3 consecutive days, leaving only 5 survivors, who were fed afterward only to then be publicly flayed at the gates of the city of Utica.
The clone soldiers also attacked the tribes of the traitorous tribal leaders and initiated another massacre, creating a small mountain of human heads as a monument.
Many nobles, merchants, citizens, and slaves witnessed the public flaying of the 5 traitorous tribal leaders with pale expressions of fear and disgust.
The public flaying of five people became a source of rumors and gossip throughout the city.
Septimus's fearsome reputation gave a Roman noble dedicated to the grain trade the opportunity to offer his two daughters and become governor of a Roman province.
That noble merchant was Appius, and he was the person who benefited the most from Septimus's reputation.
Many Roman and Phoenician nobles would have been willing to offer all the women in their families in exchange for the position of governor of the African province, but Septimus's fearsome reputation and actions discouraged them from approaching him.
In the end, the greedy Appius forced his two reluctant daughters to dress in the finest garments and serve Septimus as lovers.
Appius's gamble, which many considered unlikely to succeed, finally paid off, and he was appointed governor.