The clone sailor, along with a group of slaves, was escorted to a villa near the unknown city.
Two hours passed, and after going through another cleaning process, the slaves, together with the clone sailor, were standing in a line inside the small courtyard of the villa.
A dark-skinned man surrounded by four men armed with simple armor approached the group of slaves and began shouting in a language unknown to the clone sailor.
The clone sailor frowned, and from the serious expression of the dark-skinned man, he concluded that he was delivering an important speech.
The sturdy dark-skinned man approached all the slaves one by one while speaking in a language unknown to the clone.
Egypt was not part of Rome, and the slave-owning system was not as developed as it was in Rome.
The people who owned slaves in Egypt were part of the upper class and were nobles of Macedonian descent.
The origin of Egypt's upper class began with Alexander the Great, who conquered Egypt in 332 B.C.
When Alexander died in 323 B.C., his empire was divided among his generals.
One of them, General Ptolemy, took control of Egypt.
Later, Ptolemy proclaimed himself king and founded the Ptolemaic dynasty in 305 B.C.
In Egypt, a large number of nobles of Macedonian descent emerged, and consequently, the language of the upper class was Greek.
Although the Egyptian nobles had Greek origins, and the Macedonians in particular were known for their preference for militarism during the period of Alexander the Great,
the current situation of the Egyptian nobility differed greatly from the bravery of their ancestors who had conquered the known world.
The Egyptian nobles spoke Greek, but their customs had been assimilated into Egyptian culture over generations.
The hedonistic lifestyle of the Macedonian Egyptian nobility was no less extravagant than that of the Roman nobility.
Bureaucratic corruption, deeply rooted superstition, and the excessive extravagance of the nobles generated unrest and chaos in Egypt.
Bands of brigands sprang up like mushrooms around the Nile River and its surroundings, while the nobles accumulated immense wealth from the population to maintain their extravagant lifestyles and form armed groups to protect their trade.
Egypt was not part of Rome, and there was no need for slaves to fight as gladiators, but the insecurity throughout the kingdom forced nobles to form small groups of private soldiers.
The current Ptolemaic dynasty distrusted nobles who amassed large armies, but a small armed force for commercial protection did not represent a problem.
The dark-skinned man finally approached the clone sailor and spoke in an unknown language.
The dark-skinned man's expression became irritated when he received no response, and he began speaking in four different languages.
Finally, the dark-skinned man spoke in Latin.
"Do you understand me?"
The clone sailor nodded in confirmation.
"Are you Roman?" the dark-skinned man asked.
"Yes, I am part of the legion of the great general Septimus the Decapitator," the clone sailor replied calmly.
The dark-skinned man frowned upon hearing the slave's response.
He could not understand every word he said, but the word legionary was easy to comprehend.
The day passed slowly, and the slaves formed ranks with wooden spears and competed among themselves.
The clone sailor shared experiences with all the clones, and his handling of a short spear was performed with great skill.
Septimus had begun by fighting in the underground arena, and his mastery of various weapons was highly remarkable.
The clones shared the same consciousness, and their shared experiences during battle turned them into masters of various weapons.
The clone sailor's skill attracted the attention of the instructors and of the plump nobleman who had returned to the villa after purchasing a pair of slave women.
A day passed quickly, and the clone sailor was escorted to a luxurious room.
The plump man was inside the room, and three slave women were attending to him.
With a lazy expression, the plump nobleman observed the clone sailor for three minutes.
"Are you a Roman noble?" the plump nobleman asked, maintaining a lazy tone of voice.
"I am a noble from Campania and a captain under the command of General Septimus Novius the Decapitator," the clone sailor said with a serious expression.
The clone reasonably elevated his status; Septimus did not wish for the clone sailor's death.
It was necessary to learn the location of the small city and seek revenge against the bastards of the slave caravan.
Revenge was necessary, otherwise Septimus would feel irritated and ill-tempered for a long time.
Septimus was not a prophet and did not know the exact location of the Egyptian city where the clone sailor was.
Many historical records of ancient cities have been lost over time, and Septimus was not an omniscient and omnipresent god.
Ancient cities had few differences when located within the same region, and even an experienced tracker would find it difficult to determine his location in a short period of time.
On the other hand, even an important city like Troy did not withstand the passage of time and was considered for years to be a legend or part of a metaphor invented by Greek philosophers.
Egypt was an immense place, and finding the exact location where the clone sailor was could take years.
The Egyptian noble showed interest in the Roman slave, and his lazy expression changed slightly.
The name of Septimus and his exploits in the Roman province of Africa and the neighboring Kingdom of Numidia had caused a sensation.
The Roman slave claimed to be a noble from the clan of that fearsome Roman general.
"How can I verify your identity?" the Egyptian noble asked suspiciously.
"Attempting to impersonate a noble from the clan of General Septimus would result in castration, throat-slitting, and the subsequent loss of one's head," the clone sailor said calmly.
The Egyptian noble nodded in understanding, but his suspicions still remained.
"I am Apollonius Lysimachus of Krokodilopolis. My ancestors were Macedonian settlers established in Egypt since the time of Ptolemy I," the plump man said with pride and arrogance.
The clone sailor's expression changed slightly.
Great nobles and landowners had the custom of attaching their names to their cities of origin.
In the city of Alexandria, inside a warehouse, a group of armed men quickly rose upon hearing Apollonius's full name and departed in the direction of Krokodilopolis.
Since the African campaign and the subsequent commercial influence of Septimus throughout the Mediterranean,
a large number of clones had formed small armed groups and infiltrated the largest commercial cities of the Mediterranean.
More than thirty armed horsemen advanced toward the city of Krokodilopolis and the pursuit of the slave caravan.
Meanwhile, Apollonius remained proud, unaware of the subtle changes in the Roman slave's expression.
Apollonius possessed extensive agricultural lands in the Fayum, hundreds of workers and slaves, a fortified villa near the city, and a private guard responsible for protecting his properties and trade caravans.
The name of Septimus inspired fear, but a randomly purchased slave could not dissuade Apollonius from seeking profit.
If the slave was telling the truth, the direct and indirect benefits would be substantial.
On the contrary, if he was lying, Apollonius's reputation would be severely damaged, and he would become the laughingstock of the upper-class circles of Krokodilopolis.
"Do you know how to write?" Apollonius asked the Roman slave.
The clone sailor nodded, and a slave brought him a scroll and writing materials.
The clone sailor's handwriting was neat and orderly, demonstrating ease and extensive practice.
Apollonius nodded in approval.
A letter was written to the region of Campania and would be sent discreetly.