The Roman civil war was in a period of temporary peace.
The legions led by Pompey and Lucullus settled in Roman cities to spend the winter.
Septimus also focused part of his attention on rebuilding the social order of the region of Campania.
The clone army had carried out complete massacres throughout the entire region of Campania.
The population of the entire region of Campania was reduced by more than half.
Hatred and resentment among the population were deep. Rebellions were nonexistent because the population of the region of Campania was composed mostly of women and children.
Although the children held deep resentment toward the clone army, their small bodies could not hold a sword, much less face a clone soldier.
Septimus was aware of the deep hatred and general resentment of the entire population of the region of Campania but gave it no importance.
Hatred and resentment could not pose a threat to battle-hardened and well-trained clone legionaries.
The clones did not kill children because Septimus considered that the emotional impact would be too strong and their mothers and sisters might commit suicide.
Septimus originally thought that integrating the clones into the social environment of the region of Campania would involve coercion to accelerate results.
But before coercive measures could be implemented, a group of women proactively approached the clone legionaries, and the trend was increasing.
Women in antiquity were very realistic and practical and quickly accepted the current situation.
In recent years, all of Rome had been engulfed in chaos, and the population was already accustomed to the death of relatives.
Septimus's actions were extreme, but not to mention the Roman army, the women of the region of Campania could not change the situation and could only resign themselves and continue with their lives.
In recent months, the clone legionaries gradually mixed with the local population and assumed the identity of vassals of Septimus.
The vassal system was very convenient for Septimus and his clones.
The absolute obedience of the clones was difficult to explain. Thousands of soldiers willing to commit suicide with just a gesture from Septimus.
Being a vassal did not mean absolute obedience. The obedience of the clones could be justified by the personal charisma of Septimus.
In ancient Rome, it was not uncommon for vassals to rebel against their patrons. For example, Marius's patron did not want him to be elected consul, yet Marius continued pursuing it. Marius even sued him, becoming a vassal of bad reputation in the eyes of some nobles.
On the other hand, Septimus maintained 13 legions protecting the region of Campania from a possible enemy attack.
Do not be mistaken.
Rome could barely defend itself against Sulla.
The direct threat to the region of Campania came from the Lucanians and the Samnites.
Lucania was located in the southern part of the Apennine Peninsula, south of Capua. The Lucanians and the Samnites had long harbored separatist tendencies.
When Marius and Cinna attacked Rome, they demanded autonomy. To secure victory, Marius and Cinna accepted their conditions, thus turning them into strong supporters of Rome.
In the original history, the Samnites and the Lucanians together mobilized a total of 40,000 troops.
The Samnites were the most radical enemies of Rome. Led by figures such as Pontius Telesinus, they not only supported the Marian faction; their goal was to destroy Rome as the dominant power.
They formed an independent army allied with the popular faction, considered extremely tough and disciplined, motivated by the historical hatred accumulated since the Samnite Wars.
Sources (such as Appian) describe them with a clear idea: Rome had to be destroyed for Italy to be free.
On the other hand, the Lucanians were less radical than the Samnites but equally hostile to Lucius Cornelius Sulla; they had also suffered during the Social War and therefore aligned themselves with the populares (Marian faction).
On the military level, they contributed significant troops in southern Italy, acting mainly as regional auxiliary forces and as support for the Marian armies.
Their motivation was more pragmatic than ideological, focused on defending their territory and rejecting the oligarchic restoration promoted by Sulla.
Septimus had to remain alert for a possible surprise attack from both tribes. Even if he defeated them, the battle had to be fought outside the region of Campania.
The intelligence network of the clones had expanded to the outskirts of the region of Campania after it was completely conquered by Septimus.
Septimus knew that the Lucanians were training their army with the aim of attacking Capua. They had learned from their past military mistakes, and the army they were training was no different from a standard Roman army.
The clone legions were prepared to intercept the Samnite and Lucanian armies outside the region of Campania.
Thousands of clones served as scout cavalry throughout the surroundings of the entire region of Campania in order to prevent a surprise attack.
Although the clones had a mental connection, they were not machines and needed rest. Septimus found it very problematic to devise schedules that balanced work and rest for the clones who patrolled.
The Roman system of measuring time was chaotic; they divided the day into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, beginning at sunrise and sunset, respectively.
However, in winter the days were short and the nights long, and in summer the days long and the nights short, resulting in a variable Roman hour.
Sometimes an hour lasted 45 minutes, sometimes more than an hour.
Since it was autumn and dawn came early, what was 3 in the morning for the clone riders was practically 9.
Septimus could only adapt temporarily until he could think of a more efficient solution.
Without a reasonable schedule of work and rest, the clones would not differ much from animals that only obey biological instincts.
On the other hand, the economic situation of the region of Campania could only be maintained at constant losses.
With the civil war lasting nearly a year, almost all of Septimus's sources of income became precarious.
Many shops controlled by Septimus were expropriated. Local nobles, taking advantage of Septimus's political situation, mobilized soldiers to loot the shops owned by him.
Human greed had no limits, and the entire upper class of Italy could guess the great profits Septimus obtained from trading white sugar and various alcoholic beverages.
Septimus sometimes felt like a drug cartel leader of the modern era.
White sugar has a similarity to cocaine in the modern era, and both products generate dopamine in the human brain, and consequently the profits are enormous.
It can be said that Septimus's wealth was built on the sale of white sugar.
The blockade of trade routes had an impact, but fortunately new trade routes were opened.
Sulla had to spend a large amount of money to maintain his legions.
Septimus and Sulla had a brief trade agreement that allowed Septimus's trade caravans to do business in Greece, Macedonia, Asia, and Cilicia.
Sulla's transport ships helped with the transport and protection of the trade caravans.
Those areas were usually under Sulla's control, and due to hostile relations, the market there had not been fully developed. Combined with the current urgent need for funds, this was a good opportunity to expand the market.
Sulla's army needed a large amount of money in order to continue expanding.
Sulla had considered taking command of Septimus's legions, but his efforts to persuade the legion officers always ended in failure.
Like an old fox, Sulla would not act too rashly with Septimus for fear of starting an internal war.