The two enjoyed a pleasant meal, and then Septimus departed.
Septimus headed toward his official residence in the city of Rome under the astonished gazes of a group of citizens who had witnessed his triumphal procession.
People spontaneously gathered in small groups and cheered for Septimus's carriage upon seeing the iconic banner.
Although Septimus's reputation had been highly notorious at the beginning of the war, the incredible triumphal procession earned him great respect among the Romans.
Roman society as a whole was very simple and respected and admired generals who achieved victories.
Septimus's entourage quickly arrived at a luxurious residence on top of a hill.
The house was splendid, but it could not compare to the small fortress residence that was being built on the hill where, years later, the Catholic Capitol would stand.
During his first visit to Rome, Septimus became fascinated with a deserted hill near a river, almost on the outskirts of Rome.
The hill attracted Septimus's attention because it was the hill where the Capitol, symbol of the Catholic faith, would later be located.
After taking advantage of Sulla's purge against his enemies, Septimus managed to acquire the land at a low price.
The hill offered a privileged position for the construction of a majestic residence with fortress-like functions.
Unfortunately, the construction would take too much time, and the project would take years to finish.
On the other hand, the soldiers blocked the curious onlookers observing the carriage.
Septimus slowly stepped down from the carriage, feeling like a celebrity as he watched a group of enthusiastic people being blocked by the clone guards.
"Papa!"
"Papa!"
"Papa!"
From the residence, a group of small children between 3 and 4 years old came out with clumsy steps.
Septimus's indifferent expression turned into a smile, and he crouched down to hug the small children.
A dozen women also came out of the residence and stood at the entrance, observing the scene with gentle smiles.
During the past years, Septimus's original harem had suffered four losses and gained two new members.
The sisters from the city of Utica quickly integrated into the group of women.
Of course, Septimus also had lovers in Rome and Capua.
The number of official women totaled 19, and some carried babies in their arms.
All the members of Septimus's large family had gathered at the residence.
Septimus observed the group of women and children with satisfaction.
During the next few days, Septimus planned to dedicate a large portion of his time to his family.
From the moment Septimus transmigrated into this era and became involved in bloody combat in the underground arena, he unknowingly began a bloody path of battles and massacres that, in the long term, severely affected his mental state.
Irritability and impatience were minor problems compared to his occasional volatile temper.
Septimus had struggled to maintain a facade of calmness and seriousness, suppressing the madness that lay deep within his being.
But the slightest grievance or offense could constantly irritate his already fragile nerves, pushing him to the brink of collapse, determined to unleash the bloodthirsty beast he carried inside!
The war and the connection between all the clones had mixed together to unintentionally affect Septimus's mental state.
Time with his family passed quickly, and Septimus led a large caravan of carriages back to the city of Decapitadora.
The current region of Campania, from the outside, did not show great changes, but under a more observant взгляд, small differences compared to normal rural areas could be seen.
Dozens of large mills stretched across the surroundings, and it was normal to see a great number of oxen, mules, and donkeys for agricultural activities.
Agriculture in the region of Campania had also implemented a large amount of fertilizers, and iron hoes had become popular.
It could be said that, due to the shared connection among all the clones, agriculture developed as a unified whole, following an approach similar to the collective farms of Communist Russia.
The clones, without contradictions or differences, were more united and could easily collaborate in large-scale agricultural activities.
The caravan advanced and quickly spotted the city of Decapitadora in the distance.
The city of Decapitadora, as Septimus's central headquarters during the last years, had not stopped expanding and growing.
The enormous city had three ring-shaped walls.
At the center stood Septimus's mansion and the residence of his family.
In the middle ring there were a large number of production workshops for white sugar, liquors, and paper, along with steel foundries that were strictly controlled by the clones.
There were also military barracks and various warehouses filled with provisions and military equipment.
In the third ring of the wall there were rows of houses built in an orderly manner and hundreds of clones working on the construction of more houses.
The third wall was barely one meter tall, but hundreds of clones could be seen diligently working to increase its size.
The rapidly expanding city of Decapitadora displayed a modern aesthetic, and the orderly layout of the three-story houses showed a great contrast with other cities in Rome.
The most astonishing thing about the houses were the bathrooms and water taps.
It was a miracle that could only appear in the city of a transmigrator.
Rome possessed advances in aqueducts and sewage systems. Septimus had no problems improving the related technologies.
The main problem appeared in the lack of suitable pipes.
In the city of Rome, lead pipes were used because of their low price and economic reasons.
Septimus, as a modern person, knew that the use of lead pipes was harmful to health.
In Roman history, the problem of lead poisoning in water was solved over time without anyone's interference.
The water flowing through the lead pipes contained minerals that adhered to the pipes, forming a protective layer that separated the water from the lead.
Septimus did not plan to use lead pipes, nor did he intend to wait months or years for the river water to create a protective mineral coating.
After thinking for a while, the clones used wood and clay to create square wooden pipes which, on the inside, formed a clay lining.
The square wooden pipe looked strange, but it fulfilled its function by replacing lead pipes.
With the problem of the pipes solved, the clones devised ingenious ways to install water in all the houses. The process was cumbersome, but after much effort it produced remarkable results.
The installation of drainage systems and bathrooms inside the houses was simpler.
Septimus vaguely knew the shape of toilets, and after repeated attempts and failures, a functional clay toilet was successfully manufactured.
The toilet was rudimentary, but it fulfilled its function and was affordable and easy to manufacture.
Having solved the two main problems, the three-story houses were built in orderly rows, leaving wide streets with fruit trees decorating the sides.
All the houses had the same layout.
On the first floor they had a water tap in the corner and a separate room with a clay toilet inside. The wooden stairs were located at the side, and there were also small wooden windows for better lighting.
The second floor had two rooms of the same size.
The third floor offered a small hall with a terrace and a small adapted chimney for cooking.
The houses had high standards for the current era, but Septimus spared no effort in constructing a total of 600 houses during the last years and spending a great amount of cement and construction materials to continue building more houses in the same style.
The city of Decapitadora would become one of the most important cities in Rome and would have to present a good image.
On the other hand, the houses would be distributed among the clones with the purpose of forming complete families.
Septimus knew that he would not be able to keep the region of Campania blocked off forever, and because of his influence, the city of Decapitadora would sooner or later become a well-known and frequently visited city.