Septimus and everyone present looked into the distance and saw Sulla leading a group of guards toward them.
Sulla, dressed in a toga, walked at the front with firm steps, showing no signs of illness or old age.
Catulus and the others quickly stood up; although Sulla had stepped down as dictator, they did not dare underestimate him.
"Ha, ha, Septimus, it's a pleasure to see you again!"
Upon seeing Septimus, Sulla embraced him enthusiastically, as if they were mafia bosses meeting once more.
"It's good to see you," said Septimus calmly, slightly surprised by Sulla's enthusiasm.
Septimus carefully observed Sulla; during the time he had not seen him, Sulla had aged considerably. He wore a strong perfume, and some parts of his body were ulcerated, emitting a faint odor.
Many historians have speculated about Sulla's illness, and most claim that it was phthiriasis (or phtheiriasis), known as the "lice disease."
Septimus was not a doctor and did not possess the knowledge or equipment necessary to reach a conclusion regarding Sulla's illness.
During Septimus's brief distraction, a man with a shrewd appearance approached him.
"Septimus, it's been a long time since I last saw you," said Crassus with a friendly smile.
Septimus and Crassus greeted each other politely.
"I've heard you've made quite a bit of money lately. We should talk sometime," said Septimus with a smile.
"Haha, I can't compare myself to you," said Crassus with a dry laugh. He was rich indeed, but compared to Septimus, he was nothing.
The speed at which Septimus made money far surpassed his own, and many of his industries were practically monopolies, which caused Crassus tremendous envy.
On the other hand, Crassus did not dare openly conspire against Septimus. He was greedy, but he was not foolish, and Septimus was known during the civil war for his cruelty.
Septimus and Crassus exchanged a brief trivial conversation before parting.
Seated in his chair, Septimus drank a cup of wine before being interrupted.
"Hello, my name is Lucius Licinius Lucullus. I have heard a great deal about you," said a middle-aged man, close to forty years old.
Septimus slowly lowered his cup of wine, and memories about the man flooded his mind.
Lucius Licinius Lucullus would become a famous general recognized for great military victories in Asia Minor.
When Sulla campaigned in Greece, he served as his treasurer. Later, Sulla sent him to his allies to recruit naval forces, and he single-handedly assembled a great fleet for Sulla.
When Sulla returned to Rome, Lucullus remained in Greece gathering supplies for him, and he was his closest confidant. After Sulla's death, he entrusted his children to him.
For various reasons, Septimus had only just met him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," said Septimus calmly.
Licinius Lucullus and Septimus shared a brief friendly conversation.
"Haha, you two should exchange ideas more often. Everyone, don't stand, sit down here," said Sulla with a cordial expression.
Sulla drew Septimus and Licinius Lucullus to sit on either side of him, thus placing Septimus between Consul Catulus and Sulla, attracting envious looks from the crowd of nobles.
At that moment, Septimus noticed that a young man beside Licinius Lucullus was staring at him and became curious.
"Who is he?"
"He is my brother Marcus. I apologize; because of the matter involving our uncle, he has some misunderstandings about you," said Licinius Lucullus apologetically.
"Your uncle?" asked Septimus curiously.
"Metellus is his uncle," said Sulla indifferently.
Septimus suddenly understood; so that was the reason.
The marriage alliances among Roman nobles were truly remarkable; it was easy to find someone connected by blood.
"He is still young and somewhat immature; I hope you understand. I will not interfere in the dispute between you and my uncle," said Licinius Lucullus with a smile.
Marcus shot his older brother a resentful look and thought inwardly, "I am much older than Septimus; I am not young at all."
Septimus almost burst out laughing, but he admired Licinius Lucullus's shrewdness. This man was refined and intelligent; perhaps there was a possibility of cooperation between them.
"It is only a minor and insignificant grudge," said Sulla from the side.
Metellus and Septimus were his highest-ranking generals, and he did not want things to become too tense between them.
On the other hand, Septimus's explosive character and military influence made him an unpredictable enemy, and Metellus would most likely suffer a great loss.
Septimus smiled faintly; he had no interest in the grudge of an insignificant person.
"I remember that Metellus is now fighting Sertorius in Hispania. How is he doing?" asked Septimus.
Upon hearing Septimus's words, the conversation noticeably quieted down.
"Sertorius is no ordinary man; he is extremely cunning in his tactics. My uncle prefers to use direct and honorable confrontation, but he has been unable to capture him and has instead suffered considerable losses," said Licinius Lucullus indignantly.
"The previous governor of Hispania was defeated easily by Sertorius. I never imagined he was such a skilled strategist," said an elderly senator.
Septimus knew Sertorius's potential and was not very surprised by his military skill.
Just then, Pompey approached from one side.
"Hmph, what a piece of trash," someone mocked.
"Traitor."
Sulla's face immediately turned icy as he stared straight ahead in silence, as if he had not seen Pompey.
Pompey's expression changed slightly, but he continued walking past them.
Septimus greeted Pompey without caring about the opinions of Sulla and his group. He was not interested in becoming part of political factions, nor did he have any deep enmity with Pompey.
On the other hand, Lepidus stepped forward and warmly welcomed Pompey while allowing him to sit beside him.
Five minutes passed, and the main gate opened.
Several priests carried the idol and placed it upon the altars on both sides of Apollo's obelisk.
"May the competition begin?" asked Catulus to Sulla.
"Begin," said Sulla.
A trumpet sounded, and then Sulla delivered a brief speech.
This gladiatorial competition was funded by Sulla to please the Roman people; such things happened frequently in Rome.
Soon the competition officially began. It was an incredibly grand gladiatorial competition, with more than one hundred gladiators, in addition to a lion.
The first match was between a lion and three chained gladiators.
The audience was wild with excitement over such a thrilling contest.
Ten thousand people roared, a sound that nearly burst Septimus's eardrums.
"All the gladiators in the arena are the finest in Rome," said Sulla proudly.
Septimus nodded while watching the bloody combat.
After three intense matches, Septimus revealed his purpose, intending to secure Sulla's support and lead a great fleet to destroy the pirates in the Mediterranean.
Upon hearing Septimus's request, Sulla seemed hesitant.
"You know, a country cannot function without rules. To lead an army, one must be at least a magistrate, but what about your age?" said Sulla calmly.
Septimus ignored Sulla's hypocritical pretense and brought up his past actions.
Sulla's expression changed slightly.
Septimus was the only person in all of Rome capable of speaking directly to Sulla without fearing retaliation. Sulla treated Septimus as an equal.
From leading an army against Rome, committing several massacres, and declaring himself dictator for life.
Septimus's tongue was sharp, and he pointed out several examples, leaving Sulla somewhat embarrassed.
Sulla coughed lightly and changed the subject, directing his gaze elsewhere.
Septimus turned and saw a noblewoman of about thirty years old smiling at Sulla while holding a barely visible thread.
"I'm sorry, I only pulled this thread to share your good fortune." After saying that, she smiled at Sulla and left.
Sulla remained stunned for several seconds before asking, "What is her name?"
Metella, Sulla's wife, had been dead for some time, and Sulla felt that he was falling in love again.
"Her name is Valeria, daughter of Messalla and sister of Hortensius. She divorced her husband a few months ago, supposedly because she could not bear children," said Crassus with a smile from his seat.
Sulla nodded, determined to find out whether that beautiful lady was interested in marrying him.
Septimus was slightly annoyed by Sulla's evasion of the topic and by the sudden interruption.
On the other hand, Sulla was probably around sixty years old.
Even with his appearance, women still showed interest in him, which demonstrated that power and money often meant great attractiveness for men.
Far from Rome, in an unknown place, a slave caravan advanced slowly.
Six sturdy wagons fitted with iron bars were used to imprison between 80 and 90 ragged slaves.
The rest of the wagons were used to transport supplies, and one wagon served as the residence of the slave caravan's leader.
More than 30 mercenaries with fierce expressions, mounted on horseback, were responsible for protecting the entire caravan.
Inside one of the slave wagons, a twenty-year-old young man with a tired expression lay down while observing everything around him.
The young man was a clone sailor who had been fortunate enough to survive the shipwreck of the merchant fleet destroyed by pirates.
Roman names are very repetitive, so I hope there is no confusion.
In any case, I will continue writing the names and surnames so that they can be distinguished more easily.