Septimus's actions did not go unnoticed by the Roman Senate.
The senators of Rome were eagerly discussing Septimus's movements and his clear intentions to attack the Kingdom of Pontus.
Rome is a society with strict rules and customs, and a figure like Septimus, who flagrantly ignores the authority of the Roman Senate and acts without scruples, offends a large part of the Roman upper class.
Unfortunately for the Roman Senate, Septimus has more than 10 legions that obey him faithfully.
Many intelligent senators understood that cursing Septimus while he was far away would yield no results and could bring misfortune upon themselves.
Although many senators were angered by Septimus's unauthorized actions,
there were also senators who hoped for Septimus's defeat.
Septimus's 15 legions kept many senators awake at night.
Rome's upper class still remembered the purges of previous years.
On the other hand, Septimus's reputation among Roman citizens throughout the Italian Peninsula improved remarkably.
The elimination of the pirates caused a considerable reduction in grain prices.
Egyptian ships loaded with grain constantly arrived in the city of Rome and in every city across the Italian Peninsula.
Rome had abolished direct taxes for its citizens, and for many Romans, food was their greatest expense.
Because of the presence of pirates, the ships transporting grain from Egypt and Syria could not reach Rome, causing the price of grain in Rome to remain high.
This caused great distress among the lower classes of Roman citizens, but now the sharp decline in food prices has made almost everyone euphoric, and practically everyone feels that they have benefited.
The Senate also understood the opinion of the Roman people and chose to keep its criticism of Septimus within a closed social circle.
Opposing public opinion and offending the Roman people means a ruined political future.
On the other hand, Septimus neither expected nor needed the approval of the Roman Senate.
The war against the Kingdom of Pontus would also involve allied troops.
The Romans had the custom of requesting that their allied kingdoms send auxiliary troops for support.
The allied troops were used to carry out the most exhausting or dangerous tasks during the campaign.
Always using the clone legionaries to perform dangerous tasks did not adhere to the style of a Roman army.
As a result, Septimus decided to use allied armies to weaken the enemy.
The Thracians, Galatians, and Cretans were informed to form auxiliary troops.
It would be the first time that Septimus had a large number of allied troops to use as cannon fodder.
In a forest near Bulgaria, in the heart of a small Thracian tribe of the Maedi, the arrival of several Roman soldiers shattered the peace.
When Spartacus returned to the tribe with his wife Sara and heard the news, he hurried back home.
Upon returning home, they heard a Greek voice coming from inside.
Many Thracians had served in the Macedonian army and therefore were fluent in Greek.
When he opened the door, he found a tall, smiling old man speaking with a Roman officer.
The old man wore a hat and had faint tattoos on his body, demonstrating that he was a noble among the Thracians.
In Thrace, only nobles were allowed to wear hats, and tattoos were a privilege reserved for warriors; Spartacus, for example, had tattoos on his body.
The Thracians were brave and warlike, and their warriors held an exceptionally high position within the tribe, much like the Spartans.
"Father, who are they?" Spartacus asked curiously.
The old man was his father, named Fari. In his memory, his father had always been dignified and was rarely seen like this.
"Spartacus, allow me to introduce him. This is Nero, a centurion under the command of General Septimus. He has been sent by General Septimus to recruit Thracians to fight for Rome," Fari said with an expression of pride.
Spartacus asked curiously, "Why are we fighting for Rome?"
"Because you are allies of Rome. According to the treaty, when Rome needs you, you must recruit soldiers to fight for Rome," Nero said with a contemplative look as he looked at Spartacus.
Nero is a clone and was one of the thousands of identities Septimus maintained throughout Rome.
Septimus did not expect to encounter such a mythical and legendary figure as Spartacus.
Although the war against the Kingdom of Pontus was predestined by history,
for a long time, Septimus had discarded the idea of not altering history.
Unexpectedly, the recruitment of cannon fodder in the Thracian mountains brought the legendary Spartacus before Septimus.
Septimus, or rather Nero, looked Spartacus up and down and saw that he was a very tall and strong young man, about twenty years old, with long black hair.
The woman standing beside him had skin as white as milk, was exceptionally beautiful, and possessed a noble and serene air. Even Septimus, who was accustomed to seeing beautiful women, found himself attracted to the woman.
"I understand," Spartacus said.
Spartacus knew that it was the first time his tribe had fought for the Romans, and he should leave the tedious matters to his father.
"General Septimus is about to attack the Kingdom of Pontus and hopes that you can provide him with a large number of soldiers. The more, the better. As for food, you do not need to worry; the general will take care of it," Nero said with a serious expression.
"How many soldiers do we need to prepare?" Spartacus suddenly asked.
"One out of every ten men must report," Nero said with a calm expression.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Spartacus and the others changed slightly.
If only one out of every ten men contributes, a significant portion of the tribe's strength will be diminished, especially considering that many of its members are children and the elderly.
"That proportion is too high. Can it be reduced a little?" Fari asked with a reluctant expression.
"This is an order from General Septimus, and a general's orders are not negotiable. You have enjoyed so many benefits as friends of the Romans, and now it is your turn to pay the consequences. Do you intend to betray the alliance?" Nero said with an impatient expression.
"No, no, please go and rest, envoy. We will immediately summon the tribe's warriors," Fari replied quickly with a humble expression.
Nero nodded and then left the place accompanied by several elders of the tribe.
"Father, are we really going to send so many people to fight for Rome?" Spartacus asked as he frowned.
"Of course. The Romans are powerful now. They have even conquered Macedonia. How could we provoke them so easily?" Fari said with an expression of resignation.
"I heard that Murena lost a battle against Pontus," Spartacus said with a worried expression.
Lucius Licinius Murena was the former governor of Asia and had served as Sulla's lieutenant.
After Sulla's return to Rome, Murena was entrusted with serving as the governor of Asia.
Later, after perceiving the weakness of King Mithridates VI of Pontus, Murena took the initiative to lead his army in an attack against Pontus, but he was defeated and fled.
If General Sulla had not still been alive, Mithridates might have conquered Asia.
"You're right, but Septimus and Murena are different. Septimus is a veteran strategist and Sulla's principal general, and he has more than 10 legions under his command," Fari said seriously.
"That many legions?" Spartacus said with an expression of astonishment.
"Yes, but it is still difficult to say who will win this great battle between Rome and Pontus," Fari said with a slightly worried expression.
"Father, can you tell me about him?" Spartacus asked with slight curiosity about Septimus and his military power.
Any figure in Rome capable of leading more than 10 legions had to possess an extraordinary background in Rome.
"I'm busy right now. I need to discuss this with the elders. Perhaps another time. By the way, would you be interested in leading the expedition this time?" Fari said with a tired expression.
Spartacus was incredibly strong, but he was also somewhat reckless.
The war would train Spartacus to become an ideal leader for the tribe.