Marius the Younger and Carbo stayed up all night making a list of the allies they needed to contact in order to confront Sulla. The guards took the messenger away and stabbed him in the back, giving him a quick death.
"We need the support of all the nobles, elites of Rome and the nearby cities," said Carbo with a serious expression.
"Should we inform Sertorius and Lucius Scipio of the news?" asked Marius the Younger.
"I will send a slave to summon them urgently," replied Carbo, signaling two slaves to deliver the message.
The two men could only make a list of the nobles they needed to contact while they waited for Sertorius and Lucius Scipio.
Quintus Sertorius was a Military Tribune who stood out for his great experience as a military commander alongside Gaius Marius; he had previously been a loyal supporter of Gaius Marius, whom he had served for years, being completely loyal to his ideals.
On the other hand, Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus was a senator who supported Cinna's faction and a member of the prestigious Scipio family; he was a noble with years of political experience and an influential figure within the Scipio family, second only to Scipio Nasica, the current patriarch of the entire family.
While Carbo and Marius the Younger were discussing war preparations, a slave interrupted their conversation.
"Dominus, Tribune Sertorius and Senator Lucius have arrived," said the slave with a humble expression.
"Very well, you may leave," replied Carbo with a serious expression.
Sertorius and Lucius entered the residence, guided by slaves to meet Carbo.
They were confused by Carbo's sudden request, but given the urgency of the message, it had to be an important matter that needed to be discussed.
Sertorius and Lucius entered the meeting room and courteously greeted Carbo and Marius the Younger.
"Impossible!!"
"It must be a lie."
When Sertorius and Lucius heard the news, their expressions changed, becoming somber. Sertorius had different ideas from Cinna, but even a fool knew that Cinna was the pillar of support of their faction.
On the other hand, Lucius and Cinna had a close friendship, so the news of his sudden death impacted him more.
Carbo and Marius the Younger knew that the news would cause turmoil among the two men and gave them time to process it.
"What are your plans?" said Sertorius with a somber expression; as a military man with years of battlefield experience, he was able to assimilate the news more quickly and seek solutions.
Carbo explained his ideas to Sertorius and Lucius.
"We will not be able to keep the news a secret for long," said Sertorius with a somber expression.
Many of Cinna's soldiers who had mutinied would return to their homes, and as a consequence, the death of Cinna would become known throughout all of Rome.
"In two or three days all of Rome will know about Cinna's death, and it will only be a matter of time before Sulla leads his legions from Greece and lands in Rome," said Lucius with a serious expression.
Sulla's military achievements in Greece were known to all Romans from the years 87 and 85 BC, during the First Mithridatic War against Mithridates VI.
At that time, much of Greece had rebelled against Rome and supported King Mithridates. Sulla arrived with a relatively small army and with very few resources, yet he still managed to restore Roman control through a series of decisive campaigns.
He managed to besiege and conquer Athens in 86 BC. The city was controlled by the tyrant Aristion and had military support from the Pontic general Archelaus. Sulla besieged the city for months despite the lack of supplies, even going so far as to cut down nearby forests to build siege machines.
He eventually managed to take Athens by assault, destroying the political center of the rebellion against Rome in Greece.
Shortly afterward, Sulla achieved one of his most famous victories at the Battle of Chaeronea. There he faced the army of Archelaus, which according to ancient sources was far superior in number to the Roman forces. Despite this disadvantage, Sulla carefully organized the battlefield and managed to decisively defeat the Pontic forces. This victory destroyed a large part of the enemy army operating in Greece.
The following year, in 85 BC, Sulla again defeated Archelaus at the Battle of Orchomenus. The Pontic general had gathered another large army, but Sulla used fortifications, trenches, and a defensive strategy that neutralized the enemy cavalry. The battle ended with a complete Roman victory and practically eliminated Mithridates' military presence in Greece.
After repeated victories, the Pontic armies were expelled from the region, and Greece once again fell under Roman control. This allowed Sulla to negotiate directly with Mithridates and sign the Treaty of Dardanus, by which the King of Pontus agreed to abandon his conquests, pay a large indemnity, and hand over a fleet to Rome.
Thanks to these campaigns, Sulla not only restored Roman dominance in Greece, but also gained military prestige, resources, and a veteran army.
Many in Rome feared Sulla's return and the massacres he might initiate.
"Sulla only has five legions and a few hundred Greek mercenaries under his command; we can mobilize more than 20 legions," said Lucius confidently.
Although Sulla was a brilliant general, he could not overcome the numerical disadvantage against the current Rome.
"We must prepare and prevent Cinna's death from causing political instability," said Sertorius with a serious expression.
"Lucius will take the position of consul; with the influence of the Scipio family, we will be able to maintain control," said Carbo.
The four most powerful figures determined the direction of Rome until late into the night.
In Capua
Septimus did not know that Cinna had already died; historical records do not specify the exact date of Cinna's death, they only mention the year. But that did not stop the preparations.
The four legions would become five; after great effort, another legion was equipped with military equipment superior to its time.
The legions within the Decapitator City were now five, with enough power to sweep across the entire region of Campania and unleash a great massacre to purify the territory.
Septimus observed the black tide of soldiers with satisfaction; although the clones shared a connection of mind and soul, the great number of heads and soldiers in black armor standing orderly in formation without moving produced a satisfaction difficult to explain.
An army of clone legionaries that would very soon create its own legend of invincibility.
The clone legionaries did not fear death and shared an individual combat skill superior to the average legionary.
Unlike many great Roman generals or emperors who were betrayed by their own soldiers, the clone legionaries were completely obedient. Betrayal did not exist among the clones because they were all one.
While Septimus contemplated the view, his clones in Brundisium were learning of a piece of news.
Brundisium was a municipal city within Rome with a population of 25,000 people; it had a port that traded mainly in grain from regions of the eastern Mediterranean, especially from areas near Macedonia and Greece. This grain was essential to supply the Italian cities.
There was also extensive trade in wine and olive oil, as well as marble and construction stone, and it also served as a key point for the slave trade.
Italy exported large quantities of wine to Greece and other eastern provinces, while some varieties of oil and agricultural products circulated in both directions of Mediterranean trade.
Inside a tavern.
Two disheveled men were telling how the soldiers had mutinied against Cinna's unreasonable orders and had executed him.
The crowd in the tavern was shocked by the news; some insulted them, others praised them, and the tavern filled with shouts.
In a discreet corner, two hooded men listened in silence.
They were clones of Septimus whom he had left in the city of Brundisium to gather information and to make contact with Sulla.
The city of Brundisium was located near the Adriatic Sea, where Cinna had died, and it would be the first city where Sulla would land.