A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

"We don't have much time," the handsome attendant said. "If you're gone too long, you'll be discovered."

"I know. It's not just me; all of you distinguished guests don't have much time." The Pope's gaze rested on Doge Balbo. "You may not have met before, so...this is His Excellency the Doge of Venice."

Governor Balbo stood up and bowed to the other guests with a humble smile.

"This is the Grand Duke of Milan."

Another tall man stood up, nodded slightly in greeting, and sat down again.

"Governor of Genoa!" The third person stood up and sat down immediately.

"...And, Florence's Standard-Bearer of Justice!" In this era, Standard-Bearer of Justice was actually another name for the President of the Council. In Florence, the highest political authority was the Council of Elders, whose leader was known as the "Standard-Bearer of Justice," who also served as the commander of the militia.

The Pope announced everyone's identity one by one, but did not mention their names at all.

But, that doesn't matter, does it?

"I believe everyone should have heard the news from Smyrna by now," the handsome attendant said. "It's been confirmed that the Knights have won a great victory. The Turks suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat. The fame of the Five Knights of Christ has spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Everyone is shocked."

"If five protectors of the country suddenly appeared, it would be really shocking." The Grand Duke of Milan smiled and tapped the table lightly with his fingers.

"As for the entire course of the war, I don't think I need to elaborate. Everyone has ample channels to learn all the details of this battle," the attendant continued. "Here, I want to emphasize that this wasn't a major mistake made by the Sultan, but rather the Knights of Rhodes were too powerful."

"I completely understand the Sultan's despair," the Grand Duke continued. "Think about it. Even though you have a large army, bad news keeps coming one after another! Continuous autumn rains, an impending cold snap. Impenetrable enemy cities, and those damn five protectors!"

"That was the last straw that broke the camel's back," said Florence's standard-bearer of justice in a calm tone.

"I'm sorry, but I don't agree." The Grand Duke pursed his lips, seeming somewhat dissatisfied, yet also seemingly merely smiling. "Even if we set aside everything else, this alone would be the straw that breaks the camel's back."

"Five protectors of the country!"

The Genoese governor, who had been silent until then, suddenly laughed. Compared to the others, he was dressed even more dusty. Clearly, he had traveled a long way to get here in time and hadn't had time to rest and recuperate.

This is in stark contrast to others.

"Your Excellency the Governor, I heard that one of the five knights is your son?"

"It's my son." Governor Balbo smiled and nodded gently.

Although many people said that little Balbo had a "promising chance of protecting the country", to be honest, the governor himself did not believe it at all.

In fact, too many people have had this kind of evaluation in their youth.

But in the end, no one of them really became the protector of the country!

If he really knew that his son could become the Protector of the Nation in such a short time, he would not have sent his son to the Knights Templar even if Thomas had threatened him with a knife to his neck or knelt before him and begged!

Because - it is very obvious - if little Balbo becomes Protector of the Nation, then his family will hold the position of Governor firmly in their hands, at least for the foreseeable future.

As long as you don't make a big mistake, it's completely fine. Every voter will consider the value of a patriotic loyalty.

And the dangers of a national revenge!

But the governor naturally would not tell anyone these words.

"The other one, I think his name is Joseph, was once a member of the Pope's Guard?"

The Pope smiled, seemingly hearing nothing. He wore a long robe, his hands placed neatly on the table, a heavy tome quietly placed beside him. Clearly, the new Pope was not going to speak, leaving it to his entourage to do the talking.

The handsome attendant glared, seemingly furious, but he wasn't looking at the Genoese. After a few seconds, he made a face and said in a gentle voice, "Genoa has also sent a protectorate to the Knights!"

"Oh, that was years ago," the Genoese said nonchalantly. Or perhaps he tried to appear nonchalant. "Knight Reynard was indeed a Genoese, but... that was forty years ago. I was a child then. What's the point of telling me now?"

He said this with such sincerity that the expressionless Pope coughed slightly.

"Has the Republic of Genoa given up?" asked the handsome attendant.

"Giving up what?"

"Give up a national defense." The handsome follower said this without any hesitation, as if he was just stating a fact.

The Genoese stared wide-eyed, clearly surprised by his words. "Genoa has always been very enthusiastic about the church..."

"So kind as to send a protector to protect the country," the handsome attendant said expressionlessly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm just simply telling you about this matter."

The Genoese looked helplessly at Governor Balbo.

The Governor followed the Pope's lead and coughed softly. "It's true. The Knights of Rhodes Island are vital to the Church's cause... I'm convinced of this. That's why I sent my son to the Order... I imagine the Genoese authorities had the same idea..."

The others remained silent.

The main members of the Knights of Rhodes were Italians, but the problem was that Italy was now divided into a large number of states.

The Five Knights of Christ come from five different countries.

However, the situation of the five people is somewhat different.

Some of them obviously joined the Knights Templar as protectors of the country (of course, this was concealed from the outside world), such as Knight Leonard, Knight Balboa the Younger, or Knight Joseph.

The other two most likely achieved the status of Protector of the Nation after joining the Knights Templar, such as Knight Mansreti or Knight Andrea.

This subtlety determines the differences in the standpoints of the participants.

Section 334 Meeting 2

"...So," the Grand Duke began. "What are we here to discuss today? How much have you all contributed to the church?"

"The situation of the Knights of Rhodes Island was dire at the time," the handsome attendant said. "I believe everyone is aware of this. Three or four years ago... the previous Grand Master and many of the higher-ups were killed in action. Many believed the Knights' dissolution was imminent. Consequently, the late Holy See was forced to use all his strength to support the Knights."

He turned his gaze to Governor Balbo. "Just like not long ago, no one believed the Knights could win in Smyrna. Your Excellency, Governor, this is probably why you sent your son to the Knights, right?"

Governor Balbo coughed again.

"Yes, that's right," he replied calmly.

"But five Protectorates are too many... I think everyone has seen the battle reports. In fact, the five Protectorates didn't really go all out."

"Only one Protector is giving it his all," the Grand Duke of Milan smiled. "Two Protectors are assisting in the attack, while the other two serve as a reserve force, having barely taken action. From the intelligence, it's easy to infer that the Five Knights of Christ have always retained approximately half their combat power as a precaution. They're cautious, not reckless! But even so, they can attack several times a day, easily killing hundreds of Turks each time. Over a thousand in a single day! They're all no amateurs in military affairs... I'd say no sane army in the world could withstand such one-sided losses!"

"Later, the Turkic people's morale completely collapsed. The soldiers hid in the camp, praying to God for protection, begging the five demons not to come to their camp... No matter how determined the Sultan was, he had no choice but to retreat."

"...So, are we discussing the Protectorate's combat power? I thought we were discussing how to deal with the current situation." The Justice Bannerman shrugged. "After the Battle of Smyrna, the entire situation in the Eastern Mediterranean changed."

"We certainly have to discuss this, but we have to figure out what's the best way to do it."

The Genoese said this as he stood up.

Unlike the others, he didn't wear a comfortable robe, but rather a dusty travel outfit. Of course, as a governor, this gray-blue long-sleeved coat was of exquisite texture, with some gold thread making a subtle outline on it. It was very simple, but definitely not lacking in details.

"Where are you going?" asked the handsome attendant.

"Stand up and stretch your legs," the Genoese said. "Perhaps we could have a drink first?"

"I would also like to have a more casual chat, but," the Grand Duke said, "I'm afraid our Holy See doesn't have the time for that."

Governor Balbo laughed.

The fact that the new Pope was able to take the time to deal with this matter at this point in time proves a lot.

If you are not anxious, he will be anxious.

However, he did not think that the Genoese were going too far. After all, this was a normal negotiation tactic.

Everyone is still in the stage of testing each other, and it can be felt that no one is very confident.

Governor Balbo's family knew their own business. When he sent his son away, he was definitely not destined to be a Protector of the Nation! So while he felt regret and sorrow, it wasn't pain. After all, if he hadn't joined the Knights Templar, little Balbo likely wouldn't have become a Protector of the Nation.

The same thing happened with the Genoese.

Whatever the Genoese authorities' original intentions were in sending a protector of the country into the Order, that was forty years ago, a generation ago, or even the generation before that. The Genoese of today are not particularly moved by it.

It would be best if we could bring Huguo back to the country, but if not...it's actually no big deal.

The horses continue to run and the dancers continue to dance.

The one who is really uncomfortable is the new Pope!

Governor Balbo could even guess that Knight Joseph was probably the only protector of Rome - and he had been sent to the Knights Templar by his predecessor!

Rome has no protectorate now! The new Pope lacks confidence and feels insecure!

There is a huge difference between having a national defense and not having one. You can do without it, but you can't live without it!

Speaking of which, the former Pope Leo XI was truly...tsk tsk... he gave away two divine artifacts and a national treasure without batting an eyelid. If you'd said Thomas was his illegitimate son, everyone would have believed it! Even if there was nothing suspicious about their appearance or age.

And, it seems that there is more to it than that... because there are two more countries.

"Please put it this way." The handsome attendant's face showed a slight annoyance. "I don't know what the previous Holy See promised you to send your son to the Order. But what I want to say is that Leo XI's death was not sudden."

"Ah?" Governor Balbo was a little surprised.

The current public information is that the former Pope accidentally fell and died soon after.

As for why no magical treatment was used...

The public statement was that the injuries were extremely complex and could not be treated with ordinary magic.

It's possible. For example, Governor Balbo knew that if a bone is broken and lodged in an internal organ, healing spells are difficult to use. The bone must be removed first.

However, digging out bones that are deep inside the internal organs is a very dangerous action in itself.

Elderly people basically cannot survive this surgery!

Although magic is almost omnipotent, it is not omnipotent after all.

But the real reason is hard to say. Even the wealthy Republic of Venice couldn't find out.

But one thing is clear: the new pope is not from Leo XI's faction. He is not even neutral, but an opponent of Leo XI.

Leo XI had a few trusted confidants (Thomas was not included, of course, anyone would know that Thomas's red clothes were just for show), but they were all eliminated.

This perhaps expresses a general sentiment within the Vatican.

After all, handing over two artifacts to the Knights of Rhodes Island at once has caused widespread dissatisfaction.

"Not very sudden?"

"He was injured, but he was still conscious at the beginning. So... he destroyed those agreements." The handsome attendant pursed his lips. "I don't know what promises he made, but they are now invalid!"

Governor Balbo, of course, received no promises himself.

The whole matter of young Balbo joining the Knights Templar had nothing to do with Leo XI.

But this did not affect his expression of shock and anger.

The room was silent for a moment, and the Grand Duke of Milan stopped the silence before it could spread.

"I think," the Grand Duke said, supporting himself on the table with both hands, he gazed at the Pope slowly for a moment, and then he spoke, "how about we be more open and honest?"

"What is the attitude of the Holy See towards the Knights of Rhodes Island?" he asked.

"Uh..." The attendant uttered a short syllable in astonishment, because for the first time the Pope raised his hand, signaling him not to speak.

"The power of the Knights of Rhodes Island far exceeds their needs," the Pope said. "The essence of the entire Christian world is concentrated in a single order. This is clearly inappropriate."

Back in the Holy Land, they are beaten by the Crescent Moon believers every day and can't even leave the house. It is definitely not okay for a second-tier knight order like you to expand the territory in Asia Minor.

And in Rome, the Pope doesn’t even have a protectorate at his feet, which makes it impossible to demonstrate the Pope’s dignity and status, which is even worse!

The author says:

Author's words: Thanks to readers Ye Ye and Wudi Zhanlong for the rewards.

Chapter 335 Prasda 1

Prasda ignored the shouting between the two humans.

She seemed to lower her head slightly, but Thomas noticed that her hair didn't move at all.

That's not human hair, but something else.

The next second, something strange happened. A cold blue light suddenly shone in Prasda's dark eyes. A chilling feeling suddenly appeared, and the various metal blocks beneath her feet began to creak. Some were even flung away by an unknown force.

A fierce light that hurt the eyes suddenly appeared on the body covered in blood, and a shrill cry was released.

Thomas felt as if he was staring at thick clouds, and a heavy feeling suddenly began to spread in his heart.

Just a slight trance, a cold feeling suddenly came over me.

He didn't even have time to react before his eyes widened and he was caught in the frenzy of illusions.

Chaotic and rapidly interlaced images are stacked on top of each other, flashing by in an indescribable frenzy.

What followed was indescribable pain. This was not the kind of pain a human should endure!