A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

But it’s still not detailed enough.

Now, with the reports and summaries from the specific leaders of the Knights Templar one by one, all the details are really available.

Although the Knights won the Battle of Smyrna, they were definitely seriously injured.

Nearly one hundred full members died in battle, and the Knights Templar lost nearly a quarter of their membership.

Leaving aside the mercenaries, the other conscripted soldiers also suffered heavy casualties. The Turks broke into the city more than once, and the two sides engaged in horrific battles that could only be described as bloody and gruesome.

Although the Knights Templar had a strong will to fight, the courage of the Turks was not much inferior.

Sometimes, it really is a game of trading heads for heads.

Thomas secretly felt fortunate that if the five protectors had not been involved, it would have been very difficult to win this battle.

Some people underestimate the Turks, while others overestimate the bastion.

Of course, it may also be because the bastion had just appeared in this era and was not yet mature.

In addition, the Turks' siege tactics are indeed remarkable.

The same is true for muskets and cannons. Although they exist, they have not yet developed to the peak of muzzle-loading firearms.

Muskets were still matchlocks, and flintlocks were just emerging. Cannons were still primarily used for sieges, with a meager accuracy rate.

But on the other hand, if there were no bastions, it would be difficult to win this battle even if there were more defenders.

There is really no way. An army of 200,000 is no joke.

This is true for personnel, and it is no less impressive for finance.

Simply put, the Knights are now heavily in debt.

And for at least the next one or two years, the debt will only increase, not decrease.

It's not just about material consumption and personnel compensation, but also about the restoration of the city, and so on.

Debts these days are all high-interest, black-hearted loans.

In the past, we could still count on the Pope to mediate and get the creditors to reduce the interest for the sake of Christ...

But I'm afraid there is no way now.

Finally, the treasurer summarized everything.

"Grandmaster, if we don't receive additional support, the Knights' finances will not be able to take the initiative within the next ten years."

Thomas listened to everything with a blank expression.

Everyone's eyes were filled with eagerness.

They can no longer solve the problem and can only rely on the leader.

Because Captain Thomas has proven his ability time and time again in the past.

"So, Grand Commander, let's just exchange it for compensation," Demetrios suggested again. "As for the territory, as long as we recover, we can take it at any time."

"No," Thomas sighed. "Dimitrios, put yourself in the Sultan's shoes. If we demand compensation, it would be a sign of insincerity. On the other hand, if we demand cession of territory, it would be a sign of sincere peace!"

In this age of mercenaries, money can easily be converted into military power, but territory, on the other hand, requires a layer of separation.

Gaining a territory does not make you powerful immediately. It takes time.

"We are now..." Thomas said, emphasizing the situation. "I estimate that we won't be able to continue the war with the Sultan for at least ten years!"

Everyone is silent.

Even the most bellicose standard-bearer, Knight Balbo, remained silent.

Faced with the Pope's suppression, things are difficult to deal with.

It is indeed difficult to start a war.

"Grand Commander, what reply did the envoy you just mentioned...write?" someone suddenly asked.

"Ah..." Thomas smiled. "I told him: If you want war, come on!"

The author says:

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

I haven't read your comments for a few days, sorry.

Chapter 378 Harvest 1

The night is dark.

Thomas stood on the terrace of the Knights' headquarters and gazed at the stars in the distance.

He knew almost nothing about astrology. He didn't know the names of the stars or the constellations, but this didn't stop him from staring silently at the bright stars in the sky.

"Grand Commander," a voice sounded.

Thomas didn't need to look back to recognize Knight Joseph.

He had previously sent Joseph to keep an eye on the dock, and now he had gotten his reward.

"He's really gone."

The Pope's confidant left overnight in shame and anger.

"Do you want it?" Joseph asked tentatively.

From this we can see that although Knight Joseph's family and relatives were all in Rome, his side was on the side of the Knights Templar.

“No need,” Thomas said.

In today's meeting, the plan for the next stage of the Knights' Order has been decided.

Simply put, it means stopping military expansion, restoring strength first, and paying off debts.

The navy had suspended all but the necessary warship upgrades. Some even planned to purchase light pirate ships to "hunt" in areas controlled by the Crescent Moon Cult.

However, as the Grand Commander, Thomas was not interested in this.

After all, the Knights are a knightly order, not pirates. Even if you become a pirate, you must act in accordance with the honor of the Knights.

The next stage is to slowly build up the Knights' own army.

"Grandmaster, in Rome..."

"If the Pope had fully supported us," Thomas said coldly, "we could have taken this opportunity to wipe out the Sultanate of Rum and completely eliminate the threat to the northern Holy Land!"

Joseph was silent for a moment.

He could certainly hear the resentment in Thomas's tone, but he didn't know what to say.

"Will the Venetians and Genoese make war on us?"

"I don't think so," Thomas said. "Don't worry, they know the importance of it."

Although he didn't know the details of the matter...

But Thomas knew very well that the two "artifacts" in his hands were not enough to start a war.

Unless his golden apple tree is exposed, it is estimated that these four companies will really go into battle bare-handed.

These four threatening letters are probably the limit for these four companies.

It wasn't that he believed in the integrity of these guys, but rather in their intelligence.

The benefits are not enough and the risks are too great to make them go to war.

The most important thing is that both artifacts are "carried with you".

It doesn't mean that if you win a battle, you will definitely win. If a third party emerges and takes advantage of you at the last minute, you will have no way to prevent it.

As for the national defense warriors...

This is a living person, not an object.

If you want the other party to be loyal to your country, they must be willing to do so.

Using war to force others to pledge allegiance is completely counterproductive and a joke.

From this point of view...

The newly elected Pope seemed to be a playful arrangement by fate to play a joke on Thomas.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. Go and have a rest."

Thomas said.

He pondered slowly in his mind.

Then he walked towards his room.

There are some things I don't quite understand.

Logically speaking, even if the new Pope covets the national defender-level warriors and artifacts, he should not be so anxious.

And it gives people a feeling of being blinded by greed.

But I don’t quite understand.

However, there is no need to figure it out.

Since the other party's attitude is like this, the Knights will just lie low for the time being.

In a way, this is actually a good thing for Thomas.

I should first study this golden balance that I got here for no apparent reason.

Thomas returned to his living room, finished, and then calmed down to observe carefully.

The scales, like the other three pieces, hovered above the broken godhead.

Trying to control it with my mind had absolutely no effect. Not even moving the scales, not even moving the pans up or down, was possible.

There are no scales on the balance, and no weights attached, which means it should not be a weighing tool.

In addition, this thing, like the other three pieces, is completely out of Thomas' control.

Thomas's thoughts can only drive divine power; everything else is completely unaffected by his thoughts.

What is this thing for?

The scale usually represents trade, fairness, or justice, but sometimes it also represents other concepts.

Thomas remembered reading Egyptian mythology in his previous life. In Egyptian mythology, after death, people entered the underworld and were judged by removing their hearts, placing them on a scale, and comparing their weight with a feather.

The heart of an evil person is heavier than a feather, so it will fall down and eventually be eaten by a monster. The heart of a good person can float up.

The judge was presided over by the wolf-headed Egyptian god Anubis.

But the problem is, Thor is the sun god.

If it was a sun symbol or a fireball floating above the damaged godhead, it would be understandable. But what about the scales?

I've never heard of any myth in which the sun god holds a scale!

Could it be the "unnecessary divinity" that Prasda mentioned?

But the problem is... no matter how you look at it, this thing doesn't look like a divine being.

Or is it that everyone else's godhead is materialized into something? Is my damaged godhead the only special one?

No, it's not! That's definitely not the case.

When Thomas traveled to this world and accidentally realized for the first time that he possessed a damaged divine nature, he recognized the damaged divine nature at once.

Although you have never seen it before, when you see it for the first time, you will naturally understand that this is a divine being!

But this scale is a golden scale, just like the sacrificial knife next to it, which is also a sacrificial knife.

Although I don't know why a golden balance would be absorbed by the damaged godhead...

But since the sacrificial knife and the bronze mirror can absorb it, it seems normal to have an extra scale.

Thomas began to move his divine power to touch the golden scales.

But it seems to be of no use.

Unlike the bronze mirror and fire, this golden balance is not affected by divine power - this is exactly the same as the sacrificial knife.

Do I have to make a golden balance?