A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

"Really..." The Governor sighed softly.

If he had known that his son could make a breakthrough on the battlefield, he would have sent little Balbo to the army long ago. The Republic of Venice was not without an army, nor was it without war.

Of course, the reason he didn't do this was because he was worried that his son didn't have much brains.

This silly boy is a typical young and inexperienced person. I guess he will lead the charge into battle when his mind gets hot.

Although it is glorious, it is easy to die!

Although his martial arts skills were indeed excellent and he would not be at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, on the battlefield, swords and guns were blind, and bullets and arrows really did not recognize anyone!

Governor Balbo himself had been to the battlefield and naturally knew the dangers involved.

"But... it's okay..."

His son is blessed by Christ. In addition, Captain Thomas's command ability is also quite good.

Governor Balbo witnessed with his own eyes the Knights Templar, which was on the verge of disintegration, gradually transform into a powerful force in the eastern Mediterranean.

Although it is not strong enough to suppress all directions.

But at least it's like a nail, and it's difficult to pull out the Knights easily.

"How are you doing with the Knights?"

"Very good. And I remember I have already written to you." Little Balboa replied doubtfully.

Governor Balbo laughed uncontrollably. "The letter is unreliable."

He had just sent a letter to the Pope yesterday shirking his responsibility, and then held a welcoming ceremony today to welcome the Knights Templar's plenipotentiary representative.

Some things can only be explained face to face.

"You are in the Knights, do you know what the Knights' next plan is?"

The Governor had also heard of it.

Although many of Grand Master Thomas' decisions were made entirely on his own, in most cases he would still hold meetings to discuss countermeasures with the Knights Templar's senior leaders.

"I don't have any plans... According to what the Grand Master said, there's nothing we can do for the time being. Now we have to find a way to eliminate the debt."

"So, the Knights and the Sultan have reached a truce? Do you know the details?"

"I know, but... the Grand Commander forbade us to tell anyone..." Little Balbo glanced around, making sure no one was around. "The ten-year truce prohibits both sides from stockpiling troops along the border, and a buffer zone is established... The price is Ephesus."

The governor laughed, his son was still the same.

Although he became a protector of the country, he was still that young and naive person.

Of course, no one ever claimed that becoming a Protector of the Nation made one smarter. It simply made one stronger, but the brain remained the same.

"Grandmaster Thomas sincerely accepted this treaty..." The Governor understood. "Our Holy See..."

If the Pope had chosen to fully support the Knights instead of suppressing them, then within a few years, there would have been a certain probability that the Knights would have conquered all of Anatolia and completely destroyed the Sultanate of Rum.

At the very least, the Turks could be severely wounded and no longer pose a threat. Furthermore, a land connection to the Holy Land from the north would be established, giving the Holy Land a vast strategic leeway.

Although this matter had nothing to do with the Republic, it was still a Christian country after all. If the whole matter had nothing to do with the Republic of Venice and did not require the Republic to pay any price, the Doge would still be happy to see the Knights win.

Of course, if the Republic has to pay a price...that's another matter.

"So, what does this contact between the Grand Commander and the Republic mean?"

"It should be normal cooperation and strengthening economic and trade relations," said Balbo Jr.

He was a little unsure about this matter.

No matter how foolish little Balboa was, he knew that his identity was very sensitive. If Thomas had any secret plans, he would definitely keep them from him.

"Isn't he using you to force Venice to bow down?" the Doge asked.

Status is like a seesaw. When one side rises, the other side falls. Now Governor Balbo bows his head, and he will keep bowing his head in the future.

Kindness and weakness are inseparable identical twins. Governor Balbo is happy to show his kindness, but on the premise that he cannot let others think he is weak.

"How is that possible!" Little Balbo blurted out. "Father, don't look at the Grand Master like that. He is... a true knight!"

"Oh..." Governor Balbo made a meaningful sound.

Chapter 386 Homecoming 3

He wouldn't believe such a thing.

Although he wouldn't remind his silly son.

This foolish son had probably been brainwashed by Thomas. It was useless to try to convince him anytime soon.

If you were to say Thomas was a true Christian knight, the kind who embodied all eight virtues...

The governor would rather believe that corruption in the church will be eradicated from now on!

Yes, Thomas had always targeted pagans, but was much more tolerant of his fellow believers. He had also actively fulfilled his responsibility to protect Christians and had never shown any cruelty, but this did not mean that Thomas was a good person.

But the Governor knew very well that his spy team of over a hundred people...

But they were all destroyed by Thomas.

It was a very thorough massacre, leaving no one alive and no surrender accepted. After being knocked down, the corpse would be shot in the head to ensure complete death.

In the eyes of a professional politician like the Governor, anyone who can become the head of a country (the Grand Master is also considered the head of a country) is a potential fraudster!

Don’t be fooled by the fact that every leader shouts slogans loudly, but if you just test their humanity a little, you will find that the daily rationality that has always maintained them is so fragile.

There's nothing you can do about it. When a politician embraces reality, rather than dwelling on fantasy...

The heavy reality will lead them into the dark deep sea.

Therefore, real politicians have long lost the knowledge of what light is!

"You mean, if you want to return to secular life, he won't stop you?"

Little Balboa blushed.

"Father, I can't leave the Knights without a reason... and I'm living very well there... This matter concerns my reputation! It also concerns the honor of the entire Knights!"

"If, I mean if!"

"Yes, if there were sufficient reason, the Grand Master would not have stopped me!" said Little Balbo. "You shouldn't question a knight's virtue in this way! He's much better than you think!"

He still remembered that when he and Thomas first met, he was too arrogant to challenge the Grand Master, and he had provoked him several times.

But the captain didn't take this matter to heart at all.

After he came to the Knights Templar, the Grand Master had absolutely no grudge against him. He rewarded him for his merits, promoted him to be the standard-bearer, and also made him the Protector of the Nation.

How can we question such a person and such a style of doing things?

The Governor was finally convinced that his silly son had become a fan of Thomas.

In other words, you can't change your mind just by saying a few words.

This is why Thomas, who clearly had Balboa, the trump card against Venice, sent the trump card back to Venice without a care.

Because he believed that little Balbo would come back!

But having said that, the Governor is still a father after all.

A father would indeed make an effort, knowing that it was doomed to fail, to try to save his foolish son.

"Do you know that Captain Thomas has already used you once?" he said.

"Yes, he did." Little Balbo puffed out his chest proudly. "But he also said that he would give you much more than this little benefit!"

"Did he really tell you? What did he say?"

"He said you would definitely hold a welcoming ceremony to solemnly welcome the envoys. Because of this, the Pope's attempt to push the four nations into war with the Knights was self-defeating. But this was meaningless, because none of the four nations actually wanted to go to war with the Knights. So he was just bursting the bubble in advance. Even if he did nothing, the alliance would automatically disband! This level of exploitation is nothing to behold!"

"Ah..." The Governor was greatly surprised.

I didn't expect Thomas to be so... frank.

"So what benefits will he offer us? I don't believe he will offer any special preferential policies in terms of economic and trade terms."

"Because of this incident, you will greatly consolidate our family's position. You, me, and my other brothers and sisters, our entire family will benefit from this incident. After all, my public return is different from my secret return."

The Governor sighed.

It turns out that I have been deeply brainwashed.

Although what he said was not wrong, he only saw through one side of the problem.

But it's enough to deceive my stupid son.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Anyway, you should be careful with your Grand Commander. He is not the gentleman you think he is!" The Governor decided to change the subject.

"Father, you came here alone... Where is our Archon?"

"Consul? You mean... the envoy?"

"Yes, he used to be the official in charge of Rhodes Island's civil affairs, but after returning this time, he will be appointed Archon of Ephesus," said Little Balbo. "This matter is not kept secret, so we all call him that."

"Your mother and your brother are with him. I took some time off to come see you. Did you mention the consul?"

"It's no big deal," said Balbo proudly. "If I wanted, I could get the position of Archon of Rhodes Island... but I just don't want to. I hate all that paperwork!"

"Is the Knights' center of gravity now Smyrna?"

"Yes, the clerk Demetrios is in Smyrna. He is in charge of all matters in Smyrna."

"And the Grand Commander chose to stay in Rhodes Island?" This was really unexpected.

With Thomas's brave and adventurous character, he should be stationed in Smyrna. It's also reasonable for him to be stationed in Ephesus.

"No, Knight Andrea will guard Rhodes Island. I think he's a good fit... Of course, I can definitely compete with him if I want. But I think frontline command is more suitable for me. I haven't decided yet whether to take charge of the army or the navy..."

"What about Captain Thomas?" Governor Balbo keenly noticed the loophole in this statement.

Secretary Demetrios will be in charge of Smyrna, the center of gravity. Knight Andrea will be stationed in Rhodes as a rear guard. Then, any official will be assigned to Ephesus... and then Grand Master Thomas himself...

Are we going to the Holy Land for support?

Just like the previous two years?

"The Grand Master may be leaving for a long journey."

"Travel far?" the Governor asked in confusion. "Why?"

"It was the Pope's order," said young Balbo. "He ordered Grand Master Thomas to go east as an envoy to negotiate peace agreements with the rulers of those distant nations. Let them understand that besides the Holy Land, we do not desire more land."

"Thus reducing their support for the Holy Land?" Governor Balbo immediately understood.

In theory, this is indeed correct and it is a good way to solve the problem from the root.

But in fact……

This is complete bullshit!

Chapter 387 Homecoming 4

Something that works in theory may not work in reality.

Because this is not a confrontation between two countries, but a life-and-death struggle between two civilizations and two religions.

How far can Thomas go with a team of envoys?

As we all know, when religious fanaticism strikes, people lose sight of everything else. Not to mention anything else, even their own lives become as insignificant as a feather.

If the envoys encountered any territory with a fanatical religious atmosphere, or if any small or medium-sized lord gathered a crowd to attack...

Winning would only bring more revenge from the enemy. Losing would mean dying in vain!

Is there anyone who can uphold justice for them?

In particular, people are actually quite ignorant about distant countries.

In the Holy Land, the Turks, Saracens and Christian civilizations are adjacent to each other, so everyone knows what the situation is.

But once you leave the Buyid Dynasty, few people know what the situation is like there.

It’s not that there haven’t been businessmen going to those places, but the information they obtained was fragmented and contradictory.

At present, we only know that the East is a vast land. They are not unified... and within each territory, there are many political regimes that come and go, and the flags on the city walls change almost every ten years.

Fortunately, the profits from the silk trade were substantial. No matter how chaotic the war, no one could resist money. Therefore, news from China, the easternmost of the world, occasionally reached Europe.