A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

"If the fleet doesn't work, let's take some money and go to Rome to recruit an army of 800 mercenaries." Thomas sighed and said.

In any case, their own army could not be given to the Byzantines as cannon fodder.

That is an indispensable condition for one's ascension and overcoming tribulations.

But in this case, it would cost at least hundreds of thousands of florins.

Although the Venetian ran away without paying the final payment, the 100,000 deposit that was paid earlier will definitely not be recovered.

"Not only that, they also made additional demands," said the clerk.

"any request?"

"They asked you, Grand Commander, to lead the team personally to prevent this from happening again!"

Thomas was stunned for a moment, then suddenly grinned.

"This is really..."

It was known from the beginning that the Byzantines had bad intentions.

But now, it's targeted hostility.

The author says:

Author's words: Thanks to readers Qian Qian Shi Xiu Ying and Bing Shi Lan for their rewards.

I will continue to work hard.

Chapter 101: Join the Army 1

The docks of Constantinople.

On a large galley.

Although warships of this era were basically galleys, galleys also came in different sizes.

Although there is no detailed classification of battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and other levels like in Thomas' previous life, some things are eternal.

In the absence of a generational gap in technology, the larger the warship, the higher its offensive and defensive capabilities, the better it can withstand rough seas, and the slower it is. The opposite is true for smaller warships.

Generally speaking, warships need to find a balance between attack and defense, speed and the ability to withstand wind and waves.

It can be simply divided into large, medium and light.

Of course, there are many in between, large, medium, small and medium-sized, etc.

Ships of different grades have different uses. For example, pirate ships will never choose large warships, let alone large ones, even medium-sized ones are rare.

But the army needs these battleships, which are much larger than their counterparts. Light ships are only auxiliary, and medium-sized and above can be the main force.

Thomas stood at the bow, looking at the large warship in the distance.

"Andrea, how much do these battleships cost?" Thomas suddenly asked.

"The bigger it is, the more expensive it is. This 'Caesar' will cost you at least 30,000 to 50,000 yuan," said Andrea.

The normal price of a common medium-sized warship is 10,000 florins, while this battleship is several times more expensive.

They were now on a small boat, slowly approaching the dock.

"Battleships... If you want to form a decent squadron, you need at least two or three of these large battleships." Thomas sighed.

Even in its heyday, the Knights only possessed one or two main battleships.

The battleship is too big, it brings a lot of people, the cost is high, and the speed is slow... The Knights can't afford it!

The Knights' fleet is not intended for decisive battles at sea, but for escort and harassment, and this type of warship is not a necessity.

In addition to the main battleships, there are also a large number of medium-sized warships gathered.

It can be seen that the Byzantine fleet was composed of ideas.

Large battleships are the core, medium-sized ships are the main force, and light ships are dispensable auxiliary ships and are not numerous.

This time, the Byzantines concentrated at least dozens or even hundreds of warships and probably took out most of their belongings.

If it suffered a defeat, Byzantium would probably be immediately devastated and would not be able to recover for a long time.

On the deck of the Caesar, someone was using a telescope to observe the approaching boat.

Thomas's face can be clearly seen through the telescope.

"Oh, it looks like our old friend is here!" Prince Andronicus casually tossed the telescope to an old man beside him. "Look, that one at the front of the bow is Thomas."

The old man took the telescope and looked carefully.

The other side only had one small boat coming over...and no army.

But, that's not important.

As long as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar arrives, his goal will be achieved.

It didn't take long for the boat to approach the Caesar.

Seeing this, the people on the big ship lowered a ladder, and several people climbed up.

"Your Highness," Thomas said, smiling broadly as he looked ahead at the prince who had come alone to greet him. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Your Excellency, Grand Commander," the prince's smile turned much colder. "If I remember correctly, you should be bringing a fleet..."

"Or an army," Thomas said with a smile. "Although I don't have any on hand, I've already made arrangements. Several of my lieutenants have already hired the required number of mercenaries in Italy, and the relevant team will rendezvous with us within two or three days."

"I see. You came straight here like this? His Majesty the Emperor might be waiting for you in the Grand Palace."

"I don't think there's any need for me to bother Your Majesty." Thomas continued to smile. "My duty is to cooperate with your military operations, isn't it?"

He glanced at the city not far away.

He had no intention of entering the city. If he went on land, even if he was protecting the country, his life would be in danger.

He was in Kiev and had seen how the army exhausted a patriot to death.

Although Huguo was not actually killed in the end, hundreds of lives were lost and he was exhausted.

Although Huguo was known as a demigod, he was not invincible. If he were truly besieged by tens of thousands of soldiers, he would die.

But at sea...

No single ship could contain enough military power to crush a Protectorate, because the ship was only so big.

Even the Caesar normally only has three or four hundred crew members.

Even if a scene like the Hongmen Banquet where "cups are smashed as a signal and soldiers on both sides rush out" occurs, Thomas is confident that he can fight his way out and escape.

Even a counterattack is not impossible.

"I wonder where the target is this time?" Thomas asked.

"During this period, the empire has won consecutive victories and defeated the Star-Moon Cult's fleet twice." The prince said proudly.

I understand. Killing ten thousand enemies only to lose eight thousand of our own. It just so happens that the bulk of these eight thousand "lost" were transferred to the unfortunate Venetians. Thomas complained inwardly.

But from the Byzantine perspective, it was indeed two consecutive victories.

"So, the real opportunity has arrived!" said the prince.

"what chance?"

"Smyrna!" replied the prince.

Smyrna is the largest port on the west coast of the Anatolian Peninsula and the terminus of the Silk Road.

In fact, it is not far from Rhode Island.

In Thomas's memory from his previous life, this place was once the territory of the Knights Hospitaller.

Unfortunately, Timur's invasion army not only dealt a heavy blow to the Ottoman Empire, but also captured Smyrna, massacred the city, and built a mausoleum.

When Timur withdrew, the Crescent Moon sect naturally made a comeback and easily captured Smyrna.

Furthermore, whether in the past or present worlds, the Crescent Moon Cult has a penchant for changing names. Smyrna became Izmir, Nicaea became Iznel, Adrianople became Edirne, and even Constantinople was renamed Istanbul.

Thomas gasped.

It seems that the Byzantine Empire really wants to do something.

"Right now, unrest is brewing within the Sultanate of Rum. My intelligence indicates that the Sultanate of Rum is temporarily unable to provide any support to Smyrna. This is a golden opportunity for the Empire!"

"Then... the Knights' mission?"

"Your Excellency, Grand Commander, you just stay on my ship. As for your army, I will arrange it!" said the prince arrogantly.

Or rather, this was his goal.

As long as the leader of the Knights Templar is by his side, the Knights Templar will not be able to play any tricks.

In fact, the Empire's real goal is to consume the Knights.

When the Knights could no longer maintain their power, the Empire could legitimately and peacefully take over Rhodes Island.

As for how it is consumed, the method does not matter.

Depleting the Knights' manpower is a drain, and so is their financial resources. A mercenary force of a thousand men is not cheap.

The prince was aware of the financial situation of the Knights Templar - these things could not be hidden.

Of course, consuming the Knights was a secondary goal, and the real main target was still Smyrna.

The author says:

Author's words: Thanks to reader 1640379448 for the generous reward.

Nothing much to say, more updates today!

Chapter 102: Join the Army 2

A few minutes later, the prince came into the cabin.

On this side, the old man who once used the telescope with him stood with his head bowed and an attitude of respect.

"Did you see that, old man?" asked the prince.

"I saw it..." the old man said. "There is indeed a magic flag in his bag. It should be folded up."

"Oh, how about that flag?" The prince was very interested in this.

There are many rumors now. It is said that it is a secret treasure bestowed by Christ to mortals, which can protect Christ's warriors infinitely.

"Well...magic items themselves are rare, and magic flags are rare among magic items." The old man said cautiously.

"You know that's not what I'm asking, old man! Don't play word games with me!" the prince said coldly. "I want to know what that flag looks like, how powerful it is, and what kind of thing it is!"

"I can't accurately judge the effect of that flag, but it should be just an ordinary magic flag. Of course, this 'ordinary' refers to the magic flag."

"Legend has it that the banner possesses incredible power. It's a divine relic bestowed upon mortals by Christ. The bearer can use it to cast unlimited spells and protect their soldiers. It's even more powerful than the legendary True Cross and Crown of Thorns."

"If such a thing really happened, I would rather believe it was the coming of Christ than the efficacy of this flag."

"You mean... that's a rumor?"

"I don't know if it's a rumor, but the magic banner this Grand Master carries definitely doesn't have that kind of power. Furthermore, such a thing doesn't exist in magical theory. I'd rather believe it's a misunderstanding, and that Christ arrived just as the Grand Master unfurled his banner. But... perhaps he has another banner."

Of course, this possibility is really small.

Magic banners are a rare type of magic item. Thomas couldn't possibly have two.

"I understand," the prince said. "It's just a rumor after all..."

Although his common sense and rational judgment had long told him that such a powerful divine object could not exist.

Even if there was, the Pope would not give it to a Grand Master of the Knights Templar like Thomas.

The Knights of Rhodes Island are second-tier after all, and they need such treasures more than the Holy Land.

Of course you will nitpick the words, saying that Christ showed special grace and bestowed the divine object, and that the Pope loved his followers so much that he was blinded by greed... If you must say it is a possibility, then it is possible, but the possibility is very low and there is no need to consider it at all.

So this answer was indeed consistent with his original guess, so the prince did not ask any further questions, but turned and left.

Leaving the old man alone.

The old man bowed his head respectfully, and only breathed a sigh of relief after the prince had completely left.

He turned around and went back to the window, looking through the window at the captain named Thomas who was still on the deck.