Gregory III survived the winter of 1447, but did not open his eyes after the first spring breeze embraced Constantinople.

  The two deacons of the Ionian Islands, both of which belonged to the diocese of Epirus, pushed the patriarch's dormitory with the list of the appointment of the archipelago priests by Bishop Sextus of Epirus, just in time for the last words of Gregorus III.

  The old patriarch pursed his lips a few times, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and the old priest, who was at a loss, tried to come forward and hear more clearly, but the man on the bed did not speak again, but raised his hand with great strength and grabbed the curtain hanging down beside the bed.

  Gregory III seemed to want to lie down on his back, but his hands waved in vain for a long time, and before the steady stream of people who poured into the room could take a final look at the old patriarch, he had already returned to the arms of the Lord.

  "Hail the Blessed Virginity—"

  The boy shouted sharply, and the entire Hagia Sophia fell into deep grief.

  ……

  "The old patriarch has passed away."

  The obituary passed a little slower, or rather, Gombryne, who returned with Sextus. The archbishop made a pilgrimage to John, and the matter spread from Gombryne to Epirus.

  "A month later, the Memorial Mass was presided over by the new Patriarch, Athanatius II."

  Sextus did not seem to be in much of a sad mood, and his ability to become Archbishop of Epirus had little to do with Gregory III. The Patriarchate of Hagia Sophia actually extended to the believers in the Balkans and Anatolia, and the Metropolitan Diocese of Moscow, although still nominally under the rule of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was already highly independent. Sextus' appointment as Archbishop of Epirus was also the result of the game of these idle patriarchs. Egrius only announced this result to Constantine XI.

  "Athanasius...... John didn't come and go to church very often, and he didn't know much about patriarchs like Athanatius. It is only said that Athanasius was an extremely fanatical believer, and that he was younger than Gregory III, and that he must have been able to sit in the position of patriarch for a few more years. Moreover, he had been appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem, and now that the Knights of St. John had taken control of Cyprus, and the Mamluk Bulgi dynasty was weakened, it was worth looking forward to whether a protracted holy war would break out during Atanatius' tenure.

  "Would Your Majesty like to attend?" Sextus very decisively interrupted John's not-so-realistic assumptions.

  "Don't I need to be there?" John asked curiously. In his impression, not to mention the Patriarch's memorial mass, even if an ordinary bishop died, Constantine, who was Basilius, would go to the church to pay his respects.

  "No...... I mean, whether His Majesty is present or not, the nature of the whole memorial Mass will change as a result. ”

  Sextus looked up and removed his hood. His skin was paler and paler from the long envelope of the wide clergyman's robes, and although Sextus was almost a fairly young monk from the outside, his eyes revealed a shadow that did not correspond to that of a saint.

  "You don't just represent you. Your Majesty, you are the wind and banner of the future empire. He is also the only one who can determine the direction of Orthodoxy. Ironically, since the restoration of Athens, the expansion of the empire and the Orthodox Church has been almost entirely under your control. His Majesty Constantine is more responsible for the stability of the country and the improvement of the law, turning the ruins and ruins of your recovery into a prosperous city. ”

  John nodded slightly. What Sextus said is indeed true. Constantine XI is now in a position to cede military power. On the surface, the Holy See Guard and the Fourth Legion were still under his control, but the actual movement was carried out by John. This also made John the undisputed sole heir to the empire. John's words and deeds, every move, can also express the rules of conduct of the empire for a long time to come.

  "Be more detailed."

  "Brother, there's no need to dwell on ......" Sophia paid a slight salute to Sextus and asked Justina to send her out, "He is also a member of the Cardinals, and although Mr. Sextus's impiety is written on his face, even for utilitarianism, he has given everything for the Church. But Athanasius was crowned...... Completely different. ”

  "What do you mean......"

  "As long as you attend the Memorial Mass, after the official ceremony, Athanasius, as a devout believer, will ask you by any means whatsoever about the Empire's attitude towards the expansion of the Orthodox Church. You know, the biggest thing that Crowning Gregory III did in his twilight years was to go to Rome to cancel the bill of church merger, and Athanasius would definitely not miss this opportunity to expand the Orthodox Church around. Sophia spread out a map that had been set aside, "When the time comes, I'm afraid it won't work with the mud." After all, in addition to Athanasius and the clergy of the Orthodox Church, the bureaucrats, the people, and the nobles from all over the empire will want your attitude. This almost directly determined the future expansion of the empire and the church. From the unconquered regions of the Balkans to the two major patriarchates of Anatolia and the Near East......"

  "It's good."

  John stood up and ran his palm over the entire map. The territory of the Eastern Empire was only a small corner of the center.

  "I also think that we are all called the Roman Empire, and we can't just have such a small place."

  "Brother, do you have a fever?" Sophia stretched out her hand and tucked it on John's forehead, "Constantinople further east is a behemoth like the Ottomans, west is the German Empire, up is Crimea and the taiga wasteland, and the south is also the territory of the Crescent Religion, if the empire wants to expand, how can it be so easy to ......"

  "It was not a problem that the Senate and the Roman people could win a Mediterranean bath from the small state of Grex on the Tiber, and the Palaiologos won from the isolated Constantinople to an empire across Europe, Asia and Africa!" John smiled quite confidently, "Besides, now that I owe a last wish, we still have to be a man of his word." Expanding the empire is just a matter of incident. If Athanasius really had that ambition, I wouldn't mind being a favor. ”

  "Last wish?"

  "Archdiocese of Hungary."