After hearing this, Linley frowned slightly and asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"
Boris calmly replied, "First, I am a businessman. Second, I am a follower of Hermes. The reason I believe in Hermes is that his faith helps me succeed in business."
Linley continued to ask, "So, when he can no longer help you, you immediately turn to Holiness?"
Boris answered without hesitation, "Indeed, this is what Lord Hermes taught me."
Linley couldn't help but recall the classic saying: capitalists will even sell the rope to hang themselves if it means making a profit. Although Boris is not yet a true capitalist, his essence is the same as that of capitalists.
To keep doing business and making money, they don't care about shifts in ideology or faith. When the Olympian gods were in power, they believed in the Olympians; when Holiness came to power, they converted to Holiness.
Their attitude towards secular regimes is the same. When Crete ruled, they obeyed the king; when Athens was strong, they obeyed Athens; when the Persians came, they obeyed Persia; when the Romans came, they obeyed Rome; if the Ottomans or the British come in the future, they'll comply with them too.
These businessmen are great at adding to the splendor, and if the profit is big enough, they'll help in times of need, but you can never rely on them as a fundamental force. Anyone who tries to rely on businessmen will end up getting hurt by them.
Linley asked, "So you don't really believe in Holiness, but secretly still follow Hermes?"
Boris replied frankly, "This is a reluctant move, I hope you understand. Here's a small gift, a token of my appreciation." He snapped his fingers, and a servant behind him brought out a large chest and placed it in front of Linley. A servant opened the chest, which was filled with gems and gold coins, far more than what Linley had looted from the governor's mansion and the church.
But the most eye-catching were the ten statues of the Dionysus in the center of the chest, cushioned with luxurious silk. Some of these statues were made of wood, and some of bronze. Although they were exquisitely crafted, their value wasn't as high as the silk underneath.
Boris continued, "If the Dionysus can take over Crete and maintain rule in the future, we're also willing to believe in him. But for now, please forgive us and let us keep believing in Holiness."
Seeing these statues, Linley thought it would be too harsh to not show any respect. These statues were the best evidence that Boris didn't really believe in Holiness.
Linley had a flash of inspiration and asked, "Aren't you afraid of having your property confiscated for secretly collecting the Dionysus's statues?"
Boris replied, "Of course I am afraid, but our family is well-defended, and everyone is united. No one will betray us, and outsiders don't know we have these."
Linley sneered, "Oh, really? I don't buy it. Everyone, move forward on my command!"
The followers of the Wine God shouted to the heavens, and a dozen minotaurs charged together, scattering the servants. The archers inside scattered and fled; none dared to face the minotaurs unprotected.
A minotaur suddenly knocked Boris to the ground, making him groan in pain. His robe was already torn, his face covered in blood, making him look extremely miserable. Linley walked up and instructed his followers to lift Boris, tie him up with ropes, and force him to walk towards the mansion.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Boris croaked, his voice already hoarse.
"In fact, you've been colluding with Martini for a long time, haven't you?" Linley said coldly. "Everyone thinks you pretended to believe in Holiness while secretly worshipping Hermes. In reality, you pretended to worship Hermes but had already converted to Holiness. Seeing all that wealth in the temple but having to share it and not being able to openly take the most valuable items must have been tough for you. You converted to Holiness, waiting for it to come to power, so you could seize the opportunity to annex the temple and the elder council's properties."
Once capitalists see suitable profits, they become bold. For fifty percent profit, they will take risks; for one hundred percent profit, they dare to trample all laws; and for three hundred percent profit, they even dare to risk any crime, including the gallows.
The profit Boris could gain from annexing the elder council's properties would be extremely rich, possibly far exceeding one thousand percent. How could he resist?
The rise of Holiness is not a recent event but has accumulated over a long period, growing tenaciously despite repeated suppression within the Roman Empire. As a big businessman, Boris had long known the influence of Holiness. For the sake of business, he must have colluded with Holiness long ago.
No matter Boris's previous attitude towards Holiness, once Holiness became the state religion of Rome, he would be the first to turn and support Holiness, using its momentum to annex the temple's properties. This would not only ensure his safety but also earn him a huge profit.
Martini also needed Boris. He wanted to convert the wealth obtained from Crete into cash and send it back to Rome. He wouldn't trust anyone else, but Boris was reliable. Boris himself was under Martini's control, and if anything went wrong, Boris would compensate. Boris had fleets traveling between the two places, making it easy to transfer the money.
"It's not my fault!" Boris shouted emotionally when he saw the situation exposed. "Do you know how much money is in the temple? I look at this money every day, for decades, how could I resist?"
"You're the elder. Isn't it the same to lend the temple's money for business?" Linley asked.
"Yes, that's what I did." Boris replied, "Coming and going, I borrowed hundreds of thousands of gold coins. When I no longer serve as the elder, I must repay the money. What will I do then?"
"So much, hundreds of thousands?" Linley was surprised. "But you usually make money in business, right?"
"Yes, I made a lot, but to repay so much money at once, where would I get that much cash! I thought about it over and over, and there was only one way, to completely bring down the temple and privatize it." Boris explained.
"So you cooperated with Holiness... But didn't you think, with so much money in your hands, wouldn't Martini cause you trouble? When he no longer serves as the governor of Crete, will he still keep you around?" Linley questioned.