After half an hour traveling along the dirt road, the chariot gradually came to a halt.
From outside came the respectful voice of the driver.
"Sage, we have arrived at the estate."
"Very well."
A soft reply was heard from within the chariot.
Then, a hand drew back the curtain of the carriage door.
Out stepped a handsome young man with dark hair. Slender in figure, his features were refined and elegant, and his eyes shone with a confidence as dazzling as the stars.
He wore a white silk tunic like the nobles of the time, with metallic ornaments at his waist. With a warm smile, he gave a slight nod to the driver beside him.
"Thank you for your effort, Odysseus.
"In the coming days, I may need to continue using the chariot. Please take good care of the horses. When you feed them hay, remember to add some beans."
The driver Odysseus felt the young man's respect toward him and could not help exclaiming loudly:
"The kindness of the sage is as vast as the Aegean Sea!
"Even to a commoner like me, he can give such attention!"
That's because kind words cost nothing…
Asshu smiled inwardly, unmoved.
Then he heard Odysseus, eyes filled with reverence, continue:
"Sage, is it true what you said at the royal palace the other day?
"That the Earth is a sphere? And that the stars shining in the sky are also spheres? And that there are countless such spheres in the universe, forming an endless world?"
Asshu could not help but frown.
The debate he had a few days ago with other sages in the royal palace—had it already spread to the common folk?
"It is so."
He nodded, reaffirming his theory once more.
"The Earth beneath our feet is round. If you don't believe me, ask a sailor who often sails at sea. When they spot a ship coming from afar, the first thing they see is the tip of the mast. As the distance closes, the rest of the ship gradually appears."
The driver Odysseus thought carefully.
"So this proves that the surface of the sea, which seems very flat, is actually curved?"
"You have a very sharp mind, Odysseus. You should know that many of the soldiers who listened in the royal palace only understood it gradually after I explained it seven times." Asshu praised him with a smile:
"Perhaps you could use your free time to read more. To be only a driver would be a waste."
"Forgive me, sir."
Odysseus scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
"When I see those crooked characters, my head already hurts… And that's with the script you invented, which is simpler and easier to read and write."
He began to ramble without any formality:
"If it had been before, with those symbols of different sizes that I even had to guess, not only would my head hurt, but it would be like the helplessness and panic I felt as a child when a pack of wolves attacked my flock…"
"Perhaps I can wait for my son… If in the future a woman marries me, I'll have my child study the works of the sage from an early age."
----------------
Asshu watched the driver lead the horse to the stable, and with a warm smile, he turned and walked to his room deep within the estate.
On the way, he passed servants tending flowers, servants sweeping the courtyard, and others preparing food in the kitchen. When they bowed to him, he paused briefly to return the greeting.
As a modern man in his previous life, he lacked the outward arrogance of many nobles of this era.
Yet his arrogance lay deeply hidden in his heart.
Whether for being a transmigrator, or for his knowledge and thoughts that far surpassed this wild age.
All of it gave him a sense of superiority as he looked upon the natives around him, a feeling he could not suppress.
But…
"Even so, arrogance or disdain is meaningless."
Back in his chamber, Asshu lit the fireplace. With its warmth, he sat beside it and sighed softly.
Even with such a powerful advantage, it was impossible that in the few hundred years of a human life, this age could advance into the modern information society.
Therefore… the fast network he once knew, he would not have in this life.
He lacked abundant entertainment.
No bars, no mobile games, no movies or novels.
Even if he lacked neither food nor clothing, living in this extremely primitive and backward era, Asshu felt it all meaningless.
He did not know why he had reincarnated into this life, what his purpose was, or what he could accomplish.
He rose with a light sigh.
Asshu walked to the bookshelf and casually flipped through some of the books he had collected: all crude parchment manuscripts.
The books of this age were, in truth, rather useless.
Almost all were travel diaries or poems praising ancient heroes and gods.
Moreover, the content was extremely crude and exaggerated… At least, to Asshu, those travel diaries were absurdly exaggerated.
A travel diary should have recorded real experiences, but the authors exaggerated them.
Like a hero who, with a single breath, created a hurricane that blew away tens of thousands of soldiers.
Or a warrior in battle who, with a single wave, shattered huge boulders around him.
If the ancients were that strong, the moderns would never have needed nuclear bombs.
He shook his head and returned the manuscript to the shelf.
In his mind, he thought perhaps he should "invent" paper.
Even if there wasn't much knowledge to record in this era, at least going to the bathroom would be easier.
At that moment, the "AFK System," which had never spoken before, suddenly issued a cold message.
"The divine light of the King of the Gods Zeus and the Chief Goddess Athena has covered the host; AFK efficiency has increased one hundredfold.
"First contact with the King of the Gods Zeus: AFK time increased by three hundred years. First contact with the goddess Athena: AFK time increased by two hundred years…"
Asshu's movements froze.
He turned and discovered that two intruders had silently appeared in his chamber.
A striking young man of about twenty, with blue hair and brows.
At his side stood a beautiful girl of fifteen or sixteen, with purple hair, gazing at Asshu with curiosity.
Both wore the attire of common nobles of this era.
But despite the relatively simple tunics they wore, they could not conceal their special aura.
The young man with blue hair looked only a few years older than Asshu.
His expression was kind, his eyes very clear, yet at the same time, there was a sense of majesty radiating from within him, impossible to ignore.
King of the Gods Zeus, Chief Goddess Athena…
So in this world, the gods truly exist?!
Thinking of the system's message, Asshu's mind exploded. His pupils contracted unnaturally, and his heart began to race.
He reacted quickly and discreetly stepped back a few paces.
His body beneath the white silk tunic tensed, showing the natural vigilance of someone who saw strangers intruding into his room. His voice was heavy as he spoke:
"Two intruders—if I am not mistaken, I did not invite you to this estate."