"Indeed, the master never invited us."
Unexpectedly, the King of the Gods did not reveal his identity right away but instead behaved with great courtesy toward a mere mortal.
He looked Asshu up and down, and his voice carried a tone of astonishment:
"Still, the debate in the royal palace the other day truly surprised me. I did not think that in this world there could be someone so learned, with such outstanding wisdom."
"In my delight, I forgot to observe the formalities of a visit."
"...I see. It seems you both are seekers of the truth."
Asshu seized the opportunity, let go of his guarded expression, and nodded with a smile.
"I am glad that my views can be accepted and spread by more wise men."
As for the crime of trespassing into his estate, he wisely brushed it aside.
To question the King of the Gods and the Chief Goddess...
For a mere mortal, it would be nothing less than courting death.
Zeus's pleasant attitude at the moment did not mean he would not later erupt in anger if provoked.
Asshu invited the two to the estate's guest hall, doing his best to appear as though he had not uncovered their true identities.
"Since the guests have arrived, I shall order lunch to be prepared."
When Zeus nodded, Asshu quickly excused himself, hurried to the back kitchen, and told the cook to slaughter a lamb and prepare a fine meal as quickly as possible.
On the way, he silently reflected on what had just happened, his brow furrowed slightly.
Gods truly exist in this world!
For an atheist, such a fact shook the very foundations of his worldview.
Yet, if he himself could cross the river of time and return to antiquity, then the existence of gods was not so hard to accept.
But why had the mighty Zeus suddenly come to his estate?
Thinking of Zeus's later reputation in mythology as one who did not distinguish between genders, Asshu felt a chill run through him.
Damn it, could he be asking me to pick up the soap?
He was quite confident in his looks in this life.
People often said he carried "the radiance of the gods."
The very standard of beauty in all of Athens.
But...
Asshu thought carefully.
If Zeus had truly descended to amuse himself, he would never have brought Athena along.
It seemed he had no need to worry about his chastity.
Asshu let out a breath of relief.
Immediately, he turned to consider the gods' true intentions.
"Zeus just mentioned the debate at the royal palace a few days ago..."
That time, several sages from other city-states had traveled a long distance.
While the king of Athens received them warmly, he also invited local sages to join.
Among them was Asshu, the inventor of writing.
During the royal banquet, the sages discussed astronomy and geography.
Seizing the opportunity of being slightly drunk, Asshu had casually revealed some astronomical theories from later ages, which caused quite a stir.
The banquet turned into a heated debate among the sages.
Not until the sun set and rose again did Asshu finally persuade the gathered scholars and make them accept his ideas.
Could Zeus and Athena have come because of that?
--------------
While he pondered this, the meal was quickly prepared.
Asshu, along with his servants, carried the roasted lamb into the guest hall and brought two jars of house wine.
"Two guests from afar, might you introduce yourselves?"
He took the main seat and, according to custom, raised his cup in a toast.
"If I give my name, I fear this banquet will not be so pleasant."
Zeus sidestepped the question.
At his side, Athena also smiled, her beautiful face glowing with dazzling radiance.
"It seems I was not mistaken—our guests are indeed extraordinary."
Asshu sighed softly and did not press further.
In truth, he was glad the two gods did not reveal their identities.
That way, they could speak as equals.
After all, Asshu had been an atheist in his past life, and he did not know how to treat gods in a manner that would seem natural to the people of this age.
And before gods, if he showed insufficient reverence, punishment would be swift.
As for reverence... He was not a true believer, so he could not fake the heartfelt devotion others displayed!
Zeus lifted a cup of wine from the table, and with a calm expression, took a small sip.
"Sage of Athens, what do you believe is the shape of the world's structure?"
The food and wine of mortals, though carefully prepared, did not truly interest the gods.
They ate only a few bites for the sake of courtesy.
"A great sphere."
Asshu answered without hesitation:
"Not only the world beneath our feet, but also the stars in the heavens must be spheres."
"Then why do we not fall if we are standing on a sphere?"
Athena spoke for the first time, her voice ethereal and clear.
"Because the world beneath us constantly releases a kind of attracting force, which causes all things to move only toward the ground. That is why apples fall to the earth, and why no matter how high we jump, we always fall back down..."
As he spoke, Asshu secretly observed the two deities' expressions.
At first, he had thought that his later-age astronomical knowledge had stirred their curiosity, prompting their visit.
But now, it seemed neither Zeus nor Athena showed much surprise.
This proved that they already knew the true form of the world.
And it also proved... that this "world of gods" was not flat, but made up of planets, just as in his former life.
"The wisdom of the sage Asshu is truly remarkable."
After hearing his explanation, Athena spoke softly.
Her tone held no condescension but only sincerity.
Compared with her role as the goddess of wisdom and war, this revealed her approachability, which made Asshu feel a great fondness for her.
"Indeed, there are not many with knowledge like yours."
Zeus also nodded with a smile of appreciation and continued his questioning:
"Sage of Athens, can you explain to me the stars in the sky and the sun? Why do they shine?"
"Have you ever seen a volcanic eruption?"
Asshu racked his brain, trying to craft an explanation of starlight that would not sound too advanced for the age, lest he arouse the gods' suspicion:
"I have read in certain travel accounts that some people have witnessed volcanic eruptions. From the depths of the earth, a heat so intense bursts forth that it can easily melt mountains and rocks."
"This shows that deep within the earth lies an unimaginably powerful flame, one that may never grow cold."
He sighed.
"If it were ever fully released, it might destroy the entire world in an instant."
The two gods listened silently to the rest.
But with their wisdom, they had likely already guessed what Asshu would say next.
"So sometimes I wonder if the sun above, and those faraway stars, might once have been worlds like ours."
"Only, when their underground flames fully erupted, they set the whole world ablaze forever—and that is why they shine with such brilliance."
The admiration in Athena's eyes grew deeper.
Zeus also wore a smile of approval.
"Though not entirely correct, for a human to speculate that the sun and stars burn eternally based on this is proof enough of your extraordinary wisdom."
"The young sage Asshu of Athens—truly, not an empty name."
Asshu kept his expression calm, but inwardly, he sighed.
If not for fear of revealing his identity as a transmigrator, he could have begun with the Big Bang theory, then gone on to speak of supernovas, neutron stars, white dwarfs, black holes, white holes, and all the other knowledge of strange celestial bodies.
But for now, he had no choice but to feign ignorance.
thank