Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 286 Gods and Mortals

Prometheus, in an incredibly passionate tone, loudly praised, "Great You regard mankind as your children, and mankind reveres Your benevolence as their father!"

"A father should naturally protect and care for his children, and children should also respect and support their father!"

"As long as we abide by Your sacred and just order! As long as we uphold Your great and benevolent heart!"

"In this sacred relationship, humanity will surely thrive under your loving guidance and under the protection of your great, sacred, and just order, ultimately bringing greater prosperity to this universe!"

"Your Majesty! This is the final answer I have arrived at after much deliberation. I wonder... what do you think?"

Zeus listened quietly to Prometheus's passionate speech.

These flattering words, though they sound a bit nauseating.

But... I have to admit, it's surprisingly pleasing to the ear.

Furthermore, the core of the "father-son" relationship proposed by Prometheus does indeed align somewhat with His own intentions.

What do all that mortals possess mean to Him?

If He so desires, He can create countless materially rich worlds with a snap of His fingers.

If mortals think they can please Him with some meaningless material things, then they are truly foolish.

What He needs is not even empty and cheap piety.

What He truly needs is for all existence to develop healthily under the sacred and just order He has established, so that the entire universe as a whole can become increasingly prosperous and powerful.

This is what He, as the supreme god-king, truly needs.

Gods are powerful but rare, while mortals, though small and insignificant, are numerous.

For the universe to become more prosperous, the foundation is intelligent life; the more intelligent life there is, the better the universe can develop.

Humans are the first truly intelligent mortal beings, but they will not be the last.

Not only humans, but gods and all living beings should never be two parallel lines that never intersect.

God and all spirits should be intertwined and mutually influential.

Through constant interweaving, they become more resilient, stronger, and more beautiful.

This process requires truly intelligent beings, and these intelligent beings also need to have relative autonomy and independence. If everything is left to God, then what is the point of having them?

A puppet without a self cannot make the universe beautiful.

Valuable wisdom will not blossom among slaves and pets.

Humans are not God's pets; God is not human's nanny.

God should not interfere excessively in human life; nor should people presume to rely on God for everything.

Whoever wants to get something from the other must pay a corresponding price.

God is strong and humans are weak; God has no need for the pitiful amount of human resources.

However, people must exchange their respect and obedience for their safety and survival.

If humanity wants to gain more, it must give more in return.

Through careful interaction with the gods, we continuously learn and become wiser, stronger, and more brilliant, thus making the universe more prosperous.

The gods, too, will grow and become stronger through their interactions with more truly intelligent beings.

It's not unequal, but it's fair.

Zeus was very clear that gods and mortals were absolutely different, and that he was a god.

Only the gods, who are also gods, are the true foundation for making the universe more prosperous.

The purpose of creating intelligent mortals is essentially to allow God to grow and for more gods to appear, so that God-King, who rules over all, can continuously reach perfection.

He will not put the cart before the horse.

Prometheus, on behalf of humanity, has now made a decision that satisfies His core need.

That is—equal rights and responsibilities.

Although... Zeus glanced at Prometheus below, who remained extremely respectful, and chuckled inwardly.

Prometheus, this god of prophecy and foresight, is probably thinking something different from what I think right now.

His "father and son" rhetoric is nothing more than an attempt to use "morality" to bind himself, intending for him, as the "father," to protect humanity without compensation.

it's fine.

The relationship between "father" and "son" is quite fitting.

It should be understood that while the Father has his own duties and responsibilities, He also has the power and control. Since He has set out this framework, the ultimate power to interpret and implement it rests in the hands of the God-King.

What He thinks is not important; what matters is what you think.

If you believe it, then it will definitely come true.

I think, therefore I will succeed.

Zeus, with a faint smile, spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Prometheus, my friend, what you say makes a lot of sense."

"What need does God have for mortal spirits?"

"Everything that mortals possess is nothing more than fleeting clouds and passing breezes to me."

“You are right, I am the father of all living beings, and I will naturally treat all living beings with love.”

"The greatest reward for me is that they can abide by my sacred and just order and live with a kind and loving heart."

Upon hearing this, Prometheus was overjoyed, and the weight that had been hanging over his heart was finally lifted!
He hastily bowed again and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is most benevolent and merciful! Most virtuous and beautiful! Prometheus admires you to the fullest!"

Zeus smiled, raised his hand to indicate that there was no need for such formality, but then continued:

"Human beings are the first intelligent life forms to appear among mortal beings. Although they transgressed some rules at the very beginning of their existence, they were ignorant and naive as newborns, so I am willing to be lenient with them."

"Because I have always placed high hopes on humanity. I also hope that they can live better lives, bring more beauty to the universe, and make the entire universe more prosperous."

"Moreover, the goddesses around me have also descended to earth together to inspect humanity."

"After they came back, they spoke to me more than once about the precious, simple, and pure qualities of humanity. They also really liked these lovely children."

“Prometheus, you have done a good job in the task I entrusted to you, and successfully created humankind. I am very satisfied with that.”

Upon hearing this, Prometheus was overjoyed, deeply feeling that his decision to bring the five goddesses to understand humanity was incredibly wise!
See, those pillow talk tips are really effective!

But Zeus's words continued:
"I am the father of mankind, yes, and I love them too."

"However, I will still treat all living beings in the universe fairly."

"Because, as you just said, I am the Father of all living beings."

"And a truly loving father's love should not be biased, should it?"

Prometheus's heart skipped a beat, and his ecstasy quickly cooled.

He hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty! You are right!"

Zeus smiled and continued unhurriedly, "I have bestowed upon mankind the most precious things—wisdom that can grow freely; the warm fire that illuminates life; and I have forgiven their original sin."

“I even tacitly approved of them becoming the masters of all ignorant life in the mortal world. They could represent the gods to manage and rule those lowly lives in the mortal world. All of this is enough to prove my love for them.”

“But,” Zeus changed the subject, his voice becoming solemn and authoritative, “for the sake of the healthy development and growth of all living beings, and for the ultimate prosperity and strength of the entire universe.”

“As a ‘father,’ I should not give my love to only one race. I should not only be fair, but also avoid spoiling them.”

"Because I know that children can never truly grow up in an environment of excessive pampering. They will only be driven to their ultimate destruction by such pampering."

"In order for children to develop better, they need to be given enough space to grow freely, even if they suffer some setbacks and hardships in the process."

"Isn't that right, Prometheus?"

The respectful smile on Prometheus's face froze instantly.

The words of the God-King were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, startling Him and filling Him with immense shame.

Could it be... that His Majesty already knows what I did in the mortal realm?
Similarly, He could not be sure whether the God-King was simply stating a principle, or... had something else in mind?
He immediately lowered his head even further, adopting an even more respectful posture, and whispered, "No one is more wise than Your Majesty! No one is more insightful than Your Majesty! What Your Majesty says is the ultimate truth of the universe!"

Zeus smiled knowingly before giving his final conclusion: "The birth of intelligent life was precisely to serve the gods."

"Therefore, mankind should not only please me, but also the great gods of Olympus, and should not forget them."

"Let it be as you say. From this day forward, the relationship between gods and mortals shall be like that of father and son."

"A father protects and cares for his children; children should also respect and support their fathers."

"No matter what you do, you should put in some effort to get something in return. That's what makes it fair. And only fairness can last."

"The gods created humankind, bestowing upon them precious life, and even the invaluable wisdom that can grow."

"Now they are even more protective and caring towards them. Although the gods do not demand anything in return from humanity, humanity should still show its own concrete attitude."

Zeus paused for a moment, his deep golden eyes gazing silently at the Titan below who was bowing his head.

After a few breaths, he continued slowly, "Prometheus, humanity should show the gods their piety and respect. This needs to be demonstrated through actions, not just empty words."

"The gods do not need the meager material offerings from humans. However, humans must prove to the gods through the act of devout offerings that they are worthy of the gods' love and protection."

(End of this chapter)