When everyone returned to the Pelion Cave that evening, although the more composed disciples said nothing, the big-mouthed Jason didn’t hesitate to recount everything that had happened between Asterios and Atalanta during the day to Chiron.
Chiron smiled as he listened, his gaze shifting toward Asterios.
Asterios lowered his head rather guiltily; he had handled the matter poorly.
Even though he had saved her, he had ultimately driven Atalanta away in anger.
Seeing his expression, Chiron knew he didn’t need to worry about this matter.
It was quite simple; as long as Asterios didn’t let his head get too hot and start going to extremes, then with his personal qualities, this wouldn’t be much of a problem.
Chiron was deeply convinced of this and remained unwavering.
“Go and rest, all of you.
You did very well today.
Tomorrow, I will go down the mountain to inspect the surrounding areas.
Everyone take a good day’s rest; there will be no assignments or training tomorrow.” His words immediately drew cheers from the surrounding disciples.
Asterios let out a calm sigh and went to the side to sit cross-legged, beginning to ponder his own affairs.
Chiron came to his side and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?
Still feeling regretful about what happened today?” “No, Father.
I was just thinking—is it simply a case of being captivated by her appearance, merely wanting to possess her beauty, vitality, and affection?
Or do I truly like her as a whole person and want to be with her?” It must be said that Asterios’s answer made Chiron feel the boy was acting a bit too mature for his age.
However, it wasn’t a problem; young people’s minds are filled with many thoughts, and thinking deeply is a good thing.
This was much better than acting on a whim and rushing to force himself on someone.
In fact, that Asterios would be so troubled was a good thing in Chiron’s eyes.
Thinking more before acting is always better than letting hot blood go to one’s head, doing the wrong thing, and then falling into deeper regret.
“And what would be the problem with that?
It is perfectly normal to desire her beauty, vitality, and affection.
Without such a spiritual stir, how could there be any follow-up between you?
If you had no feelings in your heart, how could you create more intersections with her?
This is a beautiful beginning, as long as you do not force her.” Asterios fell into silence, then lowered his head and chuckled softly, candidly admitting to Chiron that he had overthought it.
Matters of the heart were indeed not as complicated as he had made them out to be; it would be better to be direct when the time came, expressing whatever thoughts were in his heart.
Hearing that this little knot in his heart had been untied, Chiron smiled and patted his shoulder, saying he should handle it himself.
There is no way to have everything in this world; some things require a bit of boldness to progress.
What can one gain by being timid?
Nothing at all.
Afterward, everyone went to rest, leaving only Asterios sitting there.
Following his call within his mind, the concept of lightning appeared before him.
“Noble Heavenly Father, when you associated with those human women, what was your state of mind?” Asterios asked the Zeus before him.
Zeus was momentarily stunned by the question.
He didn’t even know how to respond, as he had never imagined Asterios would ask him such a thing.
Wow—in Greece, asking Zeus what he thinks when he falls in love with mortal women…
besides Asterios, what lunatic would ask that?
This caused Zeus’s brain to stall for a moment; he couldn’t even maintain his air as the King of Gods.
After several seconds of thought, the scepter in his hand vanished.
Zeus then stepped forward, walked to Asterios’s side, and sat on the ground just like him.
“I was very happy at the time.
It was that momentary throb—my soul and my Divine Core were both letting out delightful groans.
Then I wanted to go down there, and I think you can guess what happened next.” Zeus actually appeared quite candid.
For his long life, the time spent with a human woman was incredibly brief.
Yet he clearly remembered his time with every human woman he had ever loved, and the moments they spent together.
To Zeus, those were happy memories.
Even if he would be blasted by Hera afterward, and even if his beloved might face Hera’s revenge, Zeus and the women he loved did not regret the feelings between them.
That said, Zeus had originally thought Asterios called him because he felt lost in life or had new thoughts about the future.
It turned out that this call was actually to ask about love.
How should one put it?
This question was indeed within Zeus’s professional expertise, yet he didn’t seem quite so professional about it.
“Was it the same with Danaë in the Shower of Gold?” Asterios brought this up; it was something Athena had told him about, the story of the great hero Perseus.
“I cannot deny it; I was indeed quite impulsive then.” Zeus recalled the joy of that time and smiled subconsciously, and Asterios smiled along with him.
“You are so powerful and hold such boundless authority, yet your ultimate hobby is merely this.
This is truly…
perhaps the people of the earth should thank you for your mercy.” Asterios wasn’t flattering him, but merely stating a fact.
Zeus just smiled calmly, which signified his acceptance of Asterios’s praise.
“However, if the gods are provoked, terrifying things will descend.
Asterios, your strength is no less than that of my daughter; eventually, your power may even reach mine.
I look forward to seeing what you will do then.” Having said that, Zeus reached out and ruffled Asterios’s hair, just like a grandfather doting on a beloved grandson.
What Zeus gave Asterios at this moment was his benevolence.
In the next moment, Zeus vanished.
Asterios also closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep; he needed rest as well.
Meanwhile, having just finished some chores, Atalanta finally managed to get information about Asterios from her father’s generation.
Primarily, this wasn’t hard to ask about; it was just that Atalanta had never asked before.
As long as you asked in the villages around Mount Pindus about a handsome young man of 1.8 meters with blonde hair and blue eyes, everyone would tell you that he was Chiron’s son, the Eldest Senior Brother of the Pylion disciples, and the respected hero Asterios.
“Hmm~?
This is rare.
We’ve been back for so long, and you’ve never asked about such things before.
Did Asterios provoke you?
That shouldn’t be right; that child has always been polite and hasn’t shown any signs of being crude.” Her Adoptive Father found it a bit unbelievable as he spoke.
In his impression, Asterios was a textbook good kid; how could he have provoked his adoptive daughter with her cold temperament?
“It’s nothing like that~!” Atalanta didn’t say much more.
After finishing her questions, she went straight to sleep, too lazy to continue the conversation.