Chapter 265: Prometheus, Now An Obstacle
Meanwhile, Zeus’s beloved goddesses were also having a wonderful time in the mortal world.
Hestia and her two sisters went to the mortal world hand in hand.
They concealed their forms, restrained their divine radiance, and acted discreetly. They didn’t even proactively contact Prometheus or the Muses.
They simply wanted to observe these newborn humans with their own eyes, seriously.
They traversed wind and snow, mountain breezes, river valleys, and woodlands.
They paused where smoke rose from hearths, listening to the tinkling of stone tools and the crackling of firewood in the bonfires.
They saw rough animal skins draped over slender shoulders, and children joyfully chasing dandelion seeds.
They saw men, women, old, and young gathered around bonfires, singing and dancing under the moonlight, thanking fire and gods with the most simple and sincere emotions.
They saw young children learning to roast fish over the fire, though the fish more often than not ended up burnt.
Similarly, they also saw people injured during hunts, drowning while fishing, and enduring hunger when food was scarce.
During these months of observation, the affection of the warmest and most loving goddesses for humanity deepened day by day.
Present-day humans were simple and natural, like fresh snow on the ground, unstained by dust.
Their lives were simple and difficult, yet they were optimistic and resilient, experiencing the world with curiosity and enthusiasm, which made these goddesses fond of everything.
The difficult and arduous lives of humans moved these great Mother Goddesses to deep sympathy.
They were also contemplating how they could truly help humanity.
Unfortunately, as goddesses, they found it difficult to come up with an answer regarding the development of mortal civilization, which had no precedent.
They truly couldn’t think of a way to pave a path for humans to walk on their own, without interfering with their autonomous development.
After all, they had never experienced the struggles of mortal spirits.
As for the most basic survival knowledge that could be taught, Prometheus and the nine Muses were already doing an excellent job.
Hestia also relayed the greatest challenge currently faced by humanity to Hera.
The three goddesses deliberated repeatedly and unanimously agreed that what humans needed most was food that could ensure the stable survival of their race.
And Demeter, as the Mother of Earth, was entirely capable of providing this.
However, under Hestia’s restraint and before they were certain of Zeus’s true intentions for humanity’s future, they could only suppress their thoughts for the time being and continue their observation.
During their travels, they also encountered Adrasteia and Ida, who had already descended to the mortal world.
These two godmothers of all spirits—the loving and protective goddess, and the loving and nurturing goddess.
When the second generation of humans was born, these two goddesses felt subtle tremors in their authority.
After investigating, they discovered that it was caused by the reproduction of mortal spirits.
Zeus had been “busy,” so they, being idle, decided to descend together and inspect.
Gentle and kind, they undoubtedly and quickly became fond of these simple and lively sentient beings.
These lovely children caused their innate motherhood to overflow uncontrollably.
During this time, they had also been diligently and secretly caring for the young humans.
Without their covert protection, those ignorant humans truly wouldn’t know how to raise children.
If these equally ignorant human infants, with their overly abundant curiosity, were solely under the care of equally inexperienced human parents, they would truly suffer greatly.
After all, Prometheus and the Muses didn’t know how to raise children.
They were adults from birth, with mature minds and divine bodies, never having gone through a so-called “infant stage.”
As single gods, they had no experience in raising children.
Even if they did, it wouldn’t apply to mortal spirits.
Gods and humans were, after all, different.
A large portion of gods did not have an infant stage.
Even if they did, they were easy to care for; sufficient nutrition was all that was needed.
Even if they didn’t, it didn’t matter; their growth process would simply be slower.
Unless other gods were to act against them.
Otherwise, even young gods, no matter how unruly or reckless, would generally face no risk.
This was completely different from those fragile mortal infants.
If the method was incorrect, feeding them milk could even cause them to choke to death; this was not impossible.
Although the God of Death did not exist, they might not die, but that would be even more suffering.
Although Adrasteia and Ida also had no experience in caring for mortal infants.
Caring for Zeus didn’t count; Zeus’s infancy was very short, and besides, that was Zeus!
Applying the method of caring for Zeus to mortal infants would mean having very few survivors.
However, their divine authority was ultimately suited for childcare, and they understood the principles of “nurturing” to some extent.
Coupled with the long-standing experience of all spirits in reproduction and survival, they learned very quickly. With the enhancement of their divine authority, they could even extrapolate and quickly established a system for caring for mortal infants.
They secretly sent the continuously refined knowledge of childcare into human minds.
Teaching humans how to hold, feed, and soothe them, and how to understand the meaning of different cries.
And by personally and diligently taking care of them in secret, they ensured that the second generation of humans, despite some stumbles, all grew up healthy.
After the five goddesses met, being “family of the God King” themselves, they naturally gathered together and continued their travels among the various human tribes.
It was also because of this that their movements grew larger and larger, finally attracting the attention of Prometheus and the nine Muses.
Prometheus swiftly came to pay his respects to the five goddesses, his smile stretching almost to his ears.
These five goddesses were all the most intimate and beloved goddesses of His Majesty the God King!
Prometheus thought to himself: If humanity could gain their favor, it would be incredibly beneficial for humanity’s future development.
If they could genuinely come to like humanity and then speak favorably of them to His Majesty the God King, that would be even more wonderful.
After paying their respects to Hestia and the others, the Muses separated and continued to teach humanity.
Prometheus, however, full of his subtle intentions, personally led the five goddesses and gave them a detailed introduction to the current situation of humanity.
But precisely because of this, Prometheus inadvertently backfired.
He introduced every aspect of human affairs to the goddesses, with meticulous detail.
In his words, there was an undeniable hint of uncontrollable pride.
Prometheus undoubtedly had the deepest love for humanity.
Humans were his most proud and beloved creation.
Therefore, his attitude towards humanity was, in fact, somewhat overly doting.
When humanity encountered difficulties in their development that were “too hard,” he never hesitated to use the mighty power of a god to solve them directly.
If a river flooded, he would change its course; if a storm was too fierce, he would move it; if prey was scarce, he would make herds pass by.
All of this was keenly observed by Hestia.
She realized that, to this day, Prometheus’s actions had, in effect, become the greatest obstacle to humanity’s independent progress.
All the problems encountered by mortal spirits during their growth were merely trivial matters to gods, easily solved with a flip of the hand.
However, for any race’s growth experience to be truly and deeply imprinted into its foundation and bloodline, it must be personally done, personally experienced, and personally overcome by them.
But Prometheus had already done too much for humanity, things he should not have done.
Many were no longer “guidance” but “proxy actions.”
He was so engrossed in playing “house” with humans that he was even starting to forget the God King’s orders.
The relationship between gods and humans, this most serious subject, he had long neglected, even disregarding it.
Yes, whether in the present or in the distant future, as long as Prometheus wished, he could continue to protect humanity like this.
But what about the day when Prometheus’s strength waned?
Or what if he grew tired of it all?
At that time, humans, who had always lived in a “cradle,” would suddenly be forced to face a brutal reality they could not possibly resist on their own.
Then, their outcome was predetermined.
Only destruction.
It was like an infant who, if they could follow the natural progression of crawling, walking, falling, and getting up again…
Then, when they grew up, they could face the adult world with confidence.
But if their parents were overly doting, preventing them from experiencing any setbacks, and solving all their problems for them.
Then, when they finally entered the adult world alone, their ending would also be predetermined.
Doting was never a good method of education.
In fact, it wasn’t true love at all.
It was a gentle murder in the name of love.
Gods could educate and guide the growth of a race, and lend a hand at critical junctures.
But they absolutely could not take over everything and be responsible to the end.
Gods did not exist to be a “nanny” for a race.
If a race never learned to grow on its own, the gods would eventually grow weary.
At that time, even if the gods did not destroy them with their own hands.
But as soon as the gods turned away, destruction would inevitably engulf them.
Even if the gods never grew weary, there would always be various reasons that would force the gods to leave.
Then, the final outcome would be the same.
Prometheus’s current attitude towards humanity was filled with love and pride.
But undoubtedly, this was not equality, nor could it be.
He was still in a condescending position, bestowing and caring like a “creator” for a “creation.”
Then, undoubtedly, if this continued, Prometheus would eventually grow tired and weary of this “constantly demanding intimacy” and ultimately choose to leave.
This point could be confirmed.
