Listening to Laine recount the essence of All Gods, Andrea couldn't help feeling an inexplicable thrill.
Perhaps father and those aristocrats knew of the existence of "Kingship Order" as well, after all, they had all partaken in wars themselves.
But Andrea was certain, they definitely did not know these behind-the-scenes secrets.
"Of course, although the gods can no longer use Divine Power in the Mortal Realm, they can still exert a macroscopic influence to some extent, though it's not as strong as before."
"Before the constraints were in place, the Goddess of Agriculture could wither the plants of half the world, and the Wind Gods could stir up an unceasing wind that covered the eastern continents."
"If one were to spill the Goddess of Youth Hebe's Divine Artifact atop a Mountain peak, the endless Fountain of Youth could form rivers upon rivers, granting everlasting youth to those who drank from them."
"However, once they lost their Divine Power and without such formidable strength to support them, even though Divine Authority still possessed 'absoluteness,' they could no longer control such a large scope. But Zeus's Kingship is still special, not only because his strength far surpasses that of other gods, but also because the power behind his 'Kingship Order' comes not only from himself but also from the mortals, aristocrats, and kings who are willing to support this system, as well as every citizen living under the Kingship Order."
"Their adherence to the Order itself provides it with strength, so Zeus's Sovereign power can still cover every Kingdom in the Mortal Realm—of course, as mentioned before, once this order is established, he himself cannot violate it. And this order must be favorable to the mortals' aristocrats and kings; only then will they wholeheartedly endorse it, continuously providing it with power."
Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Laine said with a smile, "And one part of this order is that it gives substantial power to the concept of 'Kingdom.'"
"At other times, assassination, strife, adventures, those powerful Transcendents and incarnated Deities show no restraint in demonstrating their strength, but when war breaks out between two 'Kingdoms,' or when an individual commits a universally recognized crime, then this power vested by the 'Kingship Order' materializes."
"It instinctively rejects power that exceeds its limits—just as the current laws of the world also reject Divine Power. The more Kingdoms involved in the war and the wider the impact, the stronger this materialized power becomes."
"By then, deities may still be stronger than common people, but they can no longer demolish armies with their individual power; those demigods who roam the Mortal Realm can no longer act unbridled."
"So Theseus's deterrence is because of the combined strength of his power and the national power of Athens, not merely due to his own might. Only by possessing both can he keep the gods restless."
"Of course," Laine added at the end of his narrative, "since this power is a manifestation of the 'Kingship Order,' it also originates from mortals' recognition and adherence to life, so it's not instantaneous."
"To unilaterally declare war is meaningless; you need to make your citizens aware of your war. To unilaterally declare that a person has committed a serious crime is also pointless; only when a person's sins are known to all will they be penalized. Therefore, using this power for a surprise attack, luring a formidable person into an ambush by the army, is impossible, as he would realize your malice beforehand."
"And this does not mean strong beings are useless on the battlefield; they just can no longer change the outcome of a battle single-handedly. As long as there is no absolute disparity between the two parties, they can still influence the course of the battle."
"In essence, this power actually conforms to the collective will of most life forms under an order system."
"They wish to be meaningful as a 'number.' And the 'Kingship Order' grants them that."