Gods are not divine.
Alaric had always known this.
Unlike the selfless, benevolent deities preached by the Cross Church, true gods, though elevated beyond mortals, were not free of human passions and desires.
Contrary to what people might imagine, gods didn't just possess emotions akin to those of humans, or rather, all sentient beings.
Their emotions were far purer than the ambiguous, ever-shifting feelings of humanity.
But purity was all it was.
What did purity mean?
Gods of benevolence radiated untainted kindness, while gods of malice embodied unadulterated evil.
Gods of the wind were as swift and capricious as the air itself, gods of fire burned with fervent passion and fiery tempers, gods of water flowed with and indecision like their element, and gods of earth stood steadfast and unyielding like stone.
The god of merchants was greedy and loved to haggle, the god of thieves was nimble with sticky fingers, the god of craftsmen toiled with diligent focus, and the god of poets wallowed in melancholy and sentimentality.
The goddess of love yearned for romance, her heart ablaze; the god of war was savage and quick to anger; the god of wine reveled in brewing and wild drunkenness; the god of agriculture was diligent and earnest, urging mortals to till and sow.
Compared to the complex minds of humans, gods were straightforward beings, their personalities perfectly aligned with their divine domains.
But gods were far from free of desire. Their pure emotions fueled intense cravings, and under the weight of such desires, they could act as recklessly as humans, sometimes even more so.
Thus, Alaric never hesitated to assume the worst of their intentions.
"Little girl, you didn't think that just because our domains don't overlap, we'd have no conflict with them, did you?" Alaric scoffed at Circe's naivety.
"The Olympian gods, or rather, Zeus, have never been content with controlling just one or two divine domains.
What he wants is absolute dominion over the entire divine realm.
In his eyes, any god who doesn't bow to him is an enemy, no matter how much we try to stay out of their way."
"How… how could that be?" Circe stammered, struggling to believe it.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Alaric replied coldly, laying bare the truth.
"If it weren't so, why did Zeus insist on subjugating Hecate when she ascended to godhood, even resorting to open conflict?
He cannot tolerate any god who defies his control, especially one stronger than him."
"I see…" Circe murmured, realization dawning.
"And that's not all," Alaric continued.
"Zeus doesn't just want to be the king of gods, he wants to be the king of mortals too.
No, more than that, he wants to keep humanity eternally under his thumb. And in that regard, we've become a thorn in his side."
"Why… why is that?" Circe asked, puzzled.
"Why? It's simple," Alaric revealed.
"In his view, humans should revere the gods, offer tributes, and beg for their every need. Poor harvests? Pray for divine blessings. War? Beseech victory from the gods.
Monsters attacking? Plead for the gods to drive them away.
Every festival, every temple, every demigod sired by the gods, they're all pieces in his game to keep humanity enslaved.
The goddess of agriculture grants bountiful harvests, the god of war ensures victory, the gods of wind and rain bring fair weather, and even monsters are slain by their divine offspring.
This way, humans remain forever dependent on the gods."
"So… what does that have to do with our magical faction?" Circe pressed.
"Everything," Alaric said with a faint smile. "While the gods solve problems for humans, we grant them wisdom."
He went on to describe the impact of Mystra Academy on the mortals of Greece.
"Before Mystra Academy, Greece had no academies, no studies of astronomy, geography, zoology, botany, mineralogy, or logic, not even writing.
But everything changed after the academy was founded."
"While only those with magical talent could study at the academy, those individuals are among the brightest of humanity.
The disciplines we teach, astronomy, geography, biology, and so forth, began as tools for magic, but they're not useless to ordinary people.
Even students who couldn't reach the third ring and had to graduate early spread the academy's foundational knowledge across Greece.
And most crucially, they spread our systematic writing system."
"No wonder the writing here looks so similar to what we use at the academy," Circe said, eyes widening in realization. "I thought it had always existed."
"As if!" Alaric chuckled derisively. "Which god would be kind enough to create writing for mortals?
So, it was we who sparked the awakening of mortal minds in Greece, spreading human wisdom among humanity.
We taught them that bountiful harvests don't require prayers to the goddess of agriculture, they can come from proper irrigation, tools, and fertilizers.
Victory in war doesn't depend on the war god's favor, it can be achieved with sharp weapons, rigorous training, and sound tactics.
As for monsters, demigods can slay them, but so can mortal mages. Magic may not be humanity's future, but its emergence heralds the rise of humanity's own power."
"I see…" Circe's gaze toward Alaric was now filled with admiration. "Dean, you're truly remarkable."
"Heh, don't look at me like that," Alaric said, shifting uncomfortably under her starry-eyed stare.
"To be honest, I founded the academy to explore the mysteries of magic to their fullest.
I thought researching alone was too slow, and having more people would be more efficient.
You've seen how the academy's system is built around exchanging research for resources, right? The impact on humanity was just a side effect."
"That makes it even more impressive!" Circe's eyes practically sparkled. "To achieve something so grand as a mere side effect? That's our Dean!"
Unable to handle the witch's fangirl gaze, Alaric steered the conversation back on track.
"In any case, while the early mages on the mainland were too weak for the gods to notice, after the Olympians suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of our magical faction, they began to take magic seriously.
They realized the wisdom it brings to humanity, and the possibility that humans could slip free of their control."
"And that," he concluded, "is the root of their conflict with us. Do you think they'd pass up any chance to target us?"
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