Hera had once told Bolos that a Divine Being's power was determined by a combination of Divine Power and Authority.
Divine Power came from within, while Authority was drawn from the world. When a Divine Being's Divine Power aligned with their Authority, and they had control over that Authority, they could give rise to laws.
Laws were countless. Some were held by only one Divine Being—like Zeus's lightning. For no other being possessed Divine Power with the attribute of lightning. Even if another had lightning-related Authority, they would be unable to wield it as law.
Other laws, however, were shared among many Divine Beings—most notably the laws related to the ocean.
Thousands of Oceanus's sons, all Lords of the Ocean, operated within those waters.
Bolos had once discussed with Athena whether it was better to hold a single Divine Office or multiple ones. Hera had given him a clear answer.
In the early stages of a Divine Being's path, it was unwise to claim too many Divine Offices. Only after one's original Divine Office was perfectly harmonized with their Divine Power was it appropriate to explore other Offices and seek future breakthroughs.
Zeus and Hera were examples of this. The Authority of the King of the Gods and the Queen of the Gods allowed them to reach into all Divine Offices.
But even now, Zeus focused mainly on lightning and the sky, while Hera concentrated on fertility and protection.
Bolos had speculated that if Zeus were stripped of his title as King of the Gods, he would likely be far weaker.
When a Divine Being could channel the powers of heaven and earth through their Divine Office, they became a Supreme God, capable of establishing their own pantheon.
Above the Supreme God was the ruler of a self-contained world—a level even Hera had not yet reached, and therefore could not elaborate on.
For this reason, the Bolos believed that Zeus, who had not held his throne for very long, was likely still just a Supreme God.
Of course, this was only a theory. With Bolos's current power, it was laughable to think of stripping Zeus of his title.
The so-called second Divine Power blessing was, strictly speaking, not a gift of Divine Power but of Authority.
It was the King of the Gods—representing the world's will—or a being above the Supreme God who divided and granted the world's Authority to another Divine Being.
When a Divine Being's Divine Power slowly fused with that Authority, dramatic changes would occur.
A surge in Divine Power was only the most basic and superficial sign. Far deeper mysteries would unfold as one mastered their Authority.
Bolos could already feel the changes coming. He understood that it was time for his body to mature—he could no longer remain in the form of a child.
As that thought struck him, his body began to grow, transforming into a youth of fifteen or sixteen. His appearance resembled the form Athena had once seen, though younger than the one Artemis and Apollo had witnessed.
He did not use the Belt of Deceit, nor did he take on Zeus's exact appearance. Instead, he looked more like the son of his "enemy."
Then, Bolos closed his eyes and focused, immersing himself in this unprecedented transformation—one that only came with the first bestowal of a Divine Office.
"He really looks like him!"
As he shut his eyes and contemplated, Artemis and Apollo gasped silently to themselves.
"How could he possibly be my son?"
Zeus raged inwardly. The resemblance to his long-obliterated nemesis was nearly identical.
"Why won't he listen?"
Hera sighed in her heart. She knew Bolos hadn't used the Belt of Deceit she had given him.
If he had, he wouldn't look like this.
"So, you really are him... After being killed by Zeus, you became my child?"
A flicker of dread crossed Hera's mind, though she dared not speak it aloud.
At that moment, the doors of the Divine Temple on Olympus, which had been closed, were suddenly flung open by a group of Divine Beings.
"He is not the son of Zeus!"
At the entrance stood one male god and five goddesses, their eyes cold as they stared at Bolos—who was lost in his surging Divine Power after just receiving his Authority.
"What an ugly Divine Being."
The five goddesses caused little surprise among the gods. Even the sea goddess Tethys was not unfamiliar with them, let alone the others.
But the male among them—wrinkled skin, mismatched eyes, walking with a cane—was clearly a cripple.
Among the Divine Beings, it was hard to say who was the most handsome or beautiful.
But the ugliest? That title now had a clear contender.
"Hestia, what nonsense are you all spouting?!"
Hera stood up in fury, glaring at the intruding Divine Beings at the door.
She ignored the five goddesses entirely, paid no attention to the "freak" she had once cast down, and instead called out Hestia's name directly.
Hestia gave Hera a look of deep disappointment, then led the misshapen Hephaestus to the center of the hall—just a short distance from Bolos, who remained oblivious in meditation.
"Everyone, allow me to introduce you. This child is the true son of Zeus and Hera—Hephaestus!"
Her words stunned the entire assembly.
Most had come to Olympus for a festive banquet—to drink and enjoy the Muses' dance. No one expected to hear such a shocking revelation.
Had the Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia, gone mad?
Dragging along an old and hideous Divine Being and claiming he was the son of Zeus and Hera? That was absurd!
Although many had thought Bolos, with his black hair and eyes, didn't closely resemble either Zeus or Hera...
...he still looked more like them than this Hephaestus character.
Sensing the crowd's skepticism, Tethys stepped forward and addressed Zeus: "King of the Gods, here is what happened-"
She was about to recount how she had found Hephaestus, but Hera abruptly cut her off.
"There's no need. Bolos is the son of Zeus. That has already been judged by the Goddess of Justice, Themis."
In that moment, Hera suddenly felt a rush of gratitude.
When Zeus had summoned Themis back then, it had unintentionally provided her now with powerful support for Bolos's legitimacy.
"Is that so?"
Hestia, Styx, Amphitrite, and Eurynome all turned suspicious gazes toward Tethys and Hephaestus.
Had these two conspired to disrupt Hera's son's Divine Office ceremony?
After all, nearly every Divine Being trusted Themis, the Goddess of Justice. She would never lie.
Tethys faltered under the weight of their scrutiny. For the first time, she began to doubt.
This wise goddess of the sea looked at the old, deformed Hephaestus beside her and fell silent.
"Could I have been deceived?"
All along, it had only been Hephaestus who claimed he was Hera's son—he had never produced any evidence.
Now, with sorrow and desperation, Hephaestus looked up at Hera on the high platform and cried out:
"Mother, are you really this heartless?"
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