Apart from a select few, only Alfheim truly understood the power of the people.
For a long time, although the world's nations claimed to be states, they were actually just aggregations of tribes or noble territories. Nobles and bureaucrats, based on their sense of superiority, often looked down on the people, seeing them as mere laborers or livestock. Politically motivated actions, such as expanding territories through marriages or succession, often deliberately suppressed national consciousness. Thus, to the lower class, a sense of national belonging did not exist; only religious beliefs and ethnic backgrounds served as the sole boundaries distinguishing them from one another. The connection between the people and the ruling class was nothing more than taxation; as long as their personal interests, such as property and faith, were protected, people would serve any ruler. This cohesion-lacking structure was like a loose pile of sand, easily collapsing upon the slightest touch.
