Let's play a game: Save the Ancients!

[Dikatis]

Since HYPERBOREIA could be any value between 1 and infinity, it doesn't get us any closer to understanding the value of HERMES.

Hermes repeatedly casts Meteor, referred to by the researchers and WoL as an "apex magic" for an apex predator like a behemoth, throughout the fight. Not to mention other high-level spells like Tornado (a wind spell superior to Aeroga/Aero III) and Double/Quadruple (an ability used by Emet-Selch while staking his life in the Dying Gasp).

There's no reason to believe that Hermes is somehow a weak and inept mage when all signs point to the fact that he's a brilliant mage and creator, hence why he was trained to become the Chief Overseer of Elpis in the first place.