Chapter 315 C315. The Unholy Region
The innermost reaches of the Rantre Lahoured Region. A place under the sovereignty of the Great Alcar Family.
Very few demons were allowed into this inviolable sanctum designated to the glory of their god.
The first being in the entire region allowed in such a place was the highest-ranked member of the Alcar Family; the Great Demon Lord, Cain Lyra Alcar.
Next were the Six Elders, the highest-ranking members of the Alcar family. Also, the highest appointment holders of the Alcar family's six decisions are solely devoted to the demon god.
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Unlike most of the other demon families, the Alcar family were devout believers of the Great Demon God, Apollyon.
Throughout history, there were only three know names for the Great demon god that had brought destruction upon the entire world during the mythical age of this world.
An age before mortals was born, an age where gods, celestial, and dragons roamed amongst the other life forms of this world. It was a time before the physical plane and the astral plane was separated by the Almighty. The demon god stood amongst the strongest gods in the omniverse.
However, during the Great War between the lower gods and the dragons, the demon god of Destruction fell to a multitude of Devine beings. His body was scattered across the multiverse and his death gave birth to what was now known, as the demon race.
However, there were those that believed, the Great Demon Lord was not completely dead, and will soon return, to bring destruction upon the world, and those that stood against him. Sparing only those that served him.
As the strongest believers of the unholy word, the Alcar family will be the ones to save the demon continent. By becoming the demon king, the Alcar family can enlighten the entire continent about their impending doom, and bring them under the protection of the Great Apollyon.
With that belief etched in their hearts, the internal structure of the Alcar family was focused on their religion.
The power distribution was focused around the Six sects, headed by each of the six great elders of the Alcar family. Except for the capital city that was directly under the Great Demon Lord's domain.
The entire Rantre Lahoured Region was divided under the jurisdiction of six sects' influence, giving them absolute control over the entire region. This limited the authority the other noble families had over their lands, but that strangely did not stir up any internal conflicts or displeasure as they were all devout believers of the unholy word.
Of course, the Alcar family had also set up various governing departments that help to manage the power structure of the Rantre Lahoured Region. Ensuring that no one sect gained power greater than that of the Great Demon Lord himself.
While their religion had strengthened the bonds of the demons living in the Rantre Lahoured region, it also caused a deeply rooted rift between the demon race and the various other "Lesser" races living in the region.
While most demons and demon nobles deemed themselves superior to lesser demons and more especially, demi-humans, those raised in the Rantre Lahoured Region took this concept to another level as lesser demons and demi-humans were not even considered beings with free will.
Although lesser demons were in essence still of the demon race, they were only considered inferior beings to actual demons. Whereas demi-humans, or as the Alcar family had called them; heteromorphic beings— they were considered no more than livestock and shown a great amount of animosity, even by lesser demons.
They were completely hated by the entire region and one could not find a single freeman settlement anywhere in the Rantre Lahoured Region. This was because the Six Great elders took great pride in their race and solemnly eliminated any and all that dared to defy their authority.
As freemen settlements were considered a haven where demi-humans could live freely without being constrained by the laws of the region they were in. These settlements were considered enemy strongholds and were immediately decimated with everyone within them being massacred.
Death was considered a show of the demon god's mercy as any demi-human that manages to survive would then be taken in by the noble household as slaves or sold in batches like livestock.
Hence, slavery was a common thing in the Rantre Lahoured Region. While the Alcar family succumbed to the will of the other Great five and condemned the act of slavery.
They were not under any obligation to enforce that law and thus, this place became the largest market in the world's underground slavery industry and a focal trading port for every underground organization in the demon continent.
Currently, one could not walk through the streets of any of the cities in the Rantre Lahoured Region and fine any lesser demons or demi-humans without slave collars wandering the streets.
The entire Rantre Lahoured Region had become a holy group only for demons and other races were either fiercely ostracized or hunted.
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Gathered in the innermost sanctum of The Jade-Ice Palace, in the Alcar family's main castle located in WaterWays City, the capital city of the Rantre Lahoured Region.
The only ones allowed in this holy place were the highest-ranking members of the Alcar family. Including the Great Demon Lord, there were also the Six Great Elders, most wildly known as the six pillars.
The Pillar of Fire — Eddard Dryden.
He looked like a kind old man with short blonde hair and sky blue eyes, but as the former head of the family's assault legion known only as of the Red Circle, he had exterminated many heteromorphic beings during his time as a Demon Mage.
His wrath was like a wildfire that destroyed everything with ice so cold it burns. His murderous intent was like the chilling frost that paralysis all who met his gaze.
The Pillar of Ice — Caz Azul Alcar.
He was an old man with a bald head and dark grey skin tone. He was so old that one could not tell his exact age, with a long white beard that almost touched the ground, he looked as though he was a dried-up branch that had fallen off a tree.
For a demon of his caliber to reach an age where their bodies could no longer maintain their form, they must've crossed a thousand years as even the demigods did not possess an immortal body. Although people worried about his health and memories after living past countless live times, none could exceed his intellect. 𝘧𝘳𝐞𝚎𝑤ℯ𝘣𝗻𝘰ѵℯl.c𝐨𝚖
The Pillar of Wind — DeeIie Haz Alcar.
She was the sole female among them. She was an aged woman with short grey hair and a wrinkled face that showed the passage of time against her once unparalleled beauty. Her kindly-looking face bore a motherly smile that put all who looked upon it at ease.
Yet she was the most sadistic being one could find in the entire Lahoured region.
The Pillar of Earth — Faxon Hale Laureut.
He hovered a few inches above the ground, wearing a brown robe that fluttered around him even though there was no wind in such an enclosed and sealed room. He wore a pair of spectacles and held several books underneath his arm.
As an extreme believer of the demon god, he believed it was a sin to stain the floors of this holy sanctum with his feet, hence the reason m he was currently floating.
The Pillar of Chaos — Sai Akonow Jahy.
His narrow eyes, solemn expression, and skinny frame made him look like a sinister person, but that was in contrast to his actual personality. He wore leather armor but held a wooden staff akin to those of mages.
He was a user of chaos magic but was also proficient in close combat, ranking him among the strongest being in this room.
The Pillar of Shadows — Ike Okon Lemande.
He was a keen-eyed man with a dark brown skin tone. He was also the youngest of his present companions. That said, he was still in his mid-90s, though his energy made that fact difficult to believe.
He was a former member of the Family's Assassination legion known only as of the Black Circle. They employed the services of dark elves to take on the bulk of the risk involved in their missions but his skill transcended even those creatures who nature had blessed with the perfect physique.
Having carried out countless assignments to maintain the peace of the Rantre Lahoured Region, he was truly an unsung hero of the Alcar family.
In addition to these six, there were the heads of the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch of the Rantre Lahoured Region's currently established government.
There was also the head of the research institute which handled magical research. In addition, there was the Grand Marshal, the highest appointment-holder in the Family's military, the only demigod here aside from the Six pillars.
Then there was the Grand Admiral of the family's Air Force and Naval forces.
Last was the Head Master of the Alcar family's Magic academy. Which was separate from the Research Institute, unlike the other four families.
These 14 people comprised the highest executive authority, the highest most ranked members of the Rantre Lahoured Region.
The reason not everyone here had the last name Darknar, was because the unholy words placed a higher focus on strength rather than heritage. As such, each of the six pillars was a potential candidate to become the next Great Demon Lord and inherit the last name of Alcar.
However, the current Great Demon Lord had inherited the throne from his father but not because of his blood. He had just been the most worthy candidate amongst the Six pillars at the time.
They were currently gathered in the holy sanctum of the Demon God, Apollyon.
As no living being besides these 14 were allowed in this divine sanctuary, they were in turn the ones responsible for keeping the room sparkling clean and without a spec of dust.
Of course, there were magic and Magic runes that could not only clean the room instantly but also maintain a constant state of cleanliness.
However, anyone who didn't take pride in working in the holy sanctum of the demon gods does not deserve to be spared by his Grace and would immediately be slain on the spot. Such an event had occurred only once in the thousand-year of history of the Alcar family.
Keeping this room in such a pristine state was of the utmost importance to these high-ranking figures that ruled over the entire region.
Even the Great Demon Lord— who had been the sovereign since crossing into the territory of the divine— was no exception as he led the charge in their cleaning duties just as he would in battle. He was aware of the vast difference between the tiers the moment one went passed Tier 7 and was keenly aware of his limits.
Even after attaining godly powers, one still could not approach the realms of a true god and everything else was constrained by a universal concept, a limit. Even if one could surpass one's limit, a new limit would be formed. Even someone like him could not defy the authority of a true god.
As the 14 finish up their cleaning duties, their extreme devotion showed their love and respect for the Demon god, as they completely disregarded their worldly titles and meaningless pride in the presence of a true god.
After they were done with their work, they all quietly walked towards the north end of the room and bowed towards a large Tritanium statue of the Demon god before moving back to the center of the hall and standing around the six pillars sparsely placed around a round table.
"Today, we give thanks to the Demon god Apollyon that sinners like ourselves are still alive."
After the Great Demon Lord said those words, everyone repeated them after him and deeply bowed their heads again to the statue of the Demon God.
"Let the God of Death and Destruction, receive our praise."
They raised their deeply bowed heads and took their seats at the round table.
This included the Great Demon Lord of the Rantre region. He sat on a simplistic high black chair and issued a command.
"Then, let us begin the meeting."