Chapter 143: Council Of Elders

In a grand hall painted in darkness and vaguely illuminated by dim blood red torches mounted on the walls, an eerie silence prevailed. A long, majestic round table stood at the center of the room and at the heart of that round table burned a furnace of unending crimson flames, its glow barely revealing several distorted and inhuman faces lurking within the shadows.

The round table had twenty three seats and behind each seat hung a portrait of a demon flanked by two dimly lit red candlelights.

All the seats were occupied except one and even the candles flanking that portrait were extinguished.

“Haborym is dead… Can someone explain to me how that happened?”

The voice came from a man whose seat was directly opposite Duke Haborym’s. He looked human for the most part and wore a crown, however his hands were claws gently tapping against the fur desk while waiting for a response. Each time his finger struck the table, some of the other dukes shivered with eyes full of fear.

That was because the man who spoke was Astaroth, leader of the underworld council and head of the Asura clan.

Astaroth waited patiently but there was no response. Everyone avoided his gaze like a plague. This only annoyed him more, causing his brows to twist into a vicious frown.

“One of the legendary twenty Dukes, an Asura and an Elder… An Elder of the underworld died while running an errand for a mere prince, a mortal turned demon… A half blood…”

Astaroth’s hands ran through his crimson hair while he shook his head, alternating between rage and amusement at a pace that would drive a normal person mad.

“Those are the words on the streets… Not mine.”

Astaroth let go of his hair and stared at his claws for a few seconds before leaning back on his throne. His eyes scanned through the entire room but even now there was no response. They all kept their mouths shut and lowered their heads, still unable to meet his gaze.

The council elders served as the final decision makers in the selection of the demon lord. They decided which half blood would sit on the abyss throne and this was because they were the ones in control of the core armies of the underworld. They were the ones who commanded the legions of hell.

To other demons they were invincible figures, but now one of them had died. Not in the underworld but in the mortal plane. It felt like their entire foundation was under threat.

Astaroth scoffed at the pathetic silence and then turned his attention to a figure most hidden by the darkness unlike the others. The figure was staring in his direction fearlessly.

“Gusion… Do you have something to say?”

Astaroth asked and Gusion obliged with a nod.

“We all know this council has been compromised and your anger won’t change a thing, so let’s not waste our time on that and focus on more important issues.” Gusion said fearlessly.

His burning blue eyes were the only visible part of his body.

“Instead of screaming over the death of a shameful Asura who sold himself cheap and got himself killed, we should be more interested in the human who is capable of killing a Duke just after two months of wielding the inheritance of lust!”

Buzz!

Heads snapped up and the widespread fear was replaced with curiosity. Even Astaroth could not deny he was also curious about this.

“Was it really that human?” Astaroth’s voice fell low and doubtful.

Everyone leaned in as well, eager to hear what Gusion had to say. Gusion was the Duke of prophecy. He answered questions of the past, present and future. It was said nothing got past his eyes. Even Lucifer’s defeat in heaven was predicted by him but the prideful Prince of Pride still went ahead, refusing to believe he could be bested in battle.

Gusion stared at them with an amused expression hidden under the cover of darkness and he asked, “What makes you think it wasn’t him?”

“Because he must have had those three witches with him. Only those three can harm an Asura.” Duke Bune argued with burning gray eyes lighting up the darkness around him.

Heads nodded in agreement with this logic. It was far more reasonable to believe Duke Haborym was killed by Racheal, Hazel and Ruby than by a two month old demon.

“Have you all forgotten too soon how ruthless those women are? The last Marquis they killed for plotting against Prince Lin, they hung pieces of his body on all seven gates of hell as a warning to all those who dared threaten their husband. Don’t you think they would rather send back Duke Haborym’s mangled corpse with a warning carved on his body than erase him without a trace?”

Buzz!

The whole room fell silent as they pondered this point. On this aspect they could not help but agree with Gusion’s logic. Lin Qui’s three wives were so vicious and wild they once dared to lay an ambush on the Prince of Gluttony because he insulted their husband publicly.

Not even the Princes of Hell were safe from them.

So how could those women suddenly turn low key. Anyone could argue they wanted to keep their new husband safe, but the women they were familiar with would send a warning to tell everyone the prince was under their protection and then leave.

“Did you see him kill the Duke through his eyes?” Astaroth asked directly, unable to hold back his curiosity anymore.

It was common for Gusion to view events through the target’s eyes, allowing him not just to see an event but to experience it from a person’s perspective.

Gusion shook his head and chuckled.

“I viewed it through Haborym’s eyes. As for the boy, I cannot see him.”

Bang!

Chairs were knocked over as several Dukes rose to their feet in shock.

“Impossible!”

“Stop pulling our legs!”

“You are joking right?”

Voices came from left and right but what they all carried in common was nervousness. Astaroth and Gusion’s gaze remained locked, neither retracting as only one thought crossed their minds.

Thou shall not See The Face of God.

The only two beings Gusion could not see the past, present and future of were the Supreme Deity and the Demon Lord. They were bonafide deities. Never had his sight failed on anyone else, not even demi gods.

“I couldn’t see his face but I can tell you one thing. Haborym was deeply afraid in his final moments. So afraid he surrendered to his fears.”

Boom!

This time Astaroth stood up, his eyes widened with shock. Haborym surrendered to a human out of fear?

Whispers and gasps spread across the room with only Gusion seated calmly.

“The struggle for the abyssal throne is about to get more interesting… Hahahahahahahaha!” He broke out in maniacal laughter while the others stared at him in horror.

Who the hell was this human capable of eradicating every trace of his foe?

A man capable of making a Duke of Hell, an Asura, tremble in fear?

While Haborym wasn’t exceptional among the Dukes, he was still an Asura, a being capable of fighting principalities and powers of the heavens.

“Could this human truly be…” Astaroth stopped himself with his hand placed over his lips, his eyes calculating.

The council was not meant to interfere with politics but for the first time he wanted to break protocol and get to know this new human prince.

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