The First Elder's Betrayal
Not long after the First Elder Valuro departed, fifty seahorses arrived at the Equator. They claimed to be an envoy sent to reveal the location of El Dorado, but it was obvious they were Valuro’s direct kin. He had evacuated his family’s most influential members in advance, preparing for any complications that might arise while stealing the Filth Jar.
‘At least I’ve secured the seahorses.’
Pink Dolphin was tasked with receiving the envoy. The eccentric zombie was desperate to show off the new Equator, so I left the matter entirely in his fins.
“Welcome! I’m Pink Dolphin Zombie, acting administrator of the Equator. Too long? Then just call me Administrator. Kkik-kkik.”
The dolphin led them on a tour of the island, pointing out every facility as I had instructed. The goal was to impress the prospective citizens and let them choose their future homes. Even if the plan fell through, the Ghost Shaman class seemed valuable enough to warrant currying favor.
“Everyone, please follow me!”
The Equator was divided into three main districts. First came the volcanic zone, home to the residences of core members and critical research facilities. Naturally, it was off-limits to tourists, so the envoy only offered their greetings there before moving on.
Their first stop was the industrial zone on the plains. Massive factories brought over from the Destination hummed ceaselessly, producing items, golems, and potions. If immigrants like the seahorses arrived, the facilities could also manufacture materials for housing.
Next were the military installations along the coastline, where golems, zombies, and leopards patrolled and trained together. While the factories displayed the Equator’s productive might, these grounds showcased its military strength.
Those three districts accounted for the developed areas. The rest of the vast island remained empty. Though the outer perimeter had been fortified, covering every inch of land was impossible. Ninety percent of the territory still lay as open ground, waiting for new residents.
Every time the seahorses visited a facility, they clapped their dozens of hands in astonishment. Even though most of the Equator stood empty, the technology on display exceeded anything they could have imagined. Both the production and military sites were like another world to them.
After the tour, the seahorses requested to settle near the river that flowed into the sea. The area already featured a wide river, making boundary patrols difficult, but that very feature worked in favor of these aquatic creatures.
‘Perfect.’
When the seahorses returned to the volcanic zone, their eyes shone as though they had glimpsed a new world. They looked around with dreamy expressions. The envoy’s leader, Valuro’s eldest son, bowed his head to me in gratitude.
“We offer our deepest thanks to the master of the Equator. We swear to repay this great opportunity with every ounce of our strength and sincerity.”
I deliberately answered with cool indifference.
“Don’t misunderstand. My promise with Valuro only extends to the delivery of the Filth Jar. Until that is fulfilled, you remain guests, not citizens of the Equator.”
The envoy leader’s lips tightened. It wasn’t offense that troubled him, but the realization that he no longer wished to return to Al-Alsa-da after tasting the Equator’s wonders. Having seen a great city, how could one return to a village? He lowered his head.
“Your words are entirely reasonable. The pact will be honored without fail. Please do not concern yourself.”
I dismissed them.
“Administrator, escort our guests to their lodgings.”
“Yes, my lord.”
A reconnaissance team sent to the coordinates provided by the envoy confirmed the existence of a golden city in the deep sea near Al-Alsa-da. While I was identifying the location of the Golden Lord and preparing for departure, the envoy finished their tour and returned, so I met them briefly.
‘Finally, we meet.’
If the Golden Lord was a user, he would share every weakness common to users—the link between summoner and summons. His forces were powerful, but the moment the head that held final command over all his subordinates fell, the fishmen would descend into chaos. Of course, individuals with strong egos might resist and issue orders independently, but the gap between a disciplined army and a mere mob was immense.
Since ancient times, a summoner’s greatest weakness had always been the summoner himself.
“Well then, shall we go?”
***
After dispatching the envoy, First Elder Valuro headed straight for the cathedral that housed the Filth Jar. Though the seahorses worshipped no god, the cathedral that honored the great Ghost Shaman who had once wielded the jar alone always stored the relic within its walls.
Stealing the jar itself was not difficult. Even while debates over the vote continued, Valuro remained the undisputed highest authority in Al-Alsa-da. He alone held the highest access rights.
The real problem would begin once the jar left the cathedral. Access to the cathedral was not limited to him alone. The moment another elder visited, the theft would be known throughout all of Al-Alsa-da.
‘Still, what is going on here…?’
Expecting chaos upon his return, Valuro was instead met with an unsettling calm. Even after confirming the Equator’s presence near the city, the Golden Lord showed no sign of alarm. It was as though he already knew what the Equator was and believed it posed no threat to him.
‘Why…? Wasn’t the Golden Lord supposed to have been defeated by the Equator and fled here?’
A chill ran down the First Elder’s spine as a single hypothesis formed.
‘Could it be?!’
The injuries the Golden Lord had sustained clearly pointed to the Lostar clan—the parasitic race that wielded tentacles. The tentacles attached to the master of the Equator were unmistakably those of the Lostar as well. In other words, the Golden Lord had indeed been defeated by the Equator’s master. Yet during the hunt, the Equator’s full power had never been brought to bear. Without revealing his true strength, the Equator’s lord had driven the formidable Golden Lord and his army all the way here.
Furthermore, the master of the Equator had deliberately displayed his might to lure Valuro out. Even though he possessed the power to crush his opponent outright, he had employed every means to push the Golden Lord further.
Valuro trembled at the sheer calculation behind it all.
‘I must never defy him…!’
Suppressing his pounding heart, the First Elder quietly opened the cathedral doors.
‘As expected, no one is here.’
Valuro had debated the best moment to act. He had concluded that just before lunch was ideal. Cathedral duties required the abilities of a Ghost Shaman, which caused significant fatigue. Therefore, the elders preferred to handle such work when their energy was highest. By custom, the Fifth Elder—the weakest of the five houses—had always taken the shift right before lunch.
For today’s operation, Valuro had switched shifts with him. He smiled bitterly at the cathedral’s midday atmosphere, which he was seeing for the first time.
“To think I’d ever come here at this hour…”
A laugh erupted behind him. Valuro frowned and turned. He recognized the owner of that laugh instantly.
“What brings you here, Fourth Elder?”
Standing there was the head of the Gold Ear clan, the Fourth Elder—the distant relative of the Golden Lord and the one who stood to gain the most if Valuro seized real power. The seahorse, adorned with gold, sneered.
“I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in.”
Valuro ground his teeth. The fact that the Fourth Elder had arrived at precisely this moment meant even the cathedral’s guardian soldiers had been bought.
Valuro took a deep breath and looked away.
“Go eat. I’m busy, so don’t interfere.”
“Keh keh keh. As you say! Truly worthy of the First Elder. No wonder the Sea Ghost clan held the position for so long when your grasp of the situation is this quick. Already handling cathedral duties right before lunch, I see. Keh keh keh.”
Valuro closed his eyes in silence. He wanted to snap back, but this was a critical moment. He could not afford to ruin everything over petty emotions.
“Enough. Leave.”
“Keh keh keh keh. Then I’ll be off to eat.”
Once the Fourth Elder departed, Valuro entered the cathedral. The lingering discomfort of betraying even the few remaining members of his race vanished cleanly. Al-Alsa-da would lose its ghosts today.
***
The envoy leader’s explanation of why the jar was called the Filth Jar had been quite striking. The great Ghost Shaman who first used it had been what people called a chivalrous wanderer. He regarded unpleasant memories as filth. Whenever something unfortunate happened in life, he extracted that memory and sealed it inside the jar. He collected not only his own filth but the filth of everyone he met during his travels, carrying it all on his shoulders as he wandered.
And on the day his life finally ended, the filth within the jar became vengeful ghosts. Yet the great Ghost Shaman left behind a method for controlling those ghosts for future generations. Thus, the seahorses of Al-Alsa-da, descendants of that great shaman, gained the ability to command the jar.
Creating ghosts was simple. One merely extracted a dead person’s memories and placed them in the Filth Jar, and they would naturally become ghosts.
‘How ironic.’
The great wanderer who had lived by chivalry had not been a Ghost Shaman in life. His actions had been closer to those of an immortal sage. Yet because of the filth accumulated while helping others, he and his descendants had become Ghost Shamans.
‘And from such a magnificent ancestor came trash like the Golden Lord.’
None of that mattered now. What mattered was that this bizarre item would soon be mine.
‘An item that materializes memories… Perhaps it could be used in other ways as well?’
While lost in thought, I arrived at my destination—the golden city of El Dorado. Though only a few days had passed since I last saw it, the feeling was entirely different.
I quietly summoned my amphibious zombies.
“Stand by for the signal.”
Soon Valuro would arrive at the Equator with the remnants of his clan. The seahorses who discovered the theft of the Filth Jar would pursue him, but their strength alone would never be enough to challenge the Equator. Once the Golden Lord dispatched troops to aid the seahorses, I would slip into the empty city.
I smiled inwardly. Since he had branded me a thief, I would become one in truth. This dazzling golden city, and even the hope of victory he kept buried deep in his heart—I would take it all.