Chapter 16 – Gray City

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“Alt-Hohenschönhausen and Lübars have been secured. Mitte, Tempelhof, and Ludo are still under the strong influence of the Müller Brotherhood and the Valhalla Gang.”

A man with black hair, dressed in a butler’s uniform and sporting large goat horns, reported to me.

Otto Dietrich Aldinger, a butler serving the Aurich-Besermauer family, now acted as my personal secretary.

As I listened to Otto’s report, I examined the map of Königsberg spread out on the table.

Black and white chess pieces were scattered across the map, representing the criminal organizations and Schachstein’s territories in the capital.

Following Otto’s report, I removed the black pawns from Alt-Hohenschönhausen and Lübars and replaced them with white pawns.

“What about Zehlendorf?”

“The Rote Kapelle still holds strong influence there.”

“Right, that’s the Marxists territory. It won’t be easy.”

I pondered for a moment, resting my chin on my hand as I studied the chess pieces on the map.

The Rote Kapelle had started as a self-defense group formed by workers to resist Zehlendorf’s criminal organizations.

How it evolved into a gathering of communists was unclear, but it was essentially a group of reds.

Given their origins as workers banding together to resist violent thugs trying to steal their property, they couldn’t be treated like ordinary criminal organizations.

Of course, if push came to shove, I could force them under Schachstein’s control, but the situation wasn’t urgent enough to resort to force yet.

“For now, avoid conflict with the Rote Kapelle.”

“Understood.”

Now wasn’t the time to fight them.

Moreover, communists weren’t limited to Zehlendorf.

They were connected through a secretive and tightly-knit community, bound by ties stronger than blood.

Provoking them and sparking a conflict with the capital’s workers wasn’t a good idea.

It was better to draw a line and establish a mutual understanding of non-aggression.

“Madam Paul reported that there was a meeting in Neukölln last night.”

Otto’s next report drew my attention back to the map.

Madam Paul was the first person I brought under my control after entering the capital.

She controlled the brothels of Märkisches Viertel and the gambling dens of Schöneberg—two of the most important locations for the capital’s criminal organizations.

The profits from brothels and gambling dens were significant, but more importantly, these places served as outlets for the criminals pent-up aggression.

For thugs brimming with energy, having a place to vent their desires was essential.

Women and gambling were like bread and circuses to criminals.

Above all, brothels were hubs of information.

After a drink and some time in bed, anyone’s lips would loosen.

So, as soon as I entered the capital, I sought out the face of Märkisches Viertel’s brothels.

Of course, Madam Paul initially dismissed me as a child and didn’t even pretend to listen.

But after I flayed a pedophile who had made advances toward me right in front of her, she quickly bowed her head with a servile expression.

It was an impressively swift change in attitude, but who could blame her?

Anyone who saw a 12-year-old girl skinning a grown man alive would react the same way.

Perhaps carving his stomach into a star shape and placing it on the table had made an impact.

I should try that again sometime.

“Any notable developments?”

“Nothing significant. However, Luke Schmidt of the Wilder Haufen made contact.”

The Wilder Haufen, huh?

They were a small but notorious gang active near the capital.

Though small in scale, their high-profile crimes had earned them a reputation in the underworld.

Their most famous heist involved blowing up a railway to stop a train and making off with gold bars owned by the Imperial Bank.

As a result, several high-ranking officials in the Railway Security Bureau were forced to resign.

Of course, the bureau later increased its personnel and tightened security.

The leader of this Wild West-style gang was a man named Luke Schmidt.

Though he became leader by winning a coin toss in a bar, he was still their boss.

I had seen him a few times in previous loops—he was sharp-witted and quick-thinking.

He must have noticed something through Madam Paul.

The Wilder Haufen were irredeemable scum, but they weren’t fools.

Especially their leader, Luke Schmidt—he was a man who could be useful if handled correctly.

This was a good opportunity to bring him under my control.

“Tell Madam Paul to arrange a meeting.”

“Yes.”

I hadn’t expected them to reach out to Madam Paul first, but it was a good opportunity.

If I had approached them directly, they might have sensed danger and fled.

Of course, I could have captured them if I wanted, but avoiding unnecessary trouble was preferable.

“Commissioner Hans Stroop of the city police sent a message.”

Just as I was about to refocus on the map, Otto brought up another matter.

Hans Stroop was the commissioner of the Königsberg City Police.

His job was to maintain order and protect the citizens.

In other words, he was taking bribes from me to turn a blind eye to recent events.

Thanks to him, Schachstein members could roam the streets without being arrested.

“What is it?”

“He says if the disturbances grow any larger, it will be difficult for him to cover them up.”

I frowned at Otto’s words.

The commissioner was essentially complaining and asking for more bribes.

After all the money I’d already given him, he still wanted more? What a greedy man.

But there was no helping it.

If a few coins could solve the problem, it was better than dealing with the hassle.

Besides, I had more than enough money.

The issue was where to get the cash for the bribe.

Of course, handing over cash withdrawn directly from a bank would leave a trail.

While I could cover that up with more bribes, it would be a hassle.

So, any cash I handed over had to be laundered first to obscure its origins.

As I pondered how to deliver the bribe, I noticed a small box at the end of the table.

It was an elegant box made of walnut wood.

“How much is in that?”

“That box contains five 1kg gold bars issued by the Imperial Bank.”

Otto answered after a moment of recollection.

The contents of the box were funds I had laundered for other purposes.

They were legitimate gold bars issued by the Imperial Bank, but their origins had been obscured through multiple transactions.

Five 1kg gold bars from the Imperial Bank—at current market rates, that was roughly 280,000 marks.

A significant sum, but it should keep Commissioner Stroop quiet for a while.

“Give him that box.”

“Are you sure?”

Otto questioned my decision.

The gold bars had been prepared for another purpose, so using them here was unexpected.

“I can prepare more. Do I look like I’m short on money?”

“Understood.”

Otto nodded without further objection.

Commissioner Stroop was a corrupt and incompetent policeman, but he was easy to manipulate with money.

From a societal perspective, he was a villain, but even villains had their uses.

If money could make a villain do good, then so be it.

Yes, good deeds like helping me.

“We’ll soon arrive at Jungfernheide Station.”

I silently began organizing the items on the table.

The chess pieces were stored in a box, and the map was folded and tucked into a drawer.

I stood up and walked to the window.

Familiar sights passed by as the cityscape rushed past.

The train gradually slowed, and the scenery outside came to a halt.

With Otto’s help, I put on my coat and covered my face with a mask and veil.

Otto also masked his face and adjusted his attire.

I led the way, and Otto followed closely behind.

As we stepped off the train, the knight and bishop who had disembarked earlier joined us as escorts.

The state-of-the-art magic locomotive, “White King” purchased for 9.8 million marks, served as Schachstein’s mobile hideout, traveling along Königsberg’s city loop.

Of course, it could also be used for simple transportation, as it is now.

We had disembarked at the station’s freight area, a restricted zone usually accessible only to workers loading and unloading cargo.

Naturally, I had bribed the railway administration to use this area.

It allowed Schachstein members to move through the capital unnoticed.

We passed through the freight area and entered the general passage of Jungfernheide Station.

It was still daytime, so the station was bustling with people.

Of course, the sight of us, dressed entirely in white with masked faces, caused the crowd to part in surprise.

Rumors of the Faceless Ones had already spread throughout the capital, so the people immediately recognized us.

Knowing that reporting us to the police wouldn’t lead to any action, they quietly averted their eyes and went about their business.

We exited the station and boarded a waiting carriage.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as I sat down, I instructed the coachman to depart.

Today’s destination was Jungfernheide’s black market, specifically an underground auction house there.

It was a place where criminals and even some nobles, hiding their identities, secretly gathered.

There was something there I needed to acquire—an essential item to make this game easier to navigate