Chapter 14 – Gray City

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Several months had passed since the Valenberg tea party.

Once again, I found myself on a train.

Of course, this time, my destination was not Valenberg.

The train I was on was headed to the capital of the Prussian Empire, Königsberg.

Not long after Claudia received the Elixir from me, I received a letter from her.

It contained the news that her mother, Baroness Reiningen, had fully recovered from her illness.

At first, the baron had been skeptical, but thinking it was worth a try, he had his wife drink the Elixir.

The Elixir took effect immediately, and the baroness regained her health in an instant.

According to the letter, the baroness was now even healthier than before she fell ill.

Lately, she had so much energy that she went on long walks every day.

In a postscript, Claudia added that the baron seemed unusually tired these days, while the baroness was more energetic than ever.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Claudia sent news of a new sibling in a few months.

Let me congratulate her in advance.

Half a year has passed since I started this loop.

It felt both long and short at the same time.

But one thing was certain: six months was more than enough time for me to accomplish something.

“Master, we’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped in the slums of Königsberg’s northwestern district.

A tall man in a white tuxedo and a mask opened the carriage door for me.

On his chest was a silver brooch shaped like a knight.

This man was a member of the organization I had created to establish influence in the underworld.

Schachstein—a name derived from the Prussian word for chess pieces.

I had assigned ranks to all members based on chess pieces.

The hierarchy wasn’t complicated.

There were pawns for regular members, knights and bishops for mid-level officers, and rooks for branch leaders.

Of course, at this point, there was only one rook in Zeitlitz, but more would follow.

The brooch on this man’s chest symbolized his rank as a knight, one of the few officers in the organization at this stage.

I didn’t know his name.

I hadn’t bothered to ask, and as the organization grew, the opportunity to learn it would only diminish.

While these officers were special compared to regular members, they were still only slightly above average by my standards.

From the start, I had trained the members of Schachstein in systematic and refined combat techniques, unlike other criminal organizations.

Though time was limited, they were far beyond the level of street thugs.

I had my guards train them in basic hand-to-hand combat, weapon skills, and marksmanship.

Those who showed particular talent were selected for more advanced training.

These individuals were promoted to officers, and the overall structure of the organization was now complete.

Once this plan secured our influence in the capital, the organization would grow even larger.

As I stepped out of the carriage, two officers approached me.

The knight who had opened the door earlier and a female officer wearing a bishop’s brooch.

Both were dressed in white tuxedos and wore masks.

Today, as the boss of Schachstein, I matched their attire, wearing a white dress and a veil to conceal my identity.

Here, I was not Lieselotte of Aurich-Besermauer, but the White Queen of Schachstein.

Thus, I had left my usual guards, Odilona and Antonia, behind.

Instead, I brought two Schachstein officers as my escorts.

While they were no match for my personal guards, they were more than capable of handling criminals.

The female officer with the bishop’s brooch had a rare aptitude for magic, so I had even taught her combat spells.

By now, the organization was overqualified to be considered a mere criminal group.

Not far from where the carriage had stopped was today’s destination.

Shylock, a Jewish moneylender and fencer residing in Königsberg.

I came to his shop.

When I opened the door and entered, the clerk inside flinched in surprise.

It was only natural, given that I was dressed in a white dress with a veil covering my face, followed by three men in white tuxedos and masks.

I ignored the clerk’s reaction and took a moment to look around the shop.

The shelves were stocked with a variety of items.

From alchemical ingredients like herbs and animal organs to miscellaneous objects of unknown use.

Outwardly, it appeared to be a simple general store.

The clerk was a gray-haired Sorbe woman.

She pretended to read a newspaper, showing no interest in us, but it was all an act.

I walked past the merchandise and approached her directly.

She looked startled as I ignored the goods and headed straight for her.

“Can I help you find something…?”

She asked cautiously as I stopped in front of the counter.

“Is Shylock here?”

At my question, the clerk flinched again.

Only those in the know were aware that the shop’s owner was Shylock.

Shylock was a well-known figure, but he was also a man who understood the dangers of his trade.

Thus, he avoided revealing himself whenever possible.

He rarely met with anyone directly unless they were trusted contacts or important clients.

As the clerk hesitated, a voice came from the back door.

“Karol, close up shop and take the rest of the day off.”

An old man emerged from the back door and addressed the clerk.

It was Shylock himself.

He was an elderly man with a bushy beard and a face full of wrinkles.

His pointed ears and short stature made him look like a cross between an elf and a dwarf.

“So, what brings you up here, miss?”

Shylock glanced at my entourage before addressing me.

I reached into my dress and pulled out a small box.

“I have something to sell.”

At my response, Shylock stared at me for a moment before carefully opening the box to inspect its contents.

“What’s this…?”

He looked puzzled.

Inside the box was a piece of paper and a silver brooch shaped like a rook—the symbol of a Schachstein branch leader, along with a certificate of authority.

“Join me.”

At my words, Shylock frowned and his expression hardened.

It was normal for him to react this way to a sudden and bizarre proposal.

He scowled and spoke in an irritated tone.

“Listen, miss, what are you talking about…?”

“Paul Marcus.”

Shylock fell silent at the sound of his real name.

He stared at me with wide eyes, his mouth agape.

“I understand. If some strangers suddenly showed up and told you to join them, you’d think it was nonsense.”

“You’re well-informed…”

“So I’ll give you a chance. Take your time to think it over.”

Shylock remained silent, his expression displeased.

He couldn’t make any idea of what was happening.

And that was understandable.

He was a well-known figure who had been in this business for a long time.

In this city, everyone knew the name Shylock, and he had connections with numerous criminal organizations.

For a group of unknowns to suddenly appear and demand his allegiance was absurd by any measure.

His reaction was perfectly reasonable.

But the reason didn’t apply in this situation.

I needed him to join us.

“Keep that. I’ll show you something that will make you want to buy into it.”

“What are you going to show me…?”

“No need to rush. You’ll find out soon enough.”

With that, I turned and left the shop.

Shylock didn’t try to stop me.

Once outside, I returned to the carriage and instructed the driver to head to a safe house I had prepared in the capital.

As the carriage set off, I noticed someone following us.

Shylock must have sent them to uncover my identity.

I could capture and deal with them, but I chose to let them be.

After all, I had something to show him, just as I promised

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