The Demonic Capital: New York

“As you already know, Lord Muyounggui, the New York branch of our Black Moon Company has not been in the best condition.”

Since the Black Moon Hall’s primary business was real estate, New York had once seemed like an ideal place for them to operate. Redevelopment projects were frequent, and following their usual method—buying up slum land, restoring public order with their own forces, and then flipping the properties—should have been an easy way to turn a profit.

But the problem was that this city was New York. With countless factions tangled together in a chaotic web, the Black Moon Hall’s traditional strategy simply didn’t work. There were already too many competitors doing the exact same thing. Even if they purchased land, the ones standing in the way of restoring order were heavyweight mafia families or massive gangs. The casualties were too high. They might make money, but their forces would steadily shrink.

To send tribute money back to the main headquarters, they needed to run all sorts of schemes, but those schemes required manpower. It was a vicious cycle: fewer men meant less ability to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠generate the next tribute. Faced with this contradiction, the New York branch leader had no choice but to abandon the old ways and devise something new.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he returned to an even older tradition. Like the mafia of old, the Black Moon Hall seized control of New York’s Chinatown and began collecting protection fees.

It didn’t bring in as much money as openly operating in the slums, but by using Chinatown as a base to expand into drugs, human trafficking, illegal arms dealing—every profitable criminal enterprise imaginable—the money started pouring in and their forces began to grow again. Jackson Shaw had even seriously considered cutting ties with the main headquarters and going independent. That was when the incidents began.

The protection racket ran smoothly, but every other illegal operation the New York branch touched started running into problems.

It began with the disappearance of a low-level thug who had been delivering drugs—a common enough occurrence. Accidents during drug runs were routine. But finding his corpse completely drained of blood, mummified like a dried husk, was anything but ordinary.

After that, Black Moon personnel started dying one or two at a time in the drug warehouses, the human trafficking holding cells, and the unlicensed weapons factories.

By the time Jackson Shaw realized something was terribly wrong, more than thirty percent of the New York branch’s fighting strength had already been slaughtered by this unknown monster. His subordinates began fleeing in terror. Naturally, the illegal businesses run by the Black Moon Hall were seized by rival gangs, and their control over Chinatown steadily shrank.

As a result, they had failed to send tribute for several months. The main headquarters naturally assumed the branch had deliberately cut off payments. Refusing to pay tribute was tantamount to declaring independence—in other words, treason against the Black Moon Hall. That was why Muyounggui’s execution squad had been dispatched.

To make matters worse, the department responsible for communications between headquarters and the New York branch had been completely purged during an internal factional struggle. All contact with New York had been severed. Even though Jackson Shaw had continued sending urgent requests, none of them ever reached the main office, deepening the misunderstanding.

“For now, this much information should be reported to the family head or the vice-head. It seems the branch has indeed been under attack.”

After listening to Jackson Shaw’s slightly self-serving retelling of events, Muyounggui spoke from within the black fog. It sounded like he was making a call.

“We will investigate first. If your story proves true, we will spare your life and allow you to retain your position as New York branch leader. However, if you have lied… I will make sure you regret not dying here today for the rest of your miserable life.”

Muyounggui pointed his massive scythe at Jackson Shaw, then turned and walked outside. Jackson Shaw let out a long sigh. Some unknown creature—straight out of legend, like a vampire—was draining his men dry. No matter how many times he contacted headquarters, he received no reply. How desperately had he paced back and forth in frustration?

But if the infamous Muyounggui and his execution squad were on the case, they would surely resolve this. After all, the squad didn’t just carry out executions of traitors; they also handled inspections and investigations. They were experts at this kind of work.

“Examine every single scene and report back. Do not miss even the smallest trace.”

The execution squad members waiting outside, all dressed entirely in black, nodded silently and vanished toward the various incident locations.

###

After the tea party, we enjoyed an incredibly luxurious lunch. Since Aris had returned home after a long time and Nae Fitzgerald, who ran a luxury brand headquartered in Paris, was also visiting after quite a while, the maids seemed to have gone all out.

Roast beef, bread rich with buttery aroma, fresh salads that showed consideration for health, oysters sprinkled with lemon, and butter-grilled lobster filled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the table. Even with my large appetite, there was more than enough for me to eat to my heart’s content.

“What are you planning to do this evening?”

“I don’t have anything particular in mind today.”

When Nae Fitzgerald asked during the meal, I answered that I had no specific plans. Since it was my first day back, I had been thinking of just spending time relaxing with Aris or Mimata Chieri.

“Then, would it be all right if I borrowed our Aris for the day? There’s an exhibition Iris and I have been wanting to see, and it turns out it’s being held in New York right now.”

Why don’t you just say you’re going to scout the target for today’s mother-daughter heist? I almost blurted out, but I kept my mouth shut. Until I had solid proof, I couldn’t show my hand. The plan was to keep them off guard and strike when the perfect opportunity arose.

“I’ll go with whatever Aris wants. If she’s not around, I can just hang out with Senior.”

Aris seemed to think for a moment, then clasped her hands together with an incredibly apologetic expression directed at me.

“I’m sorry, Ryuta. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Mom. We’re going to have a mother-daughter date, just the two of us.”

“That’s fine. Then I’ll go sightseeing around New York with Senior and come back here afterward.”

New York was a city with deep historical roots, so there were quite a few things I could obtain here. I figured I could pick up a few today. While I was at it, I could also stop by the underground auction’s offline store in New York. I asked Nae Fitzgerald what exhibition they were attending.

“By the way, what exhibition are you going to?”

“The Metropolitan Museum is holding a special exhibition on world armor and weapons. Since our Fitzgerald family donated some Irish-style armor and weapons, we should at least show our faces.”

Armor and weapons, huh… In the modern world, they might not be very practical, but crazy items occasionally popped up in places like this. Honestly, I was tempted to go myself. After all, I could see the options on items.

But I still didn’t have the ability to steal something from a museum without leaving any trace, and the few items I was certain to obtain today were more reliable. So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I chose the sure thing.

After finishing the meal, Aris and Nae Fitzgerald headed to their rooms to change into outfits suitable for the museum. Mimata Chieri and I simply brushed our teeth and stepped outside. We received two motorcycles from the Fitzgerald family and rode together to an old restaurant located at the edge of Manhattan Island.

The restaurant was named Spearhead, which was quite unique. It had apparently existed since the days of New Amsterdam, before New York was even called New York, back during the early colonization of America. Despite its long history, it mainly served old-fashioned dishes like fish and chips, so it wasn’t particularly popular.

Since it was right after the lunch rush, the place was quiet with no customers. Stepping inside, it felt like a tavern straight out of a Western period drama.

I approached an elderly white man with a full beard who appeared to be the owner.

“Are you a customer?”

“Not a dining customer, but I suppose you could call me a customer.”

Mimata Chieri translated for me as I replied. The owner looked confused at first, but his face hardened at my next words.

“I’d like to buy that carving on the wall over there. How much?”

I pointed at a wooden statue of a bear standing on one side of the wall. The bear carving was made of stone and depicted the animal rearing up on its hind legs with both front paws raised threateningly.

“That’s a family heirloom that’s been passed down since my great-great-grandfather’s time! I can’t sell it.”

Of course he would get angry. Even though it was only a small stone statue about forty centimeters tall, asking to buy a family treasure was bound to upset him. However…

“One hundred thousand dollars.”

“I can’t sell a family heirloom for a mere hundred thousand dollars.”

“Two hundred thousand dollars.”

“Ugh…!”

As expected, the saying that money solves most problems when trying to buy something from someone was absolutely correct. I ended up purchasing the bear statue from the reluctant owner for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

The name of this restaurant, Spearhead, didn’t refer to the tip of a spear but to a vanguard or pioneer. It had been established by someone from the pioneer vanguard during America’s colonization period. The owner had decorated various parts of the restaurant with statues and Indian headdresses he had plundered from Native American tribes. Among them was this Grizzly Totem.

Naturally, the original owner had no idea about the totem’s true power. For hundreds of years, it had simply sat collecting dust in a corner of the restaurant.

“What are you going to use this for? It just looks like a shabby little statue.”

“Senior, the kid might hear you.”

At Mimata Chieri’s rather harsh comment, I covered the bear statue’s ears as I spoke. Because it had been left unattended in the restaurant for so long, it was covered in sticky grease and grime. I’d have to clean it up later…

Come to think of it, that old restaurant owner was pretty shameless. He sold a statue in such poor condition for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Of course, my own reckless spending was partly to blame, but he should have accepted when I offered a hundred thousand. What a cheapskate.

I placed the bear statue into the bag I had brought and headed next to the underground auction’s New York branch. There were many other items I wanted to collect, but since the auction house was the closest from here, it made sense to stop there first.

“Senior, what’s your underground auction rank?”

“I’m Plus rank.”

Just as I expected, she wasn’t Diamond rank yet. But at Plus rank, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could use the offline stores, so we could go together.

“We’re heading to the underground auction’s New York branch right now.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t realize becoming Plus rank let you visit offline branches. That’s pretty nice.”

The underground auction app really wasn’t very user-friendly. Mimata Chieri had apparently thought that reaching Plus rank was just like a game title—nothing more than a name change for buying a lot of stuff.

We rode for about five minutes from the restaurant, parked the motorcycles in front of a building, and stepped inside. After verifying the app, we descended underground again. From what I remembered, the underground auction had renovated a massive secret basement warehouse that had once been used by bootleggers during the Prohibition era.

“Hello! So you’re in New York this time!”

Ive suddenly appeared and greeted us warmly right from the entrance. This was the first time she had welcomed us like this. Usually she waited behind the counter instead of coming out to the entrance.