February 1908
Alexei crouched silently on the rooftop of a warehouse overlooking the dockyards. Beside him was Ivan, who had personally led him to the location. Together, they kept a careful watch on the large mansion not far from them, the residence of Mr. Kirelinko, the leader of the Steel Knuckles Syndicate.
After weeks of surveillance, Ivan had finally pieced together Kirelinko's routine. Tonight, the gang leader was hosting a lavish banquet for his men to celebrate their recent gains, boost morale, and indulge in food, drink, and women. Ivan believed it would provide the perfect opportunity to eliminate him.
After all, what banquet ended without its guests becoming thoroughly drunk?
Having spent years observing the criminal underworld of St. Petersburg, Ivan knew exactly how these gatherings usually unfolded. As the night wore on, not only would the guests drink themselves into a stupor, but so would many of the guards assigned to protect the estate. Their vigilance would inevitably decline as the alcohol flowed, leaving gaps in the mansion's security that normally wouldn't exist. The moment Ivan realized this, he immediately informed his master.
Now, the two of them remained hidden atop the rooftop of a warehouse, patiently observing the mansion not far from them for the slightest opening that would allow them to strike.
Alexei watched as guests steadily arrived at the mansion, greeted and inspected by the guards stationed at the entrance before disappearing inside. He carefully observed the security arrangements for several minutes before concluding that the banquet had only just begun. It would still be hours before the alcohol dulled everyone's senses and their vigilance began to slip.
Satisfied with his assessment, he stopped watching the mansion altogether. He sat down against the rooftop wall, leaned back comfortably, and made himself at ease.
Noticing this, Ivan looked at him in confusion. "Is something wrong, Master?"
"Hm?" Alexei glanced at him before replying, "Nothing. Can't you tell the banquet has only just begun? It'll be several more hours before we have an opportunity to make our move."
He folded his arms behind his head.
"Keep watching the mansion and make sure Kirelinko doesn't leave the premises. As for me..." He yawned. "I'm going to take a nap."
Ivan blinked before a faint blush of embarrassment crept across his face. He hadn't even considered that they would be waiting for quite some time. "My apologies, Master. That completely slipped my mind."
He straightened his posture and looked back toward the mansion. "Please rest while I keep watching the mansion. We also have several minions stationed nearby to monitor the surrounding streets, so we'll know immediately if he leaves the estate."
Hearing that, Alexei nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Wake me in about an hour, and we'll see whether an opportunity has presented itself by then."
"Yes, Master." Ivan watched as his master closed his eyes and, within moments, drifted into a light sleep beside him.
Shaking his head with a faint smile, Ivan turned his full attention back to Kirelinko's mansion, patiently waiting for an opportunity to unfold.
An hour later, Ivan gently woke his master.
Alexei sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and spent several minutes observing the mansion through the darkness. The banquet was still in full swing. Guests continued to arrive, and both the guards and attendees remained relatively sober, their vigilance largely intact.
"Not yet," he muttered before lying back down. "Wake me again in another hour and a half."
"Yes, Master."
Time passed.
This time, when Alexei opened his eyes and looked toward the mansion, the scene had changed noticeably. No new guests were arriving. Instead, small groups began leaving the estate one after another. The festivities inside were clearly winding down.
More importantly, the guards had also begun letting their discipline slip. Several of them now carried bottles of vodka as they wandered around the grounds. Some laughed loudly with one another, while others no longer bothered to scan their surroundings as attentively as before.
Alexei knew their moment was drawing near. Rather than lying back down, he remained crouched on the rooftop, patiently observing the mansion and its surroundings.
Sure enough, not long afterward, another large group of guests departed the mansion. Judging by the dwindling stream of people leaving, Alexei estimated that only a handful of Kirelinko's closest associates and guests remained inside.
He waited another thirty minutes.
By then, even the guards' movements had become sluggish. A few staggered slightly as they patrolled the grounds, their faces flushed from the drinks, while others leaned lazily against walls with bottles still in hand.
Alexei's eyes narrowed while his lips turned upwards. "It's time."
He turned toward Ivan. "Let's make our move. But promise me one thing, you'll follow my lead no matter what. Understood? I don't want your sister blaming me if something happens to you."
Ivan's eyes lit up with excitement. This would be his first operation fighting alongside his master. "Yes, Master. Wherever you point, I'll go." He patted his chests as he finished.
Satisfied, Alexei gave a small nod. Without another word, he silently dropped from the rooftop, landing soundlessly on the deserted street below. Ivan followed immediately after, and together they slipped through the darkness, swiftly closing the remaining distance between the warehouse and Kirelinko's mansion.
Alexei never slowed his pace. Reaching the outer wall, he leapt upward, caught its edge with both hands, and smoothly pulled himself over. After making certain that no guards were patrolling the opposite side, he lowered himself into the mansion grounds as quietly as possible. Ivan landed beside him a moment later, and the two hurried across the snow-covered gardens before pressing themselves against the wall of the mansion itself, careful to remain hidden from the few guards who still retained enough sobriety to perform their duties.
After confirming that no one had noticed their intrusion, Alexei tested the nearest window and found it unlocked. He cautiously peered inside and, seeing the room was empty, slipped through without hesitation, with Ivan close behind. A quick glance around revealed it to be one of the servants' quarters. For a brief moment, Alexei considered changing into a servant's uniform to make moving around the mansion easier, but immediately abandoned the idea. His mask alone would draw suspicion, and there was no chance in hell that he would remove it and expose his identity. Letting out a quiet sigh, he cracked open the door and stepped into the corridor. The moment they did, he heightened his senses to their limit, carefully listening to every footstep, every conversation, and every sound echoing throughout the mansion.
Whenever he heard someone approaching from either direction, Alexei reacted without the slightest hesitation. If an empty room was nearby, they would quietly slip inside and wait for the footsteps to pass. When no room was available, they climbed out through the nearest window and flattened themselves against the outer wall until the danger had gone by. Fortunately, none of the passing guards ever thought to glance outside, allowing the pair to avoid detection every single time. Knowing Kirelinko would never place his own bedroom on the first floor, they ignored most of the first floor's room and instead ascended to the second floor using the servants' staircase rather than the grand staircase, where numerous guards remained stationed.
Their search became systematic. Alexei first listened at every door before deciding how to proceed. If he heard nothing, he quietly opened the room and inspected it himself. If voices or movement came from within, he would find windows near them, climb through the wall and peered through the windows of the said room instead. In this manner, the two carefully searched every room on the second floor, yet Kirelinko was nowhere to be found. The third floor proved considerably more troublesome. Guards occupied nearly every corridor, forcing Alexei and Ivan to remain hidden inside an empty guest room for almost half an hour before an opportunity finally presented itself. As the banquet grew louder and the alcohol continued to flow, several guards abandoned their posts to join the festivities or take a short break. Seizing the chance, the pair resumed their search and eventually located what appeared to be the mansion's master bedroom.
The room was lavishly furnished, clearly belonging to the owner of the estate, but it stood empty. Listening carefully, Alexei could still hear laughter, music, and drunken shouting echoing faintly from the banquet hall. Kirelinko was almost certainly still entertaining his guests. After weighing his options, Alexei decided to gamble. If this truly was the gang leader's bedroom, Kirelinko would eventually return. If not, they would simply subdue whoever entered and continue searching elsewhere. Motioning silently toward the bed, he instructed Ivan to hide beneath it while he concealed himself behind the heavy curtains beside the window. Ivan obeyed immediately, crawling beneath the bed without making a sound.
As he waited beneath the bed, Ivan couldn't help replaying the infiltration of the mansion in his mind. The entire operation had felt almost unreal. Not once had they come close to being discovered. It was as though his master possessed an uncanny instinct, always knowing precisely when to move, when to stop, and exactly where to hide before any guards even appeared. Ivan couldn't help wondering what it would be like to possess such extraordinary awareness himself. If he had that ability, gathering intelligence would become infinitely easier. He might even be capable of infiltrating the Winter Palace itself and uncovering secrets from the very heart of the Empire. The thought filled him with excitement before he forced himself to calm down. Such abilities belonged only to his mysterious master. Even so, there was no harm in dreaming, and dreaming was all he could do as the two of them waited in silence.
After more than an hour, the sounds of the banquet finally began to die down. Alexei could hear guests taking their leave, servants cleaning somewhere within the mansion, and drunken guards chatting carelessly among themselves. He knew the moment they had been waiting for was drawing near, and his instincts proved correct. Barely ten minutes later, the bedroom door opened.
Alexei immediately pressed himself tighter against the wall behind the heavy curtains, concealing his presence even further. He soon realized that the newcomers consisted of one man and three women. None of them bothered to inspect the room. Instead, they stumbled directly toward the bed, laughing drunkenly as they collapsed onto it. Alexei relaxed slightly when they failed to notice anything unusual. Moments later, the room was filled with grunts and lewd noises.
He couldn't help but silently pity Ivan, who was hidden beneath the bed. The poor man undoubtedly heard every embarrassing sound from above while being jostled by the movement on the mattress. Fortunately, the commotion lasted only about thirty minutes before the room gradually fell silent.
Waiting several more minutes to ensure everyone had truly fallen asleep, Alexei carefully peeked out from behind the curtains. The man and the three women lay sprawled across the bed, deeply unconscious from drink and exhaustion. Without hesitation, he crossed the room with silent, measured steps. Reaching the bedside, he immediately identified the man as Kirelinko, he then first pressed a pressure point near the man's temple without wasting any time as they had already waited enough, ensuring that the man remained completely unconscious. Alexei had no intention of allowing him to awaken in the middle of what came next.
Once he was satisfied that the man would not regain consciousness, Alexei placed two fingers lightly against his chest, directly over the heart, and slowly guided a strand of qi into his body. The process required patience. Nearly three minutes passed before the man's body twitched twice before becoming completely still. Alexei quietly withdrew his hand, then glanced at the three women to confirm they remained fast asleep, unaware of everything that had transpired.
Only then did he crouch beside the bed and gesture for Ivan to come out.
Ivan carefully slid out from beneath the bed. His face was flushed bright red, and he was breathing a little harder than usual. Seeing his expression, Alexei couldn't suppress a silent chuckle. Without wasting another second, the two of them slipped out through the same window they had entered earlier and disappeared into the darkness.
Only after they had safely cleared the mansion grounds and were making their way back toward their headquarters did Ivan finally break the silence.
"Master... did you do that on purpose?" he asked with an embarrassed expression. "Making me hide under the bed?"
"Of course not," Alexei answered immediately, continuing to walk without slowing his pace. "That was completely outside my expectations. I never imagined they'd come into the room and do... that. Hiding beneath the bed was simply the safest and most convenient place in the room, which is why I told you to hide there."
Hearing the explanation, Ivan's face gradually returned to normal. He deliberately pushed the awkward memories from his mind before asking another question. "How did you do it, Master? Did... did you kill all of them? Even the women?"
Alexei glanced sideways at him before shaking his head. "No. Only Kirelinko. As for how I did it..." He paused for a moment. "It's difficult to explain. Don't worry, though. I'll teach you more techniques for silent assassination when the time is right."
Ivan absentmindedly nodded, his attention already shifting from the embarrassing incident beneath the bed to the mysterious techniques his master had just mentioned. "Thank you, Master."
Alexei merely smiled before continuing forward into the snowy streets of St. Petersburg.
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Several days passed after the death of Mr. Kirelinko, throwing the Steel Knuckles Syndicate into a state of confusion and internal turmoil. Ivan and the minions kept the organization under constant surveillance, quietly observing the men who stepped forward in an attempt to stabilize the gang and seize control of its leadership. Alexei knew it would take time before they uncovered anything truly valuable, so for the moment, he left the investigation in Ivan's capable hands and turned his attention back to the sports organization, which was progressing steadily under Zakharov's management.
That afternoon, Alexei sat behind the desk in his study, reviewing several reports. Seated across from him was Major Artem Zakharov, who had resigned from his post in the Army's Logistics Department to become the chairman of the Tsarevich's newly established sports organization.
".....And that's the current situation, Your Highness," Zakharov concluded as he set his notes down on the table. "We've completed the recruitment process, and our staff are now undergoing training while familiarizing themselves with their respective duties. As for the upcoming Olympic Games, I don't foresee any major problems. Our primary responsibility will be to organize the Empire's athletes, coordinate their travel, and provide logistical support throughout the competition. I'm confident we can handle the workload. More importantly, the experience our personnel gain from the Olympics should prepare us well for organizing our own national sporting competitions in the following months after the Olympic Games."
Alexei nodded in satisfaction as he closed the folder containing the reports.
"I'm very pleased with your work, Zakharov," he said. "Especially with how quickly you managed to build the organization from the ground up."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness," Zakharov replied with a smile. He had devoted countless hours, days and weeks to establishing the organization, so he accepted the Tsarevich's compliment with genuine pride.
"However, I do have one concern." Alexei leaned back slightly in his chair. "It's about the budget for our trip to London this April with the Olympic delegation. Are you certain the allocated funds will be enough?"
He couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Twenty five thousand rubles sounded substantial, but once travel expenses, accommodations, meals, transportation, and other miscellaneous costs were taken into account, he wondered whether it would truly be sufficient to support both the athletes and the organization's personnel throughout their stay in Britain.
"Hm?" Zakharov immediately reopened his folder and reviewed the financial estimates for the Olympic delegation before answering confidently.
"I've already had the budget calculated by our finance staff, Your Highness, and I personally reviewed the figures afterward. I'm confident the allocation will be sufficient."
He glanced down at the report before continuing. "We'll be sending approximately fifteen athletes to the Olympic Games. Including myself and the organization's staff accompanying them, our delegation will number around fifty people in total. I've also taken the liberty of reserving reasonably priced accommodations in London to keep our expenses under control. As things currently stand, the budget should comfortably cover our transportation, lodging, and other essential costs."
Zakharov looked up with a reassuring smile. "So there's no need to worry, Your Highness."
His smile, however, faded when he noticed Alexei slowly shaking his head.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" he asked cautiously.
Instead of answering directly, Alexei posed a question of his own. "I assume you've also planned for our athletes and staff to make do with the minimum amount of food and the cheapest meals possible?"
"Naturally, Your Highness," Zakharov replied without hesitation. "We'll be in a foreign country, and most of us won't be familiar with the local cuisine. I'm even planning to bring cooks from Russia along with us and ship ingredients from home. That way, we can both reduce our expenses and ensure that our athletes are served food they're already accustomed to."
Alexei nodded in approval before offering a faint smile.
"I like your thinking regarding the food. Bringing our own cooks and ingredients is a good idea, especially if it helps our athletes stay comfortable and avoid unfamiliar meals before their events. However..." He paused briefly before continuing. "There's no need to save money when it comes to their well-being."
He leaned forward slightly. "How about this? Go ahead with your plan to hire cooks and bring ingredients from the empire, but don't limit yourself to the cheapest options. I want our athletes, and our staff, to eat nutritious, high-quality meals throughout the entire Olympic Games. Cutting corners on food is out of the question."
After thinking for a moment, he continued. "Let's increase the budget to fifty thousand rubles. Once you've hired the cooks and purchased quality ingredients, use whatever remains to secure better accommodations in London. I don't want our athletes sleeping in cramped or unhealthy lodgings simply because we're trying to save money. I want everyone representing the Empire to be as comfortable as possible. Can you do that?"
Seeing the determination in the Tsarevich's expression, Zakharov immediately realized there was no point trying to persuade him otherwise. He simply nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. I can certainly do that."
He quickly noted the revised instructions in his notebook. Having spent his entire military career stretching every ruble as far as possible, the idea of increasing a budget rather than reducing it still felt unfamiliar. Frugality had become second nature to him. Yet, he couldn't deny that it was refreshing to work for someone who was willing to spend generously when it truly mattered. If the Tsarevich wished to invest more in the well-being of his people, Zakharov certainly had no intention of arguing against it.
"Good." Alexei nodded in satisfaction. "Just don't be overly concerned with saving money next time. This budget exists for our athletes and our staff, including you. I have no problem approving a larger budget, provided it's spent wisely and for the right reasons. Understood?"
Zakharov smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Your Highness. You have my word that every ruble entrusted to us will be spent responsibly. If any funds remain after the Olympic Games, I'll submit a full report and return the balance to you."
Alexei simply waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about returning it. Deposit any remaining funds into the organization's account instead. We'll put them to good use in future competitions."
"Yes, Your Highness," Zakharov replied respectfully.
The discussion then shifted to the sports the organization intended to promote over the coming years. At the top of the list was football. Alexei wanted preparations to begin as early as possible by encouraging schools, factories, military units, and local communities within the capital to form their own teams. His long-term vision was to establish a proper football league that would eventually expand throughout the Empire.
Football would be followed by boxing and athletics, particularly running events, which he believed required relatively little infrastructure to organize. As the years passed and the organization matured, Alexei hoped to introduce every sport featured in the Olympic Games into the Empire's annual sporting calendar, gradually transforming the organization into the country's central governing body for competitive sports.
For the time being, however, he knew they had to proceed one step at a time. Their immediate priority was ensuring the success of the Empire's participation in the Olympic Games in London. Afterward, the organization would focus on hosting the annual shooting competition before expanding into other sports in the following years.
By the time Zakharov concluded his report and took his leave, it was already five o'clock in the afternoon. Alexei stretched slightly in his chair as he realized just how hungry he had become after hours of discussion. Turning to Sednev, who stood quietly nearby, he smiled and said, "Could you ask Yuri if he has anything prepared? I'm beginning to feel rather hungry."
Sednev bowed respectfully before leaving at once for the palace kitchens.
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A/N: Please don't forget to rate and review the story after reading. And if you want to read ahead. You know where to look.