The continuing adventures of the stamp-count baron and the demon-fighter Yan Essens.
1857 is on the calendar. The pieces are set, and the game has begun. On one side of the chessboard is the Third Roman Empire, created by Ivan the Terrible. On the other are the forces of Hell unleashed by Vlad the Impaler. People versus demons—and the Fallen have already made their move.
And Yan Essens is traveling to Königsberg to take possession of the inheritance from a wealthy relative. For him, this is an important step that will allow him to become more independent and less dependent on the Imperial Chancellery—to turn from a stamp-count baron into a free hunter.