"The overpriced alchemy shop?" Skadi asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes." Duncan responded. "It is a rather expensive store and the owner has noble backing. Normally the guards would be hesitant to act against them without consulting Count Lupenia first. That would give them plenty of time to hide anything incriminating. However, I do have the authorization to act directly."

"How big is this store?" I wondered.

"That is a good question. I admit that I am not that familiar with it. Normally I would start with an observation and look into their records, however we do not want to give them any time to prepare. Since I am afraid some of the guard is compromised we are going for speed. I do believe they have an alchemy lab in the back of their building, I suspect it's where we will find the Iron Beak." Duncan replied.

"How are we going to handle this, sir?" Helena asked.

"Koyuki, grab your undead platoon. We will use them to surround the building. Instruct them to detain anyone leaving. Detain, not kill." He specified. "Further, I want four groups ready to move in and secure the building. I will enter first, together with Connor and Koyuki. I will show them my credentials and demand their cooperation. Everyone needs to be ready for a confrontation but we will try to do it peacefully, if possible."

Soon we moved out. First we fetched my undead. Cassie suggested bringing the Iron Beaks but Colonel Duncan objected, he did not want the collateral damage they might cause. The four teams were led by Cassie, Helena, Skadi and Kaito. Frank was with Kaito, the cats were with their girls and Hatsumi was with me. Each of the four teams had 6 goblin zombies, the remaining ones were there to form a perimeter and stop anyone from fleeing.

Marching through town with a lot of undead felt weird, it also got a few stares. We moved quickly, since word of our group might spread. Connor's eyes lit up on occasion, he seemed to confirm that our target was still here.

The shop was targeting wealthy clients. It had large glass windows showcasing some of the products they sold. The sign above the door was made from white oak, the name of the shop was engraved with golden letters. The building itself had two stories, the lower one was made from perfectly cut stone, the upper level was made from dark wood. The building itself was clearly bigger than the store, with a section at the back serving as a lab, presumably.

The people on the streets stared at us as our troops surrounded the building. We wore our uniform but the amount of undead clearly caused some unease.

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A bell chimed as we entered the shop. A young woman was behind the counter, talking with a customer. The man, who was currently paying for something, turned around. He was wearing a fine black suit and had an ornate rapier at his belt. Despite his grey hair and a few wrinkles in his face, his body still seemed fit.

"What is the meaning of this?" He inquired, looking outraged.

The woman behind the counter looked less defiant and more scared. She might have been our age. She had red hair, freckles and wore a grey suit, which might have been the store uniform.

"I am Colonel Duncan of the Royal Inquisition. We have tracked stolen property to this establishment and are here to recover it. Your cooperation would be appreciated." Duncan said, while holding a badge in his hand.

"Theft? You are invading this establishment for simple theft? I can see your troops on the street! The count will hear about this!" The man complained.

Duncan looked at the man. "You can lodge a complaint if you wish, sir…?"

"Redford, Hermann Redford." The man introduced himself. I had no idea who he was.

"Sir Redford, I apologise for the inconvenience. I must also ask you to wait here until we have searched the premises." Duncan said.

"Outrageous, you cannot keep me here!" The man protested.

"Sorry, but this is a crime scene." Duncan looked at the woman behind the counter. "Now, miss, I would like you to open the back of the store for us."

"I am sorry! I don't have a key for the lab!" She squeaked.

Duncan nodded. "I see. I am afraid we will have to use force to open the door. Our tracker has identified our target and it is definitely here."

Connor's eyes briefly flashed orange again. "Yes, it is in the back."

"I… I have to inform my superior! You can't break into the door! It is sealed!" She said, sounding panicked.

"I am afraid we do not have the luxury to wait. Please just wait over there while we get to work. Do not leave the premises, the undead have orders to stop anyone from leaving." Duncan replied.

"Undead?" The women looked horrified.

"Undead in the streets, what has this town come to? Outrageous!" Sir Redford complained but he did not resist.

"Koyuki, order two goblins to keep an eye on them while we investigate the back." Connor ordered.

I nodded. Two goblin zombies entered the shop. I could have left Hatsumi or Nyx here but they might be needed in the back. We moved past the counter towards a solid metal door.

"Quite the door for a lab." Connor mused.

"Maybe they like explosions as much as Cassie." I mumbled.

Duncan investigated the lock. "Hm. I think there is some magic here. Entering could be tricky, especially if they have defensive wards. This is certainly suspicious, even for a wealthy shop."

"Sir, I can shape blood. I might be able to pick the lock. I am also quite sturdy in case there are defenses." Hatsumi offered.

Wait, she could pick locks? When did she learn that? Then again, shaping blood might help with a keyhole. Actually, could I do that with water and ice? Lockpicking had never been something I had looked into.

Duncan nodded at Hatsumi. "Go ahead."

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