CH69

"This is nice. I'll keep it for now and decide later," Helag said, pointing at the crimson eyeballs.

Count Huen nodded with a smile. "Mr. Helag, you have a good eye. These are the rare Kuruta tribe eyeballs."

He was pleased with Helag's choice, as the item wasn't very valuable. Only certain nobles who collected human body parts would buy it; most people didn't appreciate or like such things.

The Kuruta tribe's eyeballs were popular among nobles two hundred years ago. They were so enamored with the crimson color that the eyeballs fetched high prices, affordable only to the wealthiest.

But now, the trend had passed, and the price had dropped.

No one cared about the tribe's extinction, and no one spoke up for them.

"Wizards do have peculiar tastes," Huen thought, finding it fitting for his image of wizards.

Helag continued exploring, noting a few interesting items to compare later before making his final decision.

"This necklace is pretty."

Helag spotted a necklace with a large blue gemstone and two golden flowers adorned with smaller gems.

Huen hesitated but then smiled. "This is the famous Queen Milani's necklace, known as the Heart of the Ocean. It's a dream for many women."

Queen Milani was well-known, even Helag had read about her.

She was the queen of an ancient kingdom a thousand years ago, renowned for her beauty and dubbed the most beautiful woman in the North. Her portraits fetched astronomical prices at auctions.

"I didn't expect her necklace to be here. Is it real?" Helag asked, his tone intense.

Huen, feeling pressured, quickly responded, "It's real. My father bought it at a high price when he was young."

"Alright, this is good too," Helag said, planning to gift it to Lilian. After all, he had taken so much from her before; it was time to give something back.

Huen felt a pang of regret but couldn't take back his words. Besides, Helag was a wizard; he was lucky Helag wasn't taking more.

The Kingdom of Violet was under the protection of a wizard organization, so wizards generally didn't harm nobles. But if Helag took a few things, Huen had no recourse unless Helag went overboard.

Helag noticed Huen's fleeting regret and smiled, continuing his exploration.

Most items were ordinary treasures. After a while, Helag found something unusual.

A pink doll lay quietly on a pile of gold, made of ordinary fabric.

The doll stood out in the treasure-filled vault, looking out of place.

Helag's expression turned serious. "Deep Blue, analyze this doll."

[Comparing with the database…]

[Based on the comparison, this is likely a Cursed Doll, a top-tier material for high-level curse spells.]

Deep Blue quickly provided the result.

Helag frowned. "I didn't expect it to be a Cursed Doll. No wonder it has so many negative energy particles."

He had sensed the negative energy particles and malice from afar.

The Cursed Doll was a top-tier material for high-level curse spells, which were Level 1 spells used by official wizards.

These dolls were extremely rare and couldn't be artificially made, only found in specific places.

Such places were valuable to wizards for their materials and potions but often came with dangers.

"Where did you get this?" Helag asked, holding the doll.

This wasn't something ordinary people could access, and Helag was surprised to find it in a noble's vault.

"Well…" Huen stammered, looking at the doll.

"I asked where it came from," Helag repeated impatiently.

Huen, sweating, said, "This doll is an ominous item. Mr. Helag, you shouldn't take it."

"An ominous item in your vault? I know what it is. Tell me where it came from," Helag insisted.

Huen wiped his forehead and said, "A thief brought it, claiming it had magical powers. I bought it and kept it in the vault, almost forgetting about it."

"A thief? What's his name? Where is he?" Helag pressed.

"His name is Robert, a great knight-level thief. I don't know where he is now, but you can ask at the Adventurers' Guild. He's well-known," Huen quickly revealed everything, sensing the seriousness.

"A great knight-level thief?" Helag thought of the thief who had followed him. It might be the same person, as great knight-level thieves were rare.

"Got it," Helag said. "I'll take this doll, the Heart of the Ocean necklace, and the crimson eyeballs."

He stored the Cursed Doll and went back to collect the necklace and eyeballs.

Huen followed, smiling nervously, not daring to object. Helag was informing him, not asking.

After selecting his items, Helag left the vault, and Huen struggled to close the door behind him.

Even the smaller door seemed heavier than it looked, and Huen's face turned red from the effort.

After closing the door, Huen wiped his sweat and hurried to catch up with Helag.

The outer door was closed by the knight-level guards, so Huen didn't have to worry about that.

Seeing Huen's haste to close the door, Helag found it amusing. Huen seemed afraid he'd rob the vault.

Though tempted, Helag remained rational.

The Kingdom of Violet was under the jurisdiction of Aruf Swamp, a powerful wizard organization.

The nobles had considerable power, and if Helag went too far, they could contact Aruf Swamp, causing trouble for him. It was best not to stir up problems on someone else's turf.