CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 163: ROMANI_1

But what use was that? He wasn’t some antique collector; he had come here hoping to find a bargain using his archaeological knowledge and sensitivity to Extraordinary items.

However, it now seemed he had overthought it. Truly good items wouldn’t appear in places like this; after all, no one was a fool.

Disappointing. The so-called Rat Street Treasure was nothing more than a lie concocted by the local merchants.

But here, Lance did indeed see many bizarre things, which broadened his horizons considerably.

Once he set aside his utilitarian mindset, he was no longer in a hurry. Instead, he began to stroll around, trying to use his knowledge to identify the antiques and artifacts while also getting a general understanding of market prices.

It wasn’t until a sudden burst of inspiration drew his attention that he unconsciously looked towards a corner of the street. A carriage, its decorations possessing a distinctly foreign style, had its side awning unfurled, displaying an array of eye-catching yet strange merchandise.

Inside sat a woman, apparently the carriage’s owner.

Lance approached, his gaze fixed on her.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with thick black hair. A Red Cloth was tied around her forehead, holding back her long hair. She wore two large golden earrings, and her clothing and adornments were elaborate and intricate, bearing distinct foreign characteristics.

Her skin was a shade darker than that of the people from the Empire—a sun-kissed brown—but her features were delicate. After being accustomed to ordinary women, she was quite striking at first glance.

However, what captivated Lance more than her appearance was an ornament on her right shoulder, emanating a power that stirred his inspiration.

Not only that, but the bracelet on her wrist, the rings on her fingers, and the Crystal Ball in front of her were all Extraordinary Equipment.

More astonishingly, he also sensed an unusual power emanating from the carriage itself.

One or two such items could be explained, but for them all to appear on a single person was a tremendous shock to Lance.

So much for Extraordinary items being priceless treasures; why did they suddenly seem as common as dirt?

"Hello, customer. Is there anything you need?"

The woman’s voice drew Lance’s attention back, his gaze sweeping over the displayed goods.

There were shrunken animal carcasses, the fist-sized skull of an unknown creature, intricately crafted boxes, various bottles and jars, and unidentifiable herbs.

They looked imposing, but just like the wares at other stalls, they were obviously fake at first glance.

"I want to see the real treasures; money is no issue."

Lance couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries and got straight to the point, tossing a pouch towards her. Upon impact, its contents spilled out—all glittering Gold Coins.

There was no better way to open doors than Gold Coins—unless it was even more Gold Coins.

A smile touched the woman’s lips at the sight. She looked up, appraising the newcomer with a gaze that clearly marked him as a wealthy, naive customer.

"You’re in luck, customer. I have two prized items." As she spoke, she retrieved a small box from somewhere beneath the shelf and opened it, revealing two peculiar ornaments.

One was a thumb-sized cube with a round protrusion on each face. Each protrusion, in turn, featured a blood-red, cross-shaped indentation.

The other was a miniature human skull, the size of a quail’s egg. Its eye sockets were sealed with some unknown substance, but eyes had been drawn over them. Metal studs affixed the skullcap to a necklace chain.

"Tell me about them."

Lance could sense something special about these two items, though he didn’t know how they were made. The aura they emitted made him slightly uncomfortable.

"This is the Life Magic Stone, one of the Twelve Demon Stones created by the Legendary alchemist Hermes. Wearing it is said to strengthen one’s physique."

"And this is an Evil-Repelling Amulet, made by the Barbarian Tribes from within the Misty Mountains. It can resist certain negative energies affecting your body."

The woman praised the items in her hands profusely, clearly eager to sell them to Lance.

However, looking at the specially treated skull, Lance thought it didn’t seem capable of repelling evil at all.

"Let me take a look."

Lance reached out and picked up the Life Magic Stone. Indeed, the moment he held it, he could feel his blood quicken; her claim about enhancing Life Force was accurate.

However, she hadn’t mentioned any side effects. Lance knew his own body well; his usually agile reflexes had noticeably slowed.

Lance said nothing, turning instead to the Evil-Repelling Amulet. He didn’t feel any obvious effects from it, nor could he tell how it was supposed to work.

But the negative side effects were very apparent: his muscles grew stiff. If an enemy were to slash at him, he would struggle to dodge even if he reacted in time.

Hmm... His combat style relied entirely on reaction speed. As for Life Force, he could instantly max it out with Flesh Reconstruction. And for repelling evil... putting aside his own Sanctuary for protection, even if he encountered evil, it would be the malevolent spirits avoiding him.

These items were useless to him. They weren’t suitable for Dismas or the others either. The Life Force gained from wearing these was inferior to a Strengthening Bless from him, which also came with no side effects.

Still, they were Extraordinary items. They might be worth collecting for research purposes.

"What’s the price?"

"Two thousand Gold Coins each."

"Let me know if you get anything else interesting." Lance placed the items back and began to gather his coin pouch.

Seeing this, the woman quickly pressed a hand on his coin pouch. "These are fine items! I wouldn’t sell them to just anyone..."

But halfway through her sentence, the woman’s expression suddenly changed. The hand that had been pressing on the coin pouch shifted to touch Lance’s hand. Disregarding the Gold Coins, she stared at the ring on his finger, her face filled with astonishment.

"What are you doing? Let go." Lance pulled his hand away, giving the woman an odd look.

"Where did you find this?"

The woman seemed to realize her abruptness and gave an awkward laugh, though her gaze remained fixed on the ring.

"Why should I tell you?" Lance didn’t know why she was so interested in the Family Crest Ring, but he felt no obligation to explain.

"You will gain the friendship of the Romani people." The woman straightened her posture, her hands crossed before her in a specific gesture. Combined with the Crystal Ball in front of her, it lent her a distinct ceremonial air.

Lance paused. He knew of the Romani people’s origins.

They were a global nomadic people. In their language, "Rom" meant "human being" or "person," and this self-designation led to others calling them the Romani.

The Romani typically didn’t form deep ties with local populations, maintaining relative independence and an air of mystery throughout their centuries of wandering.

This was what Lance recalled about the Romani people, but now it seemed there was more to them than he knew.

"Why do you want to know the origin of this ring?"

"Because it’s related to a prophecy."