Jasper decided to start selling at Mr. Erminio's forging shop. However, when he remembered that he usually sold to him in the evening, he felt that if he went now and sold a large amount, Mr. Erminio might think something was wrong. So he chose to sell to unfamiliar forging shops first and leave the remaining amount for Mr. Erminio's store.
When he reached the cave, the crystals were still lying there. Usually, no one came to this mountain. Even if someone passed through, they wouldn't enter the caves. And even if someone did enter, the chance of choosing this particular cave was almost zero. He quickly packed around five pounds—the same amount he had sold at the auction house—and ran toward town.
He knew the locations of a few blacksmith shops and decided to begin with one he recognized before roaming around to find others. Though he didn't know how many shops existed in the entire town, he expected there to be at least more than ten blacksmiths, considering its size.
Jasper soon arrived at the forging store he had chosen. "Blazing Accent Forging" was written across the top of the shop. The building looked more refined compared to Mr. Erminio's forge. He stepped inside and saw several people examining the weapons displayed throughout the store.
He quietly approached the counter and saw a burly middle-aged man standing behind it. When the man noticed Jasper, he leaned forward slightly and asked, "How can I help you, young man?"
Jasper responded with a polite smile. He placed the pouch on the counter, took out a single crystal, and showed it to him.
"Sir, would you be interested in buying these crystals?"
The middle-aged man took the crystal and inspected it carefully. After a few seconds, he looked at Jasper with curiosity.
"Where did you get these crystals, young man?" he asked.
Jasper was surprised by the familiar question—almost the same as the one the fat man at the auction house had asked. Did these people not know that abandoned caves in the mountain contained many of these crystals? Or was it something rare that he had unknowingly stumbled upon? His thoughts began racing. How had he first learned about the crystals?
"Sir, I mined them in an abandoned cave in the Obsidian Rock Mountains," Jasper replied, since he couldn't recall who had first mentioned them to him.
"Really?" the man asked again.
"Yes, but not much. It took me a whole week to collect this amount. Is something wrong, sir? Are you not interested in buying?" Jasper answered honestly. Though he had gathered a large quantity today, it would normally take weeks to collect that much.
"No, no. I'll buy it." The man quickly took the pouch and set it aside. He opened a drawer and brought out three gold coins and several silver coins. The payment was roughly the same as what Jasper had received at the auction house.
Jasper collected the coins, thanked the man, and left the shop.
While walking back toward the mountain, something about the two men he had spoken to that morning kept bothering him. Though the second man had not reacted strongly, Jasper felt there was something important about the mountain and the white crystals that he did not understand.
His steps quickened, and within minutes he reached the cave. He hurriedly pulled out a large sack and began transferring the crystals into it. A growing sense of unease filled him. If he left them here, he felt he might lose everything. Within a short time, he packed all the crystals into the sack and tied it tightly.
He exited the cave and immediately began running away from the mountain. He decided to store the crystals at home and sell only a portion for now. If everything remained normal and the uneasy feeling faded, he would sell the rest later.
Once he reached town, he slowed his pace and walked naturally. It was common for people to carry heavy loads on their shoulders. As long as he acted normally, no one would pay attention. As expected, people barely glanced in his direction. After several minutes, he reached his house and knocked on the door.
After a brief wait, the door opened, and his little sister stood there. When she saw him, her face lit up.
"Brother, you came early. What is that?" she asked, staring at the sack on his shoulder.
"It's nothing. I just thought I'd come back early. Let's go inside," Jasper replied as he entered.
He went straight to his room and dragged the sack inside. Before he could settle it properly, he heard his mother calling as her voice drew closer.
"Jasper," she called while entering the room.
"Yes, Mother." He placed the sack against the wall, untied it, and separated a few pounds into a pouch.
"What happened, son? What is that?" she asked as he handled the crystals.
"Nothing, Mother. It's white crystal I mined from the cave. I'm just taking some to sell at Mr. Erminio's shop," Jasper answered casually, keeping his expression steady as if the large amount meant nothing.
"Where did you get this much crystal?" she asked again.
"I mined it from the Obsidian Rock Mountain cave," he replied. "I'll go sell it to Mr. Erminio."
"Okay. Be careful," Jocelyn said as she watched him leave.
After he stepped outside, Jocelyn returned to Jasper's room and gave a long, thoughtful look at the sack of white crystals resting against the wall.