Ressel Forging House
Jasper stood in front of the desk while Mr. Erminio checked the crystals. When Jasper entered the forging shop, he noticed a surprised look on Mr. Erminio's face. It was the first time he had ever come this early. He usually arrived when the sun had set or even later.
Mr. Erminio quickly weighed the crystals and placed coins on the counter. Jasper collected them and counted carefully. It was the highest amount he had ever received—five gold coins and sixty-five silver coins. He was surprised by the amount Mr. Erminio had priced the crystals.
'Should I sell all the crystals to him? The others were offering lower prices,' Jasper thought. He had been selling white crystals from the beginning, even when he used to bring very small amounts—sometimes only five or six pieces. Though he had previously thought that selling to different forging stores would reduce questioning about how he was suddenly able to mine so many crystals—and feared someone discovering the blue gem—after experiencing two different places and meeting different reactions, Jasper came to the conclusion that Mr. Erminio was the most honest person to do business with. Even if he brought a large amount, he usually never asked questions or engaged in unnecessary conversation.
"Mr. Erminio, I have some more white crystals with me. Would you be willing to buy those as well?" Jasper asked after calculating the risks.
When Erminio heard Jasper speak, he turned around and stared at him. After remaining silent for a moment, he nodded without speaking and went back to what he was doing. Seeing the nod, Jasper felt relieved. He wouldn't have to roam around every forging house, asking and losing money each time.
If he could sell everything to Mr. Erminio, he would receive full payment today and visit the medical house with his mother. The weight of his inability to take care of his family pressed heavily on him. Only after everything was settled with his mother would he finally breathe in peace.
Within a short time, he reached home. When he entered, his sister and mother saw him dragging the large sack out of the room.
"Mother, I will sell this to Mr. Erminio. Get ready—we will visit the medical house today," Jasper said before leaving the house again, carrying the sack on his shoulder. No one paid much attention to what he was carrying. The uneasy feeling he had after meeting the fat man now seemed like nothing more than a strange interaction.
Thud!
Jasper dropped the sack onto the floor of the forging shop, and the crystals clattered against each other. Mr. Erminio, looking at Jasper from behind the desk, was shell-shocked. He stared at the sack for a long moment before stepping out from behind the counter to inspect it.
"Where did you get this much crystal?" Mr. Erminio asked, his head still inside the sack.
Jasper felt exhausted by the repeated question. Every person had asked the same thing. Even Mr. Erminio, who had never spoken about the crystals during the six months Jasper had been selling to him, was now asking it.
"Mr. Erminio, I mined them from an abandoned cave in the mountains. Why does everyone keep asking the same question?" Jasper asked, hoping for some clarity.
When Mr. Erminio heard that, his movements stilled. After a brief pause, he hurriedly lifted the sack and carried it into the back room. He returned just as quickly.
Cling!
He dropped a pouch of coins onto the counter and casually resumed his work without saying anything to Jasper. Witnessing this strange behavior, Jasper was baffled.
"Mr. Erminio, could you please explain why everyone acts weird when they see the white crystals? You have been buying white crystals from me for the last six months without any issue. Now you are acting weird as well," Jasper asked with a bewildered expression.
"Am I in trouble for mining and selling the white crystals?" he asked again after a long pause, when Erminio did not reply.
"Mr. Erminio, please tell me if I am in trouble—for my family's sake. Did I do anything wrong?" Jasper pleaded. The uneasy feeling grew stronger. If he had unknowingly broken the law and was accused, what would happen to his family? He needed to know why people were behaving strangely over these white crystals.
"Kid, relax. You did nothing wrong. I was just a little surprised by seeing such a large amount of crystals. Did you find a dungeon or something?" Mr. Erminio relaxed his stern expression and spoke in a slightly comedic tone.
"Then why do people get surprised by seeing white crystals? Is it some rare crystal that I've been mining for six months and selling for only a few silver coins?" Jasper questioned.
"Hahaha, no, it's not rare, and I didn't scam you by paying only a few silver coins," Mr. Erminio laughed.
"Then why do people ask how I got them, even going as far as accusing me of stealing?" Jasper said, remembering the fat man at the auction house.
"Kid, again, you don't have to worry."
"Though white crystals are low grade and sell for only a few silver coins, not everyone can mine them. They are controlled by big guilds."
"They are mostly useless, and their usage is very limited. Most of the time, buying them is a waste of money. However, there is one reason why I—or any other blacksmith—would buy them. There are rumors that using white crystals while forging weapons can increase the weapon's grade, even if the base material is low grade. There are stories of weapons forged from low-grade ores turning into 'Legendary' grade."
"I was surprised when you brought them the first time. Usually, these crystals are mined from dungeon mines, and big guilds own those dungeons. They don't sell to others. Thinking about their actions, those rumors might not be entirely false. These crystals might help upgrade forged weapons."
Hearing all this explanation, Jasper was stunned. He had never known anything about it. He had always thought they were just normal low-grade crystals.
"I won't say I fully believe those rumors," Mr. Erminio continued, "but I couldn't resist testing my luck. As an ordinary blacksmith, I also wanted to forge a legendary weapon. But it was a waste of money. I never got any results. Still, I kept buying more crystals—even knowing it was useless."
"It's like I was controlled by the idea of it. In truth, it's not the low-grade crystal most blacksmiths seek—it's the weapon rumored to be created by using them."
"Legendary-grade weapons…"
"Those weapons are priceless, and very few exist in this country—or in the entire world." Mr. Erminio's eyes gleamed at the thought.
"So you didn't do anything wrong. It's not illegal to mine white crystals if they are available. However, now that you've revealed the location, people will start mining there. Once the masses know about it, the authorities will eventually take over the place and sell the rights to others," he added.
Jasper listened to everything Mr. Erminio explained and slowly breathed in relief. Though it was sad that others would mine there and he might eventually lose that source, he no longer cared. All he needed to know was that he had done nothing wrong that would affect his family. Now that he understood the truth about the white crystals and why the others had behaved strangely, he felt relieved.
If this had happened two days earlier, he would have been devastated. But now, with his newfound strength, he could work in different jobs without being rejected. He could do any job he wanted.
With a clear mind, Jasper left the forging shop.
Finally, he could find out what was troubling his mother's health.