Alexandro leads Ben and Robert to a secluded place.
When they arrive, Ben looks around and asks, "What is this place? Who lives here?"
Alexandro smiles. "Don't worry. This is exactly where we need to be. There's a man here who can see everything — I mean, he can watch distant places from right here, just by sitting."
Robert blinks in disbelief. "Oh— is that even possible?"
"See for yourself," Alexandro replies.
"Alright, let's go inside," Alexandro said.
All of them stepped into the house. Inside, an old man sat cross-legged in deep meditation, eyes closed, the room glowing faintly from the light of strange crystals.
Before anyone could say a word, the old man spoke softly,
"Come. Sit beside me."
Robert froze. "What the— how did he know we were here?"
Alexandro smirked. "See? I told you."
Robert muttered under his breath, "Great… now I'll have to think twice before doing anything in private."
The three of them sat down beside the old man. For a while, the room was completely silent — calm, almost sacred. Then the old man slowly opened his eyes.
"Robert Frank," he said in a calm voice, "your brother is safe."
Robert's eyes widened. "What? My brother… he's alive?"
"Yes," the old man replied. "He's safe — but trapped in a place few dare to go. The Black Castle of Moria."
Ben suddenly spoke, his voice filled with shock. "Moria?!"
The old man nodded. "Yes. And you already know who rules there."
Ben's expression darkened. "Salmond…"
Robert looked confused. "What is this place? And who is Salmond?"
Alexandro turned toward him. "Moria is a kingdom people prefer to forget. Years ago, its betrayal sparked the war against the Beastmen — thousands died because of it. And now, its ruler is Salmond Gray… a tyrant who seized the throne."
He paused. "And the Black Castle — it's feared even by the bravest. But something doesn't add up. Why would the people of Moria take Argon?"
The old man shook his head. "No… it wasn't Moria who took him. Someone else is behind this."
Robert frowned. "Then who?"
The old man's gaze hardened. "Hegal."
Ben stood up sharply. "No way… Hegal?!"
"Yes," the old man said gravely. "The same Hegal. You thought he was dead — but he lives. And now he serves as Salmond's right hand."
Robert frowned. "Then how is Salmond not involved in this?"
The old man sighed. "Because Salmond has no idea what Hegal is doing behind his back. Hegal moves in shadows — even the ruler of Moria doesn't see his true intentions."
"Ohh, then we're done here," Alexandro said, standing up. "We should get going."
"Alright," Ben replied.
They all turned to leave, but before they could step outside, the old man's voice echoed behind them.
"Robert," he said calmly, "goodbye. And remember… you may call me Baron."
Robert paused and looked back.
Baron smiled faintly. "Because we'll meet again — very soon.
"Yeah… see you," Robert said in a confused tone.
Man, why did he call me Robert Frank? What did he mean by Frank? Did he… know my full name?
He frowned, thinking. Maybe he knows something about my family. I should ask him—
Before he could move, Ben placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Not now, Robert. This isn't the right time. We already have enough problems to deal with."
"But Uncle Ben—"
"Don't worry," Ben said softly. "You'll know it soon."
The three of them walked back to where Mr. Sparrow was waiting.
After listening to everything, Sparrow nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm… interesting."
"Alright," he said finally, "we'll deal with that later. Let's handle this one first."
"Which one?" Robert asked.
"Oh, come on, Robert. You forgot already?" Sparrow smirked.
Robert's eyes widened. "Wait… you mean—you actually found out where my sword is?"
"Indeed," Sparrow said with a grin. "And the ones who took it? They're right here in town —staying in a rented room."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "So you found them?"
"Yes. And that old man—he's got a bounty on his head. One thousand golden coins."
"What?" Robert exclaimed.
"He's a thief," Sparrow continued, "and he's trained that girl with him to be one too."
Ben stepped forward, interrupting. "That's enough. Just tell us where they are."
Sparrow chuckled. "Ben, you're always in such a hurry. You know how this works. I don't give information for free."
"What? Mr. Sparrow, we had a deal—"
"Ben," Sparrow cut in sharply, "don't be a fool. You know the rules. Business is business — every deal needs a transaction."
He leaned back, smiling slyly.
"But this time, I don't want gold. I just need a favor from Robert."
To be continue...