Mr. Sparrow looked at Robert and said,
"Can you leave me and Ben alone for a while?"
Robert nodded. "Yes, of course."
He stepped out of the room.
Now Ben and Mr. Sparrow were alone.
Ben spoke first. "Sparrow… what was that?
"What was what, Ben?" Sparrow replied calmly. "Don't act like a fool. You know me better than anyone. I can recognize a capable person the moment I see one."
He leaned back in his chair.
"And Robert… that boy is special. I saw a burning fire in his eyes. That fire tells me how powerful he will become in the future."
Ben frowned. "But—"
"Don't worry, Ben," Sparrow interrupted.
"Because of our friendship, I would never ask for a favor that would hurt Robert. I give you my word."
Ben turned to leave, pausing at the door.
"I'm trusting your words because of our friendship.
So take care… and don't break that trust."
Sparrow sighed softly.
"You have my word. And please, Ben… don't call me Ben. You know my real name."
Ben smiled faintly. "Yes… Samuel. We'll meet again."
Ben turned to leave when Samuel spoke again.
"Ben, you're going already? Don't you want to know where he is… or will you find him yourself?"
Ben smirked. "Samuel, did you forget who I am?"
"How could I?" Samuel sighed. "The best hunter I've ever seen."
"Exactly. I can find him on my own.
Samuel's voice dropped. "Careful, Ben. You've gotten old. And that thief—he's a magician too."
Ben laughed under his breath. "You're worried about me?
Good joke, ben . I'm not worried about you … I'm worried about that old magician. Try not to kill him .
"Time will tell," Ben murmured.
And with that, Ben walked away, his footsteps fading into the hallway.
To be continue...