Trafalgar followed Cynthia through the narrow hallway, the wooden floor creaking under each step.
"The head of the orphanage?" he asked after a pause. "I thought that was Sister Lunea."
Cynthia shook her head. "No, she helps run things, but she didn't found it. The one who did is still here—Sister Alena. You'll meet her soon. She wanted to thank you… though you did everything indirectly."
Her voice carried a hint of sharpness, the same restrained annoyance he'd felt since they left the dining hall.
"—and," she added, "you put Barth in danger on the way."
Trafalgar groaned quietly. "You're still on that?"
She shot him a look over her shoulder. "Of course I am. I've always taken care of Barth. Finding out you dragged him into something dangerous wasn't exactly my favorite surprise."
"I already apologized," he said, raising his hands slightly. "I didn't force him into anything. I told him I needed help, and he volunteered. He wanted to, sort of."
