At the FFF Guild branch on Island 14 of the Sabaody Archipelago, Barn sat in a dark corner, silently wiping his sword. The sinister Nidai Kitetsu gave off an eerie red glow in the dim light...
"Oh, word from upstairs is that Queen Otohime of Fish-Man Island followed the Celestial Dragons up to the surface."
Adam leaned against the windowsill, his eyes half closed as he faced the mild sunlight. He waved a hand and spoke in a lazy tone.
At Adam's words, Barn stopped wiping the blade. He tossed the cleaning cloth aside and ran his hand over the sword instead.
"What does she want to do?"
Barn asked quietly.
"No idea. Harrison said she went alone."
Adam's voice remained languid, but he turned his head to look at Barn. He had noticed that his master had been acting very strangely ever since that fellow with the devilish face had left.
"Alone."
Barn murmured it as a statement.
Of course he knew what Queen Otohime had gone there to do. Perhaps he had only asked Adam to confirm it.
Barn said nothing more. He held Nidai Kitetsu upright, facing the sunlight streaming through the window, and slowly opened his eyes. All he saw was darkness. He could not see the increasingly uncanny red glow of Nidai Kitetsu in the sunlight.
"I've rested long enough. It's time to get moving."
Barn slowly slid the sword back into its sheath, speaking quietly over the scrape of the blade.
Adam raised an eyebrow at that, then sighed and asked,
"How long this time?"
"I don't know. You're enough to look after things here. My identity can't be made public, at least not yet."
Barn slowly stood and "looked" toward Adam as he spoke.
"Don't make Lia worry about you."
Adam spoke as