Jake paused mid-step.
The moment those words left Barbara's mouth, his [Instinct] suddenly flared.
It wasn't the sharp, life-or-death warning he felt in battle.
It was subtler… like a faint, uneasy prickle at the back of his neck.
At this feeling, Jake frowned.
'Strange…?'
He glanced toward the doorway Barbara had just left through.
There was nothing unusual about her asking for Aria.
Aria was part of the guild and a maid.
Someone Barbara would naturally know, or at least have a reason to look for.
So why did that one sentence make his Instinct react?
Jake stood still for a few seconds, trying to pin the feeling down.
"…No. I can't just ignore that."
The feeling from his [Instinct] was still lingering, faint but stubborn.
If Barbara had really just been asking a casual question, there would have been no reason for that reaction.
He glanced toward Grace.
