### Please describe the problem.

When `--git-dir` and `--work-tree` deviate from standard, running commands like `git annex list` fails in untracked directories.

### What steps will reproduce the problem?

- see transcript below
- separate `--git-dir` and `--work-tree` as commonly used to track one's dotfiles
- run `git annex list` in an untracked directory
- error is `error: pathspec 'DIRECTORY' did not match any file(s) known to git`

### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?

git-annex version: 10.20230627-g2469720e1

### Please provide any additional information below.

[[!format sh """
# If you can, paste a complete transcript of the problem occurring here.
# If the problem is with the git-annex assistant, paste in .git/annex/daemon.log

+ set -x
+ chmod +w -R .dotfiles
+ rm -rf .dotfiles
+ git init --bare .dotfiles
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/yann2/.dotfiles/
+ alias 'dit=git --work-tree=$HOME --git-dir=$HOME/.dotfiles'
+ echo '*' > .gitignore
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles add -f .gitignore
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles commit -m 'add gitignore'
[main (root-commit) 65d21e1] add gitignore
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
 create mode 100644 .gitignore
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex init
init  ok
(recording state in git...)
+ mkdir dir1
+ cd dir1
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
Did you forget to 'git add'?
list: 1 failed
+ touch myfile
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex add --no-check-gitignore myfile
add myfile 
ok
(recording state in git...)
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex sync -m 'add file in dir1'
git-annex sync will change default behavior to operate on --content in a future version of git-annex. Recommend you explicitly use --no-content (or -g) to prepare for that change. (Or you can configure annex.synccontent)
commit  
[main da84a6c] add file in dir1
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
 create mode 120000 dir1/myfile
ok
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
X__ myfile
+ cd
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
X__ dir1/myfile
+ mkdir dir2
+ cd dir2
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
error: pathspec 'dir2/' did not match any file(s) known to git
Did you forget to 'git add'?
list: 1 failed
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles -C /home/yann2 annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
X__ dir1/myfile
+ git --work-tree=/home/yann2 --git-dir=/home/yann2/.dotfiles -C / annex list
here
|web
||bittorrent
|||
X__ dir1/myfile
# End of transcript or log.
"""]]

### Have you had any luck using git-annex before? (Sometimes we get tired of reading bug reports all day and a lil' positive end note does wonders)

Yep, git-annex is awesome! 🥳