10. Arrival at Creegan Iartza

Creegan Iartza. That's what we call the branch building that Doldren belongs to.

A branch of a knightly order that protects the northwest region, standing alone in a place with a great view of the vast grasslands.

There is a large wooden gate on the wall surrounding the site, and when you enter, there is a simple front garden and a path leading to the building.

The distance from the gate to the building is about 50m. There is a stable on the left side of the row of buildings, and horses are tethered there. Vines run along the walls of the robust two-story stone building, and visitors are solemnly welcomed by the symbols of the Knights Order carved in relief on the wall stone above the door.

"Behind me when you go in. Don't leave."

Doldren whispered a warning while lending a hand to Ian as he got off the Wiad. Ian nodded and thought briefly about returning the cloak. --Isn't it unnatural for you to wear it? Looking up at Doldren's face, he seemed to understand without exchanging words, Doldren shook his head and gently pressed down on the collar of his cloak with Ian's hand on it.

When I took Wiad to the stables, the two men were tending the horses, but they turned around when they heard footsteps outside.

"That, Commander Dordren..."

"Who's behind? Who is that person?"

The two frowned at the unfamiliar figure that jumped into their eyes and braced themselves a little. It was already dark inside the stable in the evening, and the faces of the Doldren standing at the entrance were not clear in the light. Doldren, who doesn't mind that, raises his hand that doesn't have the reins and stops their question with an expressionless face.

"I'm sorry while I'm working, but please give Wiad some food and let him rest. I took care of this person on the road, so I brought him along."

Glancing at the two who seemed to be asking something, Doldren went inside and handed Wiad's reins to one of them. They stared at Ian bluntly, but Doldren's intimidation kept them speechless.

Doldren curtly turned his back on the men, put his arm around Ian's shoulder and headed for the branch. They were astonished to see his actions and could only whisper to each other what they were thinking.

"The president protects the woman"

"Is it a woman from another country? A face I've never seen before."

"Since he was an older man, something happened to his family due to damage from monsters, so maybe that's why he was protected."

"Although the President sometimes came to protect people fleeing from monsters.

"Is it okay to let a woman of that age into the branch? She's a bit problematic, so it's difficult to judge her protection."

"I accepted the gender of elderly children and women, saying 'it's unavoidable'.

"...But that person, even if you feel like a woman."

Doldren coughed loudly and drowned out the whispers from behind that could be heard before they disappeared. He heard a panicked voice from the stables say, "It's bad." When he looks at Ian, he looks down apologetically.

"Ian"

Doldren was at a loss as to what to say. Ian is looking down and can't see his expression very well.

"Um, Ian. All the people here are from the countryside and have no manners."

"It's okay. It's okay. If I was younger or more beautiful, I think it would have been more popular."

"Oh~ I'm hurt..." Dordren's heart ached.

"He knows what he's about," she said with a sad smile. Doldren's limited vocabulary made him feel like he was going to be a jerk, so he couldn't say anything.

He can't say anything bad, so at least he puts his strength into his hand on his shoulder. 　

--Don't worry, I don't care. that? "But isn't that strange too?" After all, it's safer not to say it. Ian glanced at the hand on her shoulder, and she gave a small, embarrassed smile, knowing or not the dark-haired man's consideration.

Doldren stood in front of the branch entrance, and Ian stepped back behind him. Doldren called out to open the door, and after a moment, one of the double doors opened outward.

The person who opened the door and Doldren had a short conversation, and the other person shifted his face to look behind Doldren. The young red-haired man looked surprised for a moment, but he smiled quickly and invited Ian to come in. Dordren lifted the corners of his mouth slightly, nodded at the young man, and gestured to Ian to turn around and put his chin inside.

Ian timidly stepped forward and bowed without making eye contact due to confusion. The red-haired man also bowed properly, said that he would go to the office and talk first, and left the place.

Inside the door was a large hall, with armor and swords lining the walls, battle flags hung like tapestries, and several long desks and simple chairs placed in the center of the room. This room, with small windows lined up near the ceiling and the light streaming in, seems to be a space that can accommodate about 100 people.

As Ian stepped in, he met the eyes of many people looking at him. Everyone, standing and sitting, stares curiously at the out-of-place figure. Doldren supported the embarrassed Ian's shoulders and walked forward without looking at the bewildered Ian, and headed into the depths with an expressionless face. There were about 50 knights in the room, and among them, the knight who passed by was silently staring at the appearance of the stranger who was passing by.

After passing through the large hall and entering the dark corridor, the number of people decreased dramatically. 2-3 people in sight. They also had the same reaction as the knights earlier, but even in the corridor, Ian walked while looking down as much as possible so as not to make eye contact.

"How many minutes does it take?" It might have been five minutes, but it felt like a long time to Ian. Dordren felt a little sorry for her as she walked beside him.

But she needs to be dressed as soon as possible, and I have to give her a place to warm up and rest. She's been trembling in her wet clothes for hours. It's different from her own stride, so she's been walking with it ever since she noticed it, but it's a pity to be exposed to her curiosity, so I want to take her to an empty room as soon as possible.

She quickened her pace in haste, slowed her pace when she noticed, and she repeated it until she reached the office in front of the green door along the wall of the hallway.