Meanwhile.
In the center of the square, Ilyena kept her head lowered, suppressing the icy killing intent in her beautiful eyes while still pretending to be utterly frail.
"Sir Knight... th-this isn't proper..."
She bit her lip, her voice trembling, as though his imposing presence had terrified her out of her wits.
Watching her pitiful display, the knight captain's arrogance swelled to its peak.
"Priest Ilyena, there are limits to my patience."
The knight captain rested his hand on his sword hilt, his voice cold as ice:
"Bring fifty strong townspeople and return to Winterhold with us. It's your only way out."
But before Ilyena could finish her carefully prepared performance of "guilt and grievance"...
"Wait! My lord! Look at me! Look at me!"
An excited howl suddenly shattered the murderous atmosphere!
Under the utterly bewildered gazes of the knight captain and the novice knights...
The players who had been hiding behind the ruins along the surrounding streets surged forward like a flood bursting through a dam, wearing feverishly fawning smiles!
Their eyes shone, their faces flushed.
As though they had spotted a priceless treasure, they raced toward the six Winterhold knights, each desperate to get there first!
"Your lordship! I want to go enjoy the good life in Winterhold too!"
[God Never Laughs] led the charge.
He hurried forward, grabbed a warhorse's leg, and wailed through streaming tears and snot:
"My lord! Take me with you, my lord!"
"My greatest dream in life is to work in Winterhold's mines... ah, no! I mean to clean your toilets on the streets of Winterhold!"
Beside him, [Cat Woken Up by a Midnight Urge] refused to be outdone.
"Nobody steal my spot!"
[Cat Woken Up by a Midnight Urge] clutched a Winterhold knight's boot with one hand and thumped his chest with