As we discovered that we have the same letters, silence filled the garden, as the first prince looked at us cautiously with the second prince smiling awkwardly while I kept my mouth shut while also eyeing the others.
"What the hell is going on?"
The strong brother Heinrich Wiedenfeld crossed his arms and closed his eyes as if calming himself down. He's quite calmer than I imagined him to be according to my memories. He looks like an honorable general, well technically he is a general who fights battles in some skirmishes and during monster-slaying missions.
This world according to my memories are filled with magic and at the same time with magical creatures, when Walter was young he was attacked by a small fry monster frog that came out of the second prince's pond and was saved by Zack, which explains his unhealthy brothership to each other, but I will have none of that.
"Knowing that all of us here got the same letter, does this mean that this is the tactic of the enemy?"
"What?"
"The enemy is not amongst the three of us"
Hey hey, brother Zack sn't that too early to conclude on that? Is it really that simple? I'll have you know this is a death threat you know?
In my old life, I've heard most politicians eat death threats at their breakfast idiom, but in reality, it's quite scary, this is my second life, I don't plan to die early again, with that attempted poisoning and this threat, something is clearly wrong! Please thinks this thoroughly!
"I still can't trust you two, even if the enemy isn't amongst us, who knows one of you is being used by the enemy?"
As expected, but the first prince's mistrust has a basis, in this case I have the same opinion as him although it feels odd that I'm taking his side, before the old Walter would agree with Zack 100% of the time, but I will also have none of that.
"Brother Heinrich is right, we shouldn't be taking this lightly, there was also an attempted poisoning on my mansion by a maid"
"Oh, first, this meeting and now, you've started to get some real backbone now Walter! That poison really did change you huh?"
What's more surprising is your praising me, brother Heinrich, or is he this kind of person since the beginning? And stop tapping my back, your arms are as big as my torso.
"You too Walter? Surprising... but my opinion is mine alone, I acknowledge that both of you also have your opinion, but indeed Walter's attitude, way of speaking, and the way he looks us right now are very different perhaps these changes are because of Tiffania huh? I heard you took her away from the mansion?"
After talking for a while, with some important topics, such as the ceremonies I missed, my father's condition which seemed to be in top condition, mothers concern to us fighting over the throne, the meeting finally ended with me returning home by carriage and was surprised by what I saw.
But before I climbed in my carriage Zack saw me off with a smile on his face, luckily he hasn't done anything creepy today, maybe because of brother Heinrich's presence.
"Wow, today you were really awesome Walter, it's as if… you are a different person"
"Huh?"
Did he find me out? Ah, who cares I've made a vow after all to become a new Walter.
"Well, how do I say this brother Zack, I thank you for caring for me when I was a wimp, and a useless prince and brother, but people do change, and recently I just have found out… "
"What have you found out?"
"That you change for real when something big is at stake, all excuses will be gone, at my second life after that poison, I realized this, which is why right now, I am making this change"
"I see, then, I guess you've changed, after all, you even sided with Heinrich"
"Really? I was just stating my opinion nothing more, I'm not siding with everyone it's just that... his opinion makes more sense"
"But you should be cautious of it, after all, you are a prince right, there's some danger that comes with it"
"Really?"
"Yep, I wish you safe travel home, my cute little brother"
And then he smiled, I'm having some bad feeling about this, which was verified immediately when I arrived at my mansion, hearing Tiffania scream while throwing things from the window.
"Get out of here!"
Is that Tiffania I am seeing throwing out my favorite furniture outside the window? Well, if she's doing it for protection it's alright, oh, oh she's throwing it accurately at the knights trying to forcefully enter the room, I feel sorry for them, that girl has a good aim lads, I can vouch on that.
"Gavin what the hell is going on?"
I calmly asked Gavin about the situation in front of me, while he was panicking, what a cute old man.
"Prince Walter! The knights! They are attacking the mansion!"
"Huh!? If our knights have turned against us how are we gonna fight those?"
"I can fight Prince Walter!"
Gavin showed me the sword in his cane, wow, that doesn't make me rest assured at all, how is he gonna fight with those wobbly knees of his that I am seeing? Anyway, I have to think of something. I don't know any martial arts at all, here goes nothing!
I moved forward together with Gavin, with Gavin holding his cane that has a sword in it.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing? I didn't hire you to break my things!"
I shouted to the knights, they immediately faced me with the swords on hand, ah, how cool, maybe I should learn it for the long term? Okay! After jogging I'll practice swords with Tiffania.
"We are after you Prince Walter! Because of you our wives and children were taken! If we don't take you and your fiance's life, they would kill them!"
"And which idiot concluded that they would return them to you if you kill us? Do you have any assurance? Do you even have evidence that they are still alright?!"
Kidnapping is not that simple, especially for these knights whose sole job is to fight and nothing more, based on their armor and the fact that I was able to hire them means that they are quite low ranked.
I don't care much about their situation, because it's wrong to take someone else's life for your own or for your loved ones, the ones who are able to kill must be ready to be killed anytime, an unspoken rule in war and violence. However, if there's a chance to end this without shedding blood, the one who knows it has the responsibility to offer it.
"T-That is"
That man stuttered as he held his sword in my direction, gripping it with intensity, it's obvious he's telling the truth, they were threatened.
If I were the kidnapper I would have paid them to do the deed, but it could be that they were strong-willed that they couldn't be bribed - of course, you are plotting to kill a prince, that alone is scary, so the mastermind's bet to have me killed without dirtying their own hands through these poor knights.
Sorry, but I won't be going down that easily.
"Walter! Beat them up for me!"
"Shut up and stay there!"
That idiot Tiffania, just shouted at me from the window that took almost a hundred years off my lifespan, she has done well in making my mansion a sturdy fortress, but don't just assume I can fight, the old Walter has always skipped his sword training, in my past life I don't also have any martial arts experience like my buddy Andrei.
But thanks Tiffania, I could use your idiocy to my advantage.
"You heard her, Gavin here… is an expert swordmaster"
"P-Prince Walter?"
Gavin whispered to me, worriedly.
Shut up old man they are gonna find out my bluff.
"And I have been trained by the first prince himself, which is why I didn't intend to hire you before until Tiffania came here, do you really want to fight with me? I'm quite strong you know? But consider yourself lucky I don't intend to spill blood at my own mansion, I'm also interested in the man who forced you into this, so I won't kill you"
"W-Who the hell cares! This is for our families! All five of us!"
The one who spoke now was the female knight I specifically requested, she had good looks, if I were to be captured, it's okay if it was her... Joking aside, let's forget that and move forward.
"Think about it, you don't have any assurance at all, the kidnapper is threatening to kill your family, do you think they'll easily let your families go?
NO! They would just use you again and again and again without any end!
And suddenly you'll lose contact with them, and discover that your families have already died a long time ago, not being able to die an easy death, having been toyed around by those sick nobles.
It may be harsh but this is the reality with nobles in these cases, THINK! Does anyone who wishes me harm have good intentions towards your wife and children? No! As much of a coward as they are mostly scums that pretend to be human!"
"Then what should we do! We don't have any choi-"
"Choice? You do have a choice! Swear your loyalty once again to me! And I will use my connections, my wealth, my power to try and find your families, and make sure that you get your hands in the kidnapper and together we will punch them in the face! I have a plan, are you on?"
"That makes sense, but first tell me about your plan! We'll decide if it works!"
"It's simple, hear me out!"
…
The next day news spread all over the domain about the third prince's severe wound from bandits that left him in a vegetative state and was about to die, the five knights went to the specific location to fetch their families according to what was written in the letter.
There they met bulky men coming out from the carriage wearing civilian nobles clothes, but behind the carriage the lady knight saw something glimmering, it was an armor the cross with red linings with it.
"Can we meet our families now?"
"No! You have to die, so no witnesses remain! Your families will follow you shortly!"
Men in noble clothes surrounded them, five against ten, with their bulky appearance they seem to be capable fighters with a strong bloodthirst written in their eyes, eyes of animals and scum combined.
The five knights knew Walter was right.