BBYW Vol. 2 Interlude Part 1 (WN)
Interlude – Dietrich Maxwell’s* Adventure
*(Reminder – Dietrich Maxwell is Dyngir’s father)
Part 1 – A Lawless Man
To the south of the Lamperouge Kingdom and Baal Empire extends a vast sea, dotted with countless islands of varying dimensions.
The so-called Southern Archipelago is home to more than 20 small countries, each with their own culture and civilization. Among them even existed “pirate countries” that sustained themselves by pillaging their neighbors.
Marine trade on the southern seas could reap all sorts of profit and benefits, but required putting one’s life on the line every trip.
“Pirates!! Pirates in sight!!”
On a Lamperouge trading ship sailing the southern seas, the sailor standing guard on the mast yelled at the top of his lungs.
“What!? What’s the flag!?”
The other sailors gathered on the deck and looked in the direction the lookout pointed to.
A small shadow was approaching from the west. Slowly but surely it grew larger, and its flag soon became visible to the binoculars: a flag bearing a blood-red lion.
“It’s the Lion King crew…we’re done for!!”
The Lion King pirate crew was one of the most infamous crews infesting the southern seas. They were privateers belonging to the pirate country “Lion Kingdom”, and feared for their ruthless treatment of their victims — they had little regard whether they surrendered or not.
When the Lion King pirates captured a ship, they snatched all valuables they could find and then sank it. All men were killed and thrown overboard, while the women were raped till the pirates had enough, then sold into slavery. In short, they were the very definition of barbarians.
“They’re coming from the opposite side too!! We can’t get away!!”
“It can’t be…!!”
The trading ship sought a route of escape, but another vessel bearing the same flag emerged from that direction. It appears they had been ambushed.
“Kh…we have no choice but to fight!! Get ready, men!!”
The captain made his resolve and ordered the crew to prepare for battle. The sailors and mercenaries hired to guard the ship readied their weapons.
The pirate ships approached at fearsome speed: once close enough, they launched anchors tied with ropes in order to board the merchant ship from the side. The pirates then climbed the ropes and stormed the ship.
“HAHAHAH!! Get ready to meet the god of the sea!!”
“Kill’em!! Time for SLAUGHTER!!”
“You bastards are insane…!!”
The Lion King pirates, engraved with blood-red tattoos on both head and torso, seemed more like monsters than humans.
One of the sailors gave into fear and ran away, but was pierced by a flying anchor.
“HYAHAHAHA!! I got the first one!!”
“And here’s number TWO!!”
“They’re too strong…!!”
The number of fighters on both sides was roughly the same, but the pirates were seasoned experts at plundering ships. The mercenaries hired by the trading ship were certainly not inferior in skill, but most of them were not used to fighting on unstable footing, rocked and shaken by waves.
Slowly but surely, the trading ship’s fighters were pushed back and could only defend themselves.
“Hyahahaha!!! Get the WOOOOMEN out!!”
“S-Stop!! That’s…!!”
One of the pirates opened the door of a cabin and went inside. In the cabin were merchants, their family and women incapable of fighting.
The mercenaries tried to stop him, but were blocked by other pirates.
“HYAHAHA!! Come out and let me RAAAPE you!!”
“Kh-Stop!! Stooppp!!”
Two, three more pirates barged into the cabin. The mercenaries and sailors gritted their teeth, imagining the tragedy of what was going to happen.
However —
“Ha…heh…?”
A round object rolled out of the cabin. It was light black in color, with red patterns and hair-like things poking out.
“Wha…WHAAAATT!?!”
Upon closer inspection — it was the head of the first pirate who entered the cabin. Covered in red tattoos, the severed head was stuck in an expression of utter surprise and disbelief.
“HYEEEH!? What the hell!?!”
Soon enough, two more similar objects rolled out of the cabin. The heads of the other two pirates.
“Shut up already!! I’m trying to cure a hangover here!!”
“Aaaand who the HELL are you!?!”
A man came out of the cabin. He was a fairly young man, in his early twenties. He was rubbing his drowsy eyes with one hand, while the other hand held an unsheathed sword.
The tip of the sword was dripping with blood: it was clear that the pirates had been slain by his hand.
“Y-You…”
“What.”
“Eek!”
The young man glared at the leader of the pirates. The latter was a veteran of many battles and slaughters, but still felt a chill down his spine.
“Wait…that’s…”
The captain of the merchant ship racked his memory. The young man was a traveler, who had simply bought passage on the ship for a fee. The captain remembered thinking he had to be a real eccentric to risk sailing on a route frequented by pirates.
“Your name was Dietrich…wasn’t it?”
“Yeah…so what? Got a problem?”
“N-Not at all, sir!!
The captain jolted up, intimidated. His instinct as a man of the sea spoke clearly — the man before him should not be opposed.
“Urp…I’m feeling even sicker than before…you are all dead…”
“GHEEEEEEHH!!”
The young man, his eyes murky and half-closed because of the hangover, spat out a death sentence towards the pirates.
The sickly young man, swinging his sword while holding back a strong urge to vomit, was named Dietrich Maxwell.
A young swordsman, exactly 20 years of age.