BBYW Vol. 2 Interlude Part 17 (WN)
Interlude – Dietrich Maxwell’s Adventure
Part 17 – Letter from Home
Having successfully found the pirate booty, we loaded our ship as much as we could and left Alexandrite island.
The ship was filled to the brim, but even so I doubt we even took 1% of the treasures hoarded in that room.
The White Demons were going to take control of that island and use it as their home base from then on.
“Hey, Dietrich. Won’t you join the White Demons too?”
At the Sapphire kingdom harbor, Grace gave me my share of the treasure, and then made me such a proposal.
“Things would be more fun with you around! And you might also change your mind someday.”
“Hmm…right.”
At the time, I was an aimless wanderer. There wasn’t much of a difference in being an adventurer, mercenary or pirate.
From that standpoint, Grace’s offer came at the perfect time.
“Well, you don’t have to answer right now. We’re going to stay anchored here for a while, come to the ship whenever you feel like it!”
“…yeah, I’ll think about it.”
I walked about in the Sapphire port town, not knowing what to do with the murky feelings in my chest.
When I first arrived here, the town looked new and captivating; after that adventure, however, it seemed covered in a dull, gray veil.
The few days I traveled with Grace and the White Demons were harsh and full of danger, but there wasn’t a moment of boredom: for me, they were as precious as the treasure we found.
(If I follow Grace and become a pirate, will those golden days start again?)
It was a very fascinating prospect, and certainly better than living day by day as a mercenary.
“Dietrich the pirate…doesn’t sound half bad.”
My father the margrave, my brother, I wonder what kind of face they would make if they knew? Thinking about that made it sound even more exciting.
With the scales in my heart leaning clearly on the “become a pirate” option, I visited the shop of my friend Django.
“Hey there Dietrich, it’s been a while. What happened to you? You’re looking pretty bright, my friend.”
“Well, this and that.”
I said nothing more about my adventure and placed my bag on a counter.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“I want you to change this stuff into currency. Just what you can pay right now.”
“Hey, this is…!!”
Django opened the bag and went wide-eyed.
A natural reaction: the bag was packed with treasure, definitely worth a fortune.
“…I need some time. This is pure gold, and might also have historical value…it might even be worth more than 1 million gold coins!!”
“Do what you have to. If it’s worth enough, I’ll give you your share. There’s nothing clean in there, so don’t worry.”
“…I owe you one.”
Django was about to disappear into the shop’s backroom, but stopped in his tracks, as if he suddenly remembered something, and took an envelope from a drawer.
“Right, your father sent a letter. Something urgent, it looks like…”
“Hm? Ah, thanks.”
I took the letter, flipped it and checked the seal. It was the Maxwell crest: the sender was without a doubt my father.
What business could he have with this runaway son?
I ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter.
I scanned the neat handwriting on the parchment and was stunned.
“Dylan Maxwell…my brother…is dead…!?”