BBYW Vol. 2 Interlude Part 19 (WN)
Interlude – Dietrich Maxwell’s Adventure
Part 19 – The Adventure’s End and The Next Generation
【 POV: Django Thunderbird】
My name is Django.
I am the eldest son of House Thunderbird, margrave of the Lamperouge Kingdom’s southern province.
Until recently, I just considered myself lucky to be born as the eldest son, thus heir to the title of margrave — but the encounter with a certain woman completely changed my outlook on life.
In order to wed her, a dancer, my noble status was nothing but a nuisance.
Even so, I pleaded to my father to let me marry her: to which he set a condition, to earn 100,000 gold coins in three years. As absurd as it sounds.
One hundred thousand coins was an amount higher than the national budget of the average small country. Definitely not a goal anyone could achieve on their own.
I set my sights on marine trade, but had already half given up on the goal.
I was going to build a trading business in the Southern Archipelago, gradually consolidate my position and live a new life with my spouse. That is what led me to the Sapphire Kingdom.
Due to unexpected circumstances, however, fulfilling my father’s conditions became feasible.
My friend Dietrich Maxwell brought me an unbelievable amount of treasure.
～
“Okay then, we’re done.”
I closed the shop I had rented in Sapphire and prepared to return to Lamperouge.
My stay in the island had lasted a mere two months: yet I had accumulated a fair amount of daily necessities nonetheless. It took me longer than expected to organize my luggage for the return trip.
“I would’ve never thought to reach the goal so fast, though…may the gods bless you, Dietrich!”
Thanks to the treasure retrieved by my friend, I managed to reach the goal set by my father. I sold it to the royal family and nobles of this country, as well as neighboring states, earning a grand total of 1,200,000 gold coins.
We had agreed that I would get 10% of the profit: I had thus earned 120,000 gold coins.
“Speaking of which…where did Dietrich disappear to?”
After entrusting the treasure to me several weeks ago, Dietrich went off somewhere and never came back. At the same time, an incident happened at the harbor, so I was worried he might have been involved somehow.
“His older brother, Dylan, died too…I hope he didn’t take it too hard…”
I considered, for an instant, that Dietrich’s disappearance meant I could keep all the earnings for myself — but it would simply be too dangerous.
Snatching money from a sword maniac like him was like signing a death sentence.
“Hey, Django. It’s been a while.”
“Oh? Speak of the devil!”
I was immersed in such thoughts, when someone called to me. I didn’t need to turn around to recognize my friend’s voice.
“Man, you’re still alive? I could have gotten all the money for myself if you did me a favor and died.”
I turned around and promptly froze.
“Who…are you?”
“What are you saying? It’s me, Dietrich.”
I didn’t recognize the young man before me.
His gentle gaze, soft smile. The peaceful, steadfast atmosphere of a centennial tree.
It was all very different from the Dietrich I knew.
“Yeah…well, you do look like Dietrich, but…”
I stared at the man before me, perplexed.
“Take your eyes off a youth for three days and they come back changed, as they say. I’m the heir of House Maxwell, after all: I needed to learn to show the necessary poise.”
“It’s not only poise, man, it’s like you’re a whole different person…what exactly happened to you?”
Dietrich reacted to my question by looking in the distance towards the sky.
“I found god…Valhalla…heaven on earth. All the venom I had inside was sucked out. Every single drop.”
“Great, now I understand even less!! What the hell happened to you, really!? Were you possessed or something!?”
They say that there are demons at sea that suck the souls of sailors. In my mind, that was the only possible explanation for Dietrich’s drastic change.
“Heh…when the right day comes, I will tell you all about it. We should hurry to our homeland now…I must be back to the Maxwell province.”
“…I am sincerely conflicted on whether I should bring you back like this…”
“Hahaha.”
“What’s so funny? What the hell did they do to you, man!?!”
Dietrich’s smile was bright, warm.
My shout, born out of desperation, pierced alone the serene blue sky.
～
Then, one year later…
A boy was born in those southern seas.
The child of the daredevil swordsman and crazed pirate would eventually grow into the hero that would change the continent’s history forever.
A story still far in the future…
Interlude – Dietrich Maxwell’s Adventure – End