Afterword

My name is Kanata Satsuki, and I am the author of I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! Thank you so much for reading. Whether you’re an avid reader of my books, a faithful fan of the web novel, or a complete newcomer to my works, I’m happy to have you here today.

Enemy! was first published online on a website called Shousetsuka ni Narou (and by the time this volume is published, I imagine it’ll still be in progress there). I admit, I was really surprised when this title was picked up for formal publication, since it was always something of a self-indulgent story. When they first got in touch, I was so shocked, I must have read and re-read that email at least five times until I finally got my breathing and heart rate under control! I’m still so honored to have my writing printed in book format.

This is the second time I’ve been formally published, but I wasn’t expecting this particular label to get in touch, since they have a lot of cutesy books in their lineup, and Enemy! features a bit more violence than your average shoujo novel (which you’ve probably noticed, if you’ve read all the way to the afterword). This is a war story, after all. For that reason, I tagged the story with a content warning for “depictions of violence” on Narou.

Granted, I do try to keep things on the tame side without getting too grisly, but everybody’s comfort zone is different, so I try to be mindful of it when I’m writing.

To tell the truth, I was originally planning to write a much more cutesy story. At first, I just wanted to write a “reincarnated into another world” story, and I thought it would be fun to set it within the world of a video game. From there, I drew up an outline of the romantic plot points. Initially, I was planning to set most of the story within a glamorous royal palace... but then I figured I should write something new for a change, so I decided to just follow my heart. That was when Enemy! as you know it was born.

I thought back over all the video games I’d played, and a short while later, I settled on a strategy RPG for my setting. The end result was something I had absolutely no experience writing: a war story. To this day, writing a new chapter is like pulling teeth, but all I can really say is that I made this bed, and now I have to lie in it.

In this story, the main character Kiara regains her memories of living in Japan and immediately realizes this new world is identical to a video game she used to love. But she’s not the protagonist, or even a supporting character—she’s a mid-boss! Naturally, she refuses to accept this... but unbeknownst to her, her escape from fate brings her directly into contact with the actual protagonist and his party.

Now, Kiara is by no means a Mary Sue. She does have the advantage of foreknowledge in some situations, but she’s not especially skillful, nor does she have a photographic memory, nor can she swing a sword. By all accounts, she’s a fairly average girl. Because of this, she has to come up with her strategies on the fly, and then she has to figure out how to put her plans into action, one by one.

This volume saw Kiara survive the spellcaster transformation, but her magic is limited; she can’t toss out spells left and right. Fortunately, she has a strong support network: the kind and considerate prince, the strong-willed protagonist, the protagonist’s knight-guard, and even an undead mentor. These men don’t always understand her, but they’ll always be there for her when she needs them most.

In the future, I’d like to end the series with Kiara realizing her ideal “victory.” Somewhere along the way, the romantic loose ends will be tied up, and the score will be settled...

Okay, I have a confession to make: when I first started writing this story, I only had the beginning and the end planned out. That way I could write as much as my heart desired, and whenever my motivation started to peter out, I could wrap it up without much trouble. It’s pathetic, I know, but the only reason I’ve kept writing as long as I have is because of all the kind words offered to me by my readers. Honestly, thank you so much. From here on out, whenever I yell at myself to “keep writing, damn it!” I’ll imagine not only my online readers, but all the people who went out and brought my books home with them, too. Speaking of, I still have more work left to do...

Thank you to my editor, who pulled out all the stops to make this book a reality. And a big thank you to my illustrator, Fuji Mitsuya-sama, for making time in your busy schedule to adorn my book with your exquisite artwork. Not only did you give Kiara such a sweet smile, but you’ve also made my boys very handsome, too—I can’t thank you enough. But more than anything... I’m so sorry for making you draw a hideous clay figurine! I swear, I just really needed to see what it would look like.

Lastly, I’d like to thank the editing department at Shufu to Seikatsu Sha—the proofreaders, the printers, and everyone else who helped get this book published. But most of all, I extend my gratitude to my dear readers. Thank you for choosing my book!

—Kanata Satsuki, September 2015