Afterword

To everyone who picked up Volume 9, you must be tired. For some reason, it was another thick, heavy volume.

When I started writing, I’m pretty sure I asked my editor, “I don’t have anything to write for this volume, so is it okay if it’s over in two hundred pages?” but when I finished writing and printed out the manuscript, I was like, “What’s this crazy-thick thing?”

It’s mysterious, isn’t it?

Truly mysterious. Where did those other two hundred pages come from?

But yeah, pretty soon I’d like to try ending a volume in three hundred pages. Not a two-part story of three hundred pages each, either.

And so for some reason, I don’t know why, the next volume will develop in a completely different way from the web novel, so I’m quite terrified, but I’d be happy if you’d stick with me. I’ll take the liberty of declaring ahead of time that Volume 10 will be three hundred pages long.

Last week, the manga version of Overlord that Hugin Miyama is doing went on sale, and this week, the ninth novel came out. Then next week the Overlord anime starts airing, so it’s three weeks of nothing but Overlord.

So many people have worked with me to create something wonderful (especially hardworking so-bin, about whose various contributions I can’t speak without tearing up. I mean, really…I always get the feeling you’re wringing your own neck!). I hope you’ll all enjoy the manga, novels, and anime.

On to the customary thank-yous.

Thank you, so-bin, for the truly wonderful illustrations and for working so hard on the anime and manga, as if your life depended on it.

To the designers at Code Design. You not only design the light novels but even did the logo for the anime—and it’s an extremely cool logo. And to Murata for working so hard on the maps, and Osako and Ito for proofing in such detail, thank you. To Fta for helping me make such a thick book—is what I was going to say, except Overlord probably isn’t the thickest book she works on. Thank you. And to Honey, who is a parent and said about the Marquis Raeven scene, “Kids are so great.” Thanks as always.

There’s no way I can write all your names here, but thanks to everyone involved in not only the novels but the manga and anime, as well!

And my biggest thanks goes to all the readers who read this book!

KUGANE MARUYAMA

June 2015