Afterword

New readers, may the fluff be with you! (This is a greeting used by the followers of fluff.)

Returning readers, may the fluff be with you! (This is a greeting used by the followers of fluff.)

I decided I wanted to try my hand at being a novelist, so I took something I’d posted on a web novel site, did some revisions and corrections, and wrote a bit of original material. I tried really hard to make it something that both people who knew this story as a web novel and people picking up the book for the first time could enjoy. If you enjoyed Kanata and Zag’giel’s fluffy adventure, then I will have done my job. For a writer, there can be nothing better.

I wrote this book out of my own desire to read a story about a cute girl and a fluffy critter on a big adventure, but there was also another story that became a bit of a motif as I wrote. It was something I happened on more than twelve years ago.

I wasn’t allowed to watch anime or read manga when I was growing up. The only exceptions to that rule were Disney and Studio Ghibli. The highlight of my week was always watching Friday Roadshow at nine o’clock on Friday night. They played all kinds of animated movies on that show, and I ate them up. There’s one in particular I’ll never forget staying up late (by a kid’s standards) to watch: Beauty and the Beast, the world-famous smash hit, the jewel in the crown of Disney. The one they did the big live-action adaptation of that was so popular. The story of a cruel prince who was inflicted with a curse, who would not listen to the words of his retainers and lived on despairing of ever returning to human life, whose cold heart was thawed by the kindness of an innocent girl, and who finally broke the curse with the power of true love.

I thought it was a splendid story. I remember thinking to myself that one day I wanted to write a story as lovely as that. And now, twelve years plus later, looking over my completed manuscript, all I can say is—how did it end up like this?! I mean, it is a happy ending! It is! Honestly!

Well, with fluff that cute there’s no helping it. I guess Zaggy will have to deal with being fluffed for a while.

But one way or another, their quest has finally begun. In the next installment they’ll add some white fluff to the party, bringing their fluff score even higher while Kanata performs feats that frankly outclass any Saint in the world. I would be delighted if you stuck around to see what happens next.

I’ll conclude with some words of thanks to the people who helped make this possible. First, to everyone who read the web novel! It was your reactions and support that made it possible to get this published as an actual book! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The story’s somewhat different between the book and the web novel, but I am doing my best to make both enjoyable reads.

Also, thank you to S for editing! I am deeply moved by the passion you put into the work and grateful for your frank advice at every step of this process. I’m afraid I’m still very inexperienced as a writer, but I’m going to keep trying to improve! If it’s to create good stories, I’ll endure anything you throw at me!

Thank you to Falmaro for the adorable illustrations of Kanata, Zag’giel, and all the other characters! I couldn’t have asked for better cute girls and cute fluff! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I look forward to doing more in the future.

Thank you to all the editors, designers, proofreaders, salespeople, booksellers, and everyone else who helped to make this a reality! I really am grateful to you.

And finally, a big thank you to the person reading this book right now.

Look forward to even more fluff in book two!

Catch you later!

-Inumajin, January 2020