AFTERWORD

It’s good to see you again. I’m Kawahara, the author. Thank you for reading.

Let’s start with my traditional list of apologies…

Just like Accel World 3 before this, Sword Art Online 3 ends with a dreaded “to be continued.” I’m sorry!

Also, yet another new heroine has appeared in the story. Again, I’m very sorry about this. I’m afraid you might be getting very weary of this process, but…it’s probably going to keep happening…Now that I think about it, Accel is working very much the same way. I’m not doing this intentionally—I swear. I just don’t have the skill to tell a story with a variety of viewpoints, so every female character I introduce must have some kind of relationship to the protagonist out of necessity.

…Okay, I’m sorry. Forty percent of the reason is just because I like stories like that…

SAO 3 will be the final book I release in 2009. Just as I’m writing this afterword, they announced the winners of the sixteenth Dengeki Novel Prize. It’s already been a year? I thought.

When I attended the award ceremony for last year’s prize, I remember being so overwhelmed by the writerly aura emanating from all the veteran writers in attendance that I failed miserably at paying my respects. Actually, that hasn’t changed; I still freeze up and work my mouth silently whenever I pass a senior writer at the editorial office.

I don’t think I’ll have that aura any time soon, but I can say that the reason I’ve been allowed to keep publishing books is thanks to the support of my readers. Just thinking about next year and beyond makes my head dizzy, but I hope to keep tapping away at my keyboard, working my way up this fantastically long Dengeki hill.

Again, I must extend heartfelt thanks to my incredible illustrator, abec, who has brought the pile of new characters (mostly female) to life with her usual charm! And to my editor, Mr. Miki, who had to put up with my Deadline Forgetting skill (auto-activating) when I was swamped with my event schedule, I’m so sorry!

But my last thanks of the year goes to you, for reading this book.

Hope to see you again in 2010!

Reki Kawahara—October 1st, 2009