AFTERWORD
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who has read this far into Volume 1 of The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life.
It’s now autumn, and the leaves on the trees are changing colors. Oddly enough, this season, when Volume 1 was released, is also the season when Mariela woke up from her long sleep.
It’s a season for enjoying persimmons, chestnuts, potatoes, and a new rice harvest, but the colorful leaves scattering to the ground as they fall also create a sense of loneliness and melancholy. Perhaps it’s nature’s way of urging us to prepare for the coming winter.
Mariela awoke in such a season. Apart from her abilities, there’s nothing to support a girl her age in the Labyrinth City. Even if she wants to go home, she has no choice but to live here. I think the loneliness of autumn resembles her thoughts and feelings. When you get caught up in daily life, you don’t often take the time to look at the changing sky and foliage. But you’ve gone to the trouble of reading this far, so why not do so as you wander through autumn in the Labyrinth City?
Mariela may seem like a lucky “you can do it if you try” kind of girl, but in reality, even if she tries, even if she works hard, it’s rare that things go her way. Similarly, I never thought in a million years my own work would be published. I am truly, eternally grateful for everyone who’s supported me ever since I decided I wanted to be a novelist. It’s thanks to your kind thoughts and identifying any errors within the text that I’ve been able to continue my writing.
To ox, who spruced up this book with such gorgeous illustrations expressing the essence of Mariela; Kawana, who designed Mariela’s lifestyle; my editor Shimizu, who so meticulously arranged everything; and everyone at Kadokawa, thank you so much for all you’ve done.
Autumn will pass us by, and winter will arrive at last. The wind blowing through the Labyrinth City will carry with it the truths from two hundred years ago, and the snow will then similarly pile up over everything it exposes. I look forward to sharing these scenes with all of you in Volume 2.
Usata Nonohara
