Afterword

Well, that was The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress, volume 5! Thank you for reading!

This was my first time writing a single story arc spanning two volumes. And it was my first time reaching volumes 4 and 5 in a series, so I took some risks. I expected to hear people say, “I’m looking forward to the second half!” But that isn’t exactly what happened. Some people were shocked at the unexpected developments in volume 4 and said they were going to stop reading.

A novel is a work of art, but it’s also a consumer product. People pay money for my books, so I have an obligation and a responsibility to make sure they enjoy them. It’s too bad that I was unable to do that, and I’m very sorry.

But may I talk a little about that? When I come to the end of a story, I want to save the characters and make them happy. And not just happy dramatically. I want them to find hope, so that a character in search of something eventually gains something.

“Life is irreplaceable.”

“Once you die, no matter how much you may want to, you can’t come back.”

“That’s why simply being alive right now is such a miracle.”

Those ideas are at the core of this series.

Lud is the main character and he has killed many people. I suppose even he doesn’t know the exact number of people he has killed. Or rather, he killed too many to count even if he wanted to know.

Each life is precious, but he has taken countless lives. Thus he has chosen to live with the burden of that sin, that crime. For this reason, even my fictional world has to be one in which people die.

How important is it that people die? How grave a sin is it to take a person’s life? I thought Lud’s decision in this volume would be too easy without that burden. Which applies to Sven’s actions as well.

Maybe those who said they wouldn’t keep reading have a strong sensitivity to such tradeoffs. I wanted these people to read volume 5 too, so it’s too bad that some didn’t.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has read this far. So thank you. Sorry for being so serious here. Anyway, I want to offer some thank-yous and apologies again.

Editor O, thank you for treating me to Brazilian meat dishes! They were delicious, so I’d like to go again! (glances over... ) Zaza, sorry for always causing you so much trouble! The illustrations were wonderful again this time! Also, much appreciation to proofreaders, designers, sales personnel, printing, distribution and bookstores. Thank you everyone, as another book goes out into the world! Above all, thanks to the readers! Thanks with all my heart! Thank you very much!

I’ll see you again sometime...

Um, just to make sure you know... this isn’t the end, okay? The story will continue! So see you in volume 6!

SOW