As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Thank you for purchasing volume two of As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World! This is the author, Miraijin A, speaking.

This volume is scheduled for publication right around the end of the year. 2020 has been quite difficult in all sorts of ways on a global scale, but on a personal level, I’ve managed to publish multiple books and have had my stories used as the basis for comic adaptations. It’s been a good year for me, all things considered. I have nothing but gratitude for the good people at Kodansha for publishing this book despite these turbulent times, and I’m truly grateful beyond words for my readers who bought the novel.

The first volume of Reincarnated Aristocrat focused primarily on the main character’s quest to assemble a team of talented followers, but this second volume is centered around the conflict between a pair of brothers who each seek to rule over Missian. How did that new plot structure feel to you? I certainly hope you found it entertaining.

I’ve always loved historical stories that engage with battles and political maneuvering alike. I’ve read all sorts of comics and novels based on Japan’s Warring States Period and the Records of the Three Kingdoms, and I love watching historical dramas set in those eras. Needless to say, I’ve played my fair share of video games based on the subject as well! This volume was extra fun for me to write due to all that knowledge─though with the fun came a newfound understanding of just how difficult stories like this are to tell. Depicting battles and politics requires an incredible degree of knowledge and descriptive ability, and writing a story involving those things was no easy task. I felt a clear and pressing need to improve my skills as I wrote.

Several new characters were introduced to the cast this volume. Stories that center around medieval conflicts like this one tend to have a ton of characters, and I know it might be hard for my readers to remember all of them, but trust me: it gets confusing for us authors sometimes, too! Personally speaking, I find that the more retainers there are in a story like this the more interesting it becomes, so I’m planning to add tons of characters as the story progresses.

I intend to bring the story of the war in Missian to a conclusion of sorts in the next volume. This installment was full of battles that our heroes won surprisingly easily, but you can expect them to have a harder time in the next one! That means I’ll have plenty of opportunities to push Rietz, Charlotte, and the others into the spotlight. And, as I implied a moment ago, we’ll be seeing some new characters as well! I’ll do my best to write a book that my readers will enjoy, so I hope I see you again when volume three is published!