Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside - Volume 3 - Chapter Aft

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Afterword

To everyone who has picked up this book, thank you very much! I’m Zappon, the author.

It’s because of your support that the story made its way to a third volume. With three books, it starts to take up enough space lined up on a shelf to stand out at a glance. I end up breaking into a grin when I turn around to look at the bookshelf behind me.

I do have one announcement to make: The first volume of the manga adaptation of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside is also on sale now!

It’s a truly wonderful and adorable manga that shows off lots of Rit’s expressions—from angry, to smiling, to blushing, to everything in between. I would love for you to see more of her there!

There is a short story of mine in the manga adaptation. Unlike the winter setting of this book, it’s a tale of Rit and Red during the summer, right after their reunion. I tried my best to convey the depth of expression from the manga in my writing, so I suspect those of you who enjoy reading about Red and Rit’s relationship will find it pleasing.

All right, let’s touch a bit on the contents of this book. This time, the setting is winter in Zoltan.

It’s fun to write stories set in the various seasons. Between spring, summer, autumn, and winter, I feel like I would never run out of tales to tell about Red and Rit’s quiet life. The scene of the two of them huddled together and watching the snow that is the cover for this book was especially fun to write.

And then Ruti showed up.

The Hero, Ruti, had been suffering since the very first volume, and now she’s finally arrived in Zoltan. Whether by chance or by fate and driven by different motives, the members of the Hero’s party have gathered in Zoltan where Red, who had been kicked out of the group, was living. In this universe, everyone sees Red as a supporting actor, while his little sister, Ruti, has the leading role.

To Ruti, however, Red is her irreplaceable big brother, not some bit player. That question of how to live your life when what the world expects of you is so different from your own desires is the key theme of this work.

As before, it took the help and support of many people in order for this third volume to reach your hands. I would like to use this space to offer my gratitude.

Every other illustration has been fantastic, but the cover for this volume was even lovelier than the previous ones. The fluttering snow and the glimmer of the setting sun, Red’s affectionate expression, and the way Rit’s face is red from both the cold and the blissful moment—it’s truly priceless! Thank you so much, Yasumo!

And I owe a lot to the designer who managed to fit my incredibly long series title so neatly on the cover without ruining it, too. I imagine it must be a struggle every time. I’m sorry, but thank you so much for making it work!

To the proofreader who went through the manuscript with its typos and the like on every page and corrected it, I’m in your debt, once again. Thank you for all your work!

To the people who printed and bound the books, although I’m writing this before the physical volumes have been made, it is because of your hard work that authors can know the joy of their stories becoming novels. Thank you very much!

Also, to my editor, Miyakawa, who advised me to write a more detailed scene in the snow, helped line things up everywhere along the way so this book could be made and delivered, and so, so many other things; thank you for all that you do!

Lastly, to the readers who picked up this novel, those who have followed the story since it began, those who purchased this because of the manga version, and those who supported the online version, this book would not exist without all of you. Thank you so very much!