Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 3 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

I am, thankfully, able to make a living writing novels.

For some reason, I’ve received a steady stream of offers from different people, which has put me in the privileged environment of being able to support my lifestyle just by writing the manuscripts that I need to work on. It keeps me fairly busy, but if I set my mind to it, I can make as much time for myself as I’d like, so the reason I constantly keep writing is because I enjoy writing.

When I find myself without work to do for a day or two, rather than play through all of the games I’ve bought and set aside, I think of how to make the ideas I’ve been incubating into novels.

There’s basically no distinction between work and play for me. I’ve never had many friends to begin with, so for me play meant playing video games by myself, so writing novels by myself is a kind of play, too.

Of course, the experience of writing novels isn’t always fun. It can be painful, difficult work. However, even with video games, there are times where you just can’t beat them and you struggle. The joy of overcoming those challenges and beating a game, that feeling of release, is incredible.

It’s the same with novels. When you go through hardship to finish writing them, it’s very rewarding.

I am half—no, more than half—making my living by playing around. I often run into difficult situations while writing, but I’ve overcome them many times before, and I take the relatively optimistic view that I’ll continue to overcome them. Even if I make a mistake, it’s not like I’m fighting on the battlefield, so it’s not going to kill me, and I’m sure I’ll have chances to redeem myself. Well, I’ll get by somehow.

I no longer play games the way I once did. This is probably the reason why. For me games were, at least for a time, the only kind of play I knew. But now I play by writing novels. Thanks to that, I don’t have time to play games.

That said, I’m sure there are kinds of excitement and new experiences that I can only find through games. That’s why, to this day, I continue to look for information on games. I buy the ones that interest me, play them for a bit, and then get a little disappointed when they don’t live up to expectations. Still, I can never stop looking forward to my next experience with them. I’m sure I won’t stop until the day I die.

I’ve run out of pages.

To my editor, K, to Eiri Shirai-san, to the designers of KOMEWORKS among others, to everyone involved in production and sales of this book, and finally to all of you people now holding this book, I offer my heartfelt appreciation and all of my love. Now, I lay down my pen for today.

I hope we will meet again.

Ao Jyumonji