AFTERWORD
Hello, Tappei Nagatsuki here, your light-novel author who is also a mouse-colored cat!
Thanks for hanging with me through everything in Ex, Vol. 4! This side-story series has reached four volumes now, meaning the world around the main characters is getting pretty fleshed out—I think.
As I’m sure I say in virtually every Ex book, I’m the type who loves to know what the side characters are up to, to the point where they start to steal the limelight from the main cast. The publication of these Ex titles is the best possible way of indulging that impulse.
Now, the story in this volume, with some additions and revisions, was originally serialized in Monthly Comic Alive. Why did I choose to do this story now? The plot of the sixth act of the main series heavily involves Julius, so this seemed like an opportune time. I wanted to give us a glimpse into his inner world.
In addition, I was influenced by my desire to focus in on the Empire of Volakia, which I expect to play a bigger part in the main series going forward. Unfortunately, this left my illustrator, Otsuka, with a crazy number of character designs to come up with all at once. But doesn’t the Volakian cohort look great?
Incidentally, your author’s favorite is Balleroy! Isn’t he just the most dashing, most sexy guy? Unfortunately, now he’s dead! Very sad…
Your author can attest that seeing the material illustrated can lead to some surprising regrets. Even if that might be years in the future. When I started writing Re:ZERO, it was as a web novel on the Shousetsuka ni Narou site, so obviously, I wasn’t blessed with illustrations to begin with. The story rolled along with nothing but text. Happily, the story was well received, and among my readers were some who generously did fan art of the series.
Ah, now there is a cherished memory: the very first piece of fan art I ever got. It was of a man some of you may not remember—and I wouldn’t blame you, considering how many volumes ago he appeared. Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
Yes, this very first piece of art was of the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins, the disciple of Sloth, Petelgeuse. Overjoyed by this first drawing, I wanted to make more use of the character, so the number of Returns by Death in the main series went up twice. So this is a work where the fact that my readers are cheering me on causes me to kill off the main character more and more times. Kind of weird, sure, but I gleefully look forward to your continued support.
Just to be clear, I’m not specifically saying that the more fan art I receive of the villains, the more Subaru is going to die. That would be mean. (But remember, all things are impermanent.)
To Editor I, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop coughing and sneezing this time around. I feel like the only thing I talked to you about was how you just don’t get over colds the same after you turn thirty.
To my illustrator, Otsuka, thank you so much for creating no fewer than nine new character designs for this volume. The empire’s forces are full of really attractive people, and you did a perfect job with them!
To my designer, Kusano, what a stupendous job on the cover illustration, packing all those characters plus the title into a single picture. The new logo is supercool, and I love it!
I’m writing this afterword in the midst of the theatrical release of Bond of Ice, to say nothing of the fourth arc in Monthly Comic Alive as well as the manga version of The Love Ballad of the Sword Devil—in other words, there’s a lot of Re:ZERO to go around.
I can’t tell you how much I owe to all of you. Thank you so much.
To everyone at the MF Bunko J editorial department, to all the proofreaders, booksellers, and marketers, you have my thanks. So does everyone involved with the release of Bond of Ice.
Of course, I owe my deepest gratitude to all the readers who have loved Re:ZERO so much for so long. As it says on the book belly band, they’ve green-lit a newly edited version of the first season of the TV anime and a second season to go along with it. Re:ZERO is going to keep growing from here.
I hope you’ll continue to support Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-!
See you all in the next volume!
November 2019
Tappei Nagatsuki
(Wearing a sleeveless haori jacket due to a sudden cold snap.)
“All right, okay! It’s time for the next-volume preview! Your humble presenter, flower of this world and lead actor, Cecils Segmund, at your—”
“…No, stop. His Majesty will be angry.”
“Eeyikes! Huh? If it isn’t Arakiya. Where did you come from? We hardly saw you in the main story. You’re so lovely, but you lack presence, so it’s startling when you suddenly speak!”
“You can stop now… And I’m here on His Majesty’s orders. Watch over the idiot, he said.”
“Idiot? I must say, I can’t fathom who here would fit that description. Anyway, far be it from me to worry about things that won’t be fixed by worrying. Very well. Just try not to hamper my performance, if you don’t mind?”
“…Volume 22 will be out in March. Look forward to it.”
“Well, you certainly know how to keep things moving! Yes, yes, indeed, you’re quite right. In that volume, Master Julius, who was so hospitable to me in this book, will go on a grand adventure with his delightful friends to the Tower of Sand…”
“Further, there are plans for the birthday of everyone’s favorite devilish sisters, Ram and Rem, which is celebrated with such pomp each year… This year, it will be a double celebration at both the Shibuya Marui and Nanba Marui malls in Tokyo and Osaka, respectively.”
“Moving right along, are we?! Still, I’m most jealous of the newcomers who get to experience this for the first time. Good, very good. I can only hope a similar opportunity comes to us eventually…”
“Further, the second season of the anime, and an edited version of the first season, will be broadcast…”
“You don’t slow down for anything, do you? Thrilled as I am to hear about a second season of the anime, I must wonder, what form will this ‘edited version of the first season’ take…?”
“The content will consist of the first broadcast season, along with new scenes, and some of the material reedited—a director’s cut… Or so they say.”
“So even those who already saw the first season can get something out of it, then they can be all charged up for the start of the second season. Wait a second—could whoever thought of that be a genius? Though, perhaps not quite as brilliant as myself, of course!”
“…Sure.”
“That’s the nastiest smile I ever saw. In that respect, you’re just like the owner of your heart!”
“…Cecils, I’m going to kill you.”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha, I assure you, I won’t die. Certainly at least not until I’ve watched all this new anime coming out! And anyway, someone of your skill couldn’t hope to kill me, Arakiya. Hmm…so were you simply blowing smoke just now?”
“I swear to my ancestors, to His Majesty, and to the princess, I will kill you.”
“Goodness, it seems I’ve genuinely angered you. My apologies. However, I am most disinclined to be dead, so I believe I’ll take this opportunity to get the heck out of here. Your presenter for this next-volume preview was the flower of the world, Cecils Segmund!”
“…He runs so fast…… I hate him.”
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