Secrets of the Silent Witch - Volume 2 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Thank you so much for purchasing the second volume of Secrets of the Silent Witch.

Volume 2 adapts the fourth through sixth chapters of the web novel, with corrections and additions.

The additions, in particular, were a battle against the remaining word count, and ultimately, I submitted the first draft just barely under the maximum number of words specified by my editor.

Flying so close to the sun is thrilling… I could get addicted to it. (Mwa-ha-ha.)

When I was writing the web novel, I went through great pains not to take any detours so that the story would reach an ending in the shortest time possible. Adding things to the print version like this has allowed me to include some extra episodes. I wanted to write them in a way that would be meaningful for the characters who appear.

And as a result of writing these meaningful detours, one character’s artistic…“talents,” we’ll call them, were exposed. Just…(whispers) don’t worry too much about it.

I hope I was able to deliver new sides to the characters that I couldn’t explore in the web version.

When I first picked up Volume 1 of the print version of Secrets of the Silent Witch, I felt like all the little details had been created with care to match the original work’s atmosphere. One of the things I was particularly impressed with was the decision to move the character profiles to the end of the book, rather than putting them at the beginning.

This story features a lot of characters, so while writing the web version, I’d intersperse every two chapters or so with their profiles, placing them after the story itself, and that has been reproduced in the print version.

I think putting character profiles at the beginning of the book is the normal way to go, but they purposely moved them to the end—which made me really happy, like the editing department was treating the original work with care.

I could sense how deeply my editor was thinking about Monica and her personal growth during our meetings. As an author, I can’t imagine anything nicer. Thank you all so much.

As a result, my pen just kept on going and going… It sure was a lot of fun writing all the new sections. (Mwa-ha-ha.)

Nanna Fujimi has provided more gorgeous illustrations for this volume. Thank you so much. Seeing the cover images and inserts fills me with happiness. Given how many characters were involved in the story from Volume 1, I’m sure the character designs were a major task. But they all look so charming—thank you so much. The characters new to Volume 2 are all wonderful as well. The smirk on one particularly mysterious noble girl’s face… It was so dead-on to the image I had of her in my mind that I was positively moved.

When we had meetings about the characters’ appearances, I would draw pictures that looked like crushed sweet buns to illustrate my ideas. Every time Nanna Fujimi managed to take those squashed buns and produce a real piece of artwork, it really moved me. (Note: My artistic talent is about on par with those round-eyed, wriggly things Cyril drew.)

And now I have two advertisements:

The Secrets of the Silent Witch official account is currently active on Twitter. We’re posting color designs from Nanna Fujimi as well as my own original, dialogue-heavy short stories. Please take a look at them if you’d like.

In addition, this work is being adapted as a manga in B’s-LOG COMICS. Tobi Tana is working on that version. I know how difficult a manga adaptation must have been with all the information dumps in the first part of the story. But Tobi Tana stayed away from monotonous panels, instead giving us attractive images and diagrams, showing a degree of skill that I can only describe as incredible.

Seriously, though. That much information in the first chapter, and Tobi Tana summarized it all. That’s just wild to me…

All the characters are so expressive and charming on the pages. I particularly love how Monica’s lips make funny shapes.

The adaptation can be read on Comic Walker, Nico Nico Seiga, and pixiv Comics. Please check them out when you have a chance.

We’re closing in on the end of the afterword. I’d like once again to thank everyone for all their amazing help…including those of you I don’t get to see; it’s because of all of you that this second volume made it to print. Nanna Fujimi, who provided the wonderful illustrations; Tobi Tana, who is working on a brilliant manga adaptation; everyone at Kadokawa Books putting all their efforts into advertising; and my editor, who is always earnest in confronting the story itself.

I’d like to also extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who purchased Volume 2. Thank you all so, so much.

Everyone who has left impressions on the web novel and sent fan letters to the editing department, thank you as well—each and every one of your words is a treasure to me.

Those writing physical fan letters have also been using wonderful letter paper. Every time I open one, I find myself smiling at how nice it looks. I’m extremely grateful for all the passionate impressions written on such beautiful stationery.

I’m also extremely grateful for the fact that this work will receive a third volume in print. I’ll put all my efforts into writing it, so I hope you stick around to follow the continuation of Monica’s story.

Matsuri Isora