Secrets of the Silent Witch - Volume 6 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Thank you for purchasing Volume 6 of Secrets of the Silent Witch.

This book features all seven Sages, a idea that has been in the works since Volume 1.

Despite writing in the afterword of Volume 5 that I wanted to show you the students having a good time in Volume 6, they wound up in trouble instead. I’m beginning to worry that I’m a little heartless… Please accept my apologies.

That said, I hope you’re looking forward to what these poor kids will get up to in the next volume. Monica will do her best as well.

Regarding future printing plans, Volume 7 of the main story is scheduled for next winter.

…However, before that, there is something else in the works: the first in a two-book series featuring the Barrier Mage Louis Miller as the protagonist.

This side story will place Louis in the spotlight, and the first book will be about his time as a student at Minerva’s Mage Training Institution.

It’ll be a fresh new look at Louis when he was still a boy. And by fresh, I mean as fresh as a raging shark, snapping, landing on the shore and chomping, jumping, biting the nets restraining him, and batting harpoons away with his tail. In other words, very energetic.

Others from the main story will make cameo appearances as well.

This Louis side story serves as a prequel to Secrets of the Silent Witch, and I hope you’ll check it out.

To Nanna Fujimi, as always, thank you for your gorgeous illustrations.

This volume featured many new characters, so I’m sure designing them was a lot of work. But I’m always moved by your wonderful designs. Each of them expands the world of the story even further.

When I explain character designs, I submit little drawings that look like dumplings to help, but of all the ones I’ve made, the Gem Mage was, if I may be so bold, a critical hit—a dumpling truly emanating the aura of a petty villain.

But my dumplings simply can’t express his servility or fussiness. Depicting traits like that in a picture is incredibly difficult—and yet you managed it perfectly.

And so I must truly thank you for making every character so charming.

To Tobi Tana, thank you for your excellent work on the manga adaptation.

The story is rather extreme, split between scenes with a lot of action and scenes with no action at all, but you’ve depicted them all with such charm and life regardless. It makes me very happy.

The newest book of the manga adaptation is Volume 3. Monica and the prince share the cover.

In the manga adaptation, you can also see people who haven’t shown up in the insert illustrations in the books yet.

Mr. Boyd, the chess teacher, was especially wonderful with his combination of sternness, nobility, and class.

Please give the third volume of the manga a read so you can see him. His muscles really bulge.

Last, but not least, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who purchased this book. The fan letters make me very happy as well.

Hearing you talk about your favorite scenes and characters with such passion, along with the special letter paper, the sealing wax, the wonderful stickers, stamps, cards, and illustrations you include—it’s like you packaged all your love right in the envelope. It fills me with joy.

That serves as great encouragement to keep going. Thank you. Thank you so much.

I will do my best to continue writing, to answer your words of support in kind, so I hope we can meet again in the next volume.

Matsuri Isora