Spice and Wolf - Volume 23 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD

Hello, this is Isuna Hasekura. It’s been a year and nine months since the last volume, so I apologize for the wait. I’ve been busy writing Wolf and Parchment and busy with jobs relating to Spice and Wolf VR, so Spice and Wolf has not vanished from my life completely, but I was not actually working on any manuscripts. I really need to get to work…

That said, I put some themes I had been wanting to use to good use this time around, had Elsa and Tanya doing a lot of work, so as the author, I am very pleased (I really hope you, the readers, enjoy it). I would call this a short story collection, and I believe you will find things that are more fantasy-esque than in the original series, so it was a lot of fun to write.

Now let me tell you some of the things that served as inspiration for the stories. Spoilers.

The Gem of the Sea and Wolf: I’ve always wanted to write about the coral fishing from the Maghreb region, so I did. They really do throw metal hooks into the water and then reel them in. In present-day society, I think we would be scared of messing up the sea floor.

Summer’s Harvest and Wolf: The mushroom in this chapter is the Xylaria polymorpha, or the dead man’s fingers. Look it up online, and you’ll see why Myuri was so shocked!

An Old Hound’s Sigh and Wolf: The tracks left by the great serpent are what we call cropmarks. You’ll find lots of aerial photographs if you search that term online, and it is cool to see exactly what they look like.

You won’t find much on those things in documents related to medieval Europe, so it is difficult to just wait until I happen across something interesting. But I am certain there are more things that would suit a fantasy world, so I have a feeling Spring Log will continue for the time to come (I know the last chapter felt very final, but it isn’t. Just in case).

Be patient, and more will come.

I have some space left… This is very recent, but I have been really craving the American-style donuts from Yamazaki Baking, so I searched all of the stores in my neighborhood but came up empty-handed. Maybe Daily Yamazaki will have them! I thought, and hopped on the train to the closest branch, but again, nothing!

Maybe they don’t sell them in the summertime. Nothing beats how moist they are, the aggressive presence of sugar and oil. Oh, American-style donuts! If I talk about how much weight I’ve gained in my next afterword, then please rest easy knowing that I managed to find them. Until next time.

Isuna Hasekura