Afterword
HELLO, this is Yuka Tachibana.
Thank you so much for buying The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent, Volume 8.
Thanks to you, I somehow managed to produce an eighth volume. I am so grateful for the support everyone’s always giving me. Thank you. Usually things get pretty hectic, but I think it all went much smoother than last time, thanks to my editor. It was probably as hectic as it was with Volume 6? Nevertheless, I’m really glad I somehow managed to deliver this book to you all.
Thank you so much to Editor W at KADOKAWA BOOKS for going above and beyond with this volume. It’s because of you that we were somehow—somehow!—able to publish it. You were such a lifesaver for helping me work through things when I needed assistance. Thank you. And as always, thank you as well to everyone else involved.
So, did you enjoy Volume 8? I’m going to mention some things that are spoilers, so please be sure to read the story before continuing any further.
The world has remained unchanged, so I spent a lot of last year at home. However, because of that, I’ve been ordering food more often. The dried sausages that appeared in this book were one of those things. I ordered them from France, and they’re called saucisson sec. In the story, Sei got excited and called them salami, but the saucisson sec I based them on are a bit different from salami. They’re basically made with the same process, but the ratio of ground red meat to fat differs. My opinion after having actually eaten them is that saucisson sec is less heavy.
By the way, I ordered four different types of saucisson sec: smoked, herb, hazelnut, and cheese. The herb variety is like Sei’s idea in the story, where the herbs coat the casing. That herb variety was my personal favorite. The runner-up was cheese. The texture of that one was closer to salami, probably because of the fat content of the cheese. There are all kinds of websites that sell saucisson sec, so I encourage you to order some and give it a try yourselves if you’re curious.
While writing this volume, I wound up getting all kinds of help from people. I did my research by interviewing people who are subject matter experts, and I was amazed by how quickly I was able to learn what I needed.
One of my relatives works for a meat-processing company. I asked them all kinds of question about dried sausages, one of which was, “If you were to replace the additives used in modern packaging with the kind used in medieval Europe, what would you use?” They were instantly able to give me an answer as well as a detailed explanation. It goes without saying that I was shocked. If I had tried to find an answer on my own, I just know it would’ve taken me much longer to figure anything out.
Another person who helped me was Miira Tori from the University of Tokyo’s Mystery/Sci-Fi Research Society’s New Moon Tea Party. They researched all kinds of things about European history for me. They even looked up a wide range of things that I couldn’t research for myself and summarized it in an easy-to-read document. That was a huge help. They wrote about things I wanted to know along with things I hadn’t anticipated needing to know, which really inspired me to write more. Thank you so much.
Yasuyuki Syuri-sensei did the illustrations for Volume 8 as well. Thank you so much yet again for the wonderful pictures. I love them all, but especially the one of Sei on the first page. She looks so cute. So very cute… The way her mouth is all puffed is just adorable. I’ve loved it since I saw the first rough sketch. Same for the final colored version. I had imagined the new character Zara would be a super sexy lady, but the design Yasuyuki-sensei came up with was incredibly charming. Thank you so much for your excellent work on this volume as well. I’m thinking of going to Yasuyuki-sensei’s home to worship her with all my gratitude.
Volume 8 also has a regular edition and a special edition!
The special edition of Volume 8 comes with a full-color, thirty-two page booklet containing Yasuyuki-sensei’s illustrations, an original notepad, and photo frames that look like they’re from a social media site. Honestly speaking, the booklet is absolutely amazing. It’s packed with lovely illustrations that are worth keeping on hand even just as a compilation, but the brand-new illustrations are to die for. They were like a pile of gems—as soon as I saw the sketches, my mind went wild. It’s really unfortunate that I lack the vocabulary with which to properly describe how they made me feel. Personally, I would like to visit the place that I used as a model for Hawke’s Domain to make full use of the photo frames so I could take pictures of the two of them on dates for the main story. I hope those who bought the special edition will make use of the frames when you go out too. The notepad will probably go to waste on me though, since I can’t use it (lol).
The manga version is doing well too. I’m so glad that so many people enjoy reading it. I’m very grateful to not only those who support the manga but everyone involved with it, starting with Fujiazuki-sensei. Thank you always. Volume 7 came out last December, so I wonder if anyone has read it yet. This volume was packed with all kinds of good stuff, but there was one part that was particularly memorable. The day before I received the manuscript with the Pomeranian scene, I had seen a tweet with a background full of Pomeranians. The timing was just so incredible that I burst out laughing the second I read that bit. I tip my hat to Fuji-sensei for having the sense to add in the latest trends (?). I’d expect nothing less.
With this volume, they also changed a part in the novel that was difficult to understand so it would be easier to follow. Specifically, they changed the bit about the man who appeared in the Great Alchemist’s diary. In the novel, Sei wonders if the Great Alchemist is talking about her little brother, but it would be more accurate to say that the novel describes them as being such close childhood friends that they were like brother and sister. This is something I came up with in my head, but because it wasn’t too obvious, many people assumed he was her actual little brother. That’s why I had them change it. Thank you so much to Fuji-sensei and everyone involved with the manga for doing that for me.
Thanks to everyone’s support, Volume 2 of the spin-off manga, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent: The Other Saint, came out last December. I’m very happy that so many people are reading this title as well. Just like with the manga version of the main story, I’m incredibly grateful to everyone involved with this spin-off, starting with Aoagu-sensei. Thank you, thank you. In Volume 2, Aira finally graduates from the Royal Academy and joins the ranks of the Royal Magi Assembly. I’m also looking forward to getting to read the stories that take place in the Royal Magi Assembly, which we only get a peek of in the main story. Aoagu-sensei draws such animated expressions on the characters’ faces, so I always end up squee-ing whenever I see Aira’s smiling face while reviewing the manuscript. I just love her cheerful smile with flower petals fluttering in the background.
Both the manga and the spin-off manga are currently on sale with great reviews. You can read them on Web comic publishing sites ComicWalker, pixiv Comic, Nico Nico Seiga, and others.* Some of the chapters are available to read for free, so please check them out if you’re interested.
So, the anime was aired without a hitch last year. Those who watched it, did you enjoy it? I’ll be super happy if you did. I loved watching it every week. I appreciate the production team so much; it came out wonderfully thanks to their hard work. All things considered, I thought that the novels were light on the romance when I was writing them, but it’s a whole lot more concentrated when turned into an anime, isn’t it? I squee-ed practically every episode.
As it turns out, since so many people watched the anime, it’s been decided that there’ll be a second season! But, like, when I was first told, at first I didn’t understand what I was hearing. There was a second where I thought I was dreaming. In fact, my emotions rewound, and I just stood there with a smile on my face listening in a detached way. I’m sorry that this is the kind of author I am. Your support is the reason there’s going to be a second season for silly old me. Thank you so much.
More detailed information about when the next season will air and such will be posted on the anime’s official website and Twitter account. Please be sure to check them out if you’re interested. Whenever official information is released, I always aim to post it on Let’s Be Novelists and Twitter.
We’ve reached the end, so thank you so much for reading thus far. They’re making strides against the pandemic. There’s still no end to these disquieting days, but I hope you take care of yourselves. I’m going to work hard while trying not to get sick so that I can make sure to deliver Volume 9 to you. I hope we’ll meet again soon.
*Look for them in English, also from Seven Seas!
References
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Opera za no meikyuu Paris – Opera za baree no 350 nen, Shou Suzuki, Shinshokan, 2013
Furansu – opera no miwaku butaigeijutsu ron no tame no oboegaki, Hajime Sawada, Gyousei, 2013
Ongaku geki no rekishi: opera – operetta – musical, Akinobu Shigeki, Heibonsha, 2019
Eichi no kenchikuka – kioku no rokusu toshite no 16-17 seiki no teien, gekijou, toshi, Koji Kuwakino, Chuokouron Bijutsu Shuppan, 2014
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The Structure of Medieval Society, Christopher Brooke, Takami Matsuda (translator), Hosei University Press, 1990
La vie quotidienne dans l’empire carolingien, Pierre Riché, Kiyota Iwamura (translator), Toyokan Shuppansha, 1998
Histoire du paysage francais Volume 1, Jean-Robert Pitte, Nobuo Takahashi and Akira Tezuka (translators), Toyo Shorin, 1998
Histoire du paysage francais Volume 2, Jean-Robert Pitte, Nobuo Takahashi and Akira Tezuka (translators), Toyo Shorin, 1998
Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution, Jennifer Cockrall-King, Kazuhiro Shirai (translator), Hakusuisha, 2014
Pari to Edo – Dentou toshi no hikaku shi he, Norie Takazawa, Allain Thillay, Nobuyuki Yoshida (editor), Yamakawa Shuppansha, 2009
Paris au moyen age, Simone Roux, Taiichirou Sugizaki (supervisor), Harumi Yoshida (translator), Harashobo, 2004
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