Chapter 178

AFTERWORD Volume 4. Freyja’s invasion. Fire. No, Volume 4 wasn’t just about her. The pages were jam-packed with as much material as the page count would allow, plus edits. The growth of Mariela and Sieg; the start of potion sales; the complete change of the Labyrinth City’s economy; Caroline’s kidnapping and romance that completely left out the main character; the oppressive circumstances of Malraux’s family; the restoration of Sieg’s Spirit Eye; and even the truth behind the Stampede. Yet, if the impression of Mariela’s master is the only thing that remains after finishing the book, what does that tell us? I might have made the character a little too extreme. Now, leaving aside the pretty (itty-bitty?) Freyja of many mysteries, the secret of the Spirit Eye and the truth of two hundred years ago have revealed themselves at last. Sieg is the successor to the Spirit Eye and heir to the ruined country. During the planning stage of this tale, I considered having Sieg as the main character, but I also wanted to tell a heartwarming story. I decided to have him deal with conflict alone and grow as a person while Mariela was sleeping like a log and dreaming of meat. Sieg’s background made him too powerful, so I gave him the handicap of starting as a dying slave. Poor guy. Although that’s how he used to be, he pushed through adversity and grew up reasonably well, so he’s going to play a big role in the next volume. Of course, so will Mariela, who’s finally able to make special-grade potions. The Labyrinth City has the Spirit Eye and special-grade potions at its disposal at last, but there’s still a heap of problems. The red dragon, which the Labyrinth Suppression Forces can’t do a thing against, is still going strong, and an even stronger enemy lies in wait in a lower stratum. However, with the spirit Endalsia’s life in peril, there’s no more time to waste. What kind of potions will Mariela make to help in this crisis? How will Sieg, Leonhardt, and the people of the Labyrinth City fight and forge their destiny? Will spring at last arrive for the poorly treated Edgan? Will Freyja get dead-drunk like she always does? And there’s still the matter of the identity of the Labyrinth’s boss… Volume 5 brings us to the finale. Last but not least, I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to ox, the illustrator who drew the truly incredible cover art depicting the Labyrinth; Shimizu, the editor I am continually indebted to for helping me with everything from scheduling to sales promotions; everyone else at Kadokawa; and finally, everyone who picked up this book and has followed it to this point, as well as everyone who cheered me on while reading the Internet edition of the story. Usata Nonohara