Afterword
HELLO, this is Mashimesa Emoto.
I’m finally able to bring you the final volume of Expedition Cooking with the Enoch Royal Knights. I’d now like to discuss the series as a whole, although this may include things I’ve mentioned in previous afterwords.
I never imagined I would be able to publish seven entire books in this series. To be honest, when I first began posting this series on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, it was supposed to be an outlet for me to practice writing.
But at the time, female protagonists in stories made for men accompanied by themes of cooking were very popular, so I decided to continue writing. All in hopes of joining the trend myself!
Simply copying other popular stories would’ve been boring, so I turned the female protagonist into an elf and put the focus on the kind of meals that knights would eat during expeditions. That was how Expedition Cooking came to be.
I was grateful to receive offers from multiple publishers, but the one that had approached me first was Micro Magazine.
At the time, I was already reading That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Tanaka ~Nenrei Ikōru Kanojoinaireki no Mahōtsukai~, so I immediately replied that I would love to publish my story with them.
A lot transpired over the course of writing all seven volumes, but they saw Expedition Cooking and me all the way to the end without ever abandoning us.
Just thinking back on the past, including all of my regrets and mistakes, makes me want to get on the ground and bow to those who have helped me. I’d like to convey as much gratitude as I can right here and now.
First, to my editors Itou-sama and Kawaguchi-sama, I give you my heartfelt thanks for everything you’ve done for me! I’ll continue to read books published by GC Novels as a fan from here on out. If I am ever blessed with the opportunity, I would love to work with them again in the future.
Tera Akai-sensei, thank you for your stunning illustrations. When I was asked what sort of artist I was looking for, I requested someone who could draw bandits. And I received exactly that. I always loved how adorable Mell looked on the cover art. A smile came to my face every time I received your finished artwork.
Seeing all the volumes of Expedition Cooking next to each other makes me very emotional.
I put in ridiculous requests for illustrations of a bandit, an elf slave, a feminine man, a masculine woman, a quiet wolfman, a normal boy, a girl obsessed with mythical beasts, and an old man equally obsessed with mythical beasts. But I’m incredibly grateful for how you depicted each character exactly how I described them.
You provided me with high-quality illustrations until the very end, and for that, thank you very much! I’m eager to see where your career takes you next.
Many others assisted me in seeing this series to completion. There aren’t enough words to convey my gratitude.
The designers who made my books look so stylish, the proofreaders who spotted my typos, the bookstore employees who sold my books at the front of the stores…there’s no end to the list of people who have helped me.
All of you are the reason why I’ve been able to release such wonderful books. Thank you, all of you, for everything.
Finally, I want to address my readers.
This was the last installment in the series. Some people told me they were sad when I announced that volume 7 would be the finale, but at the time, it still didn’t feel real to me.
However, now with my work finished and the story truly over…I can’t help but get teary-eyed. I was only able to complete this series thanks to all of your support. Thank you very much for sticking it out with Mell and her expeditions.
Not too long ago, I felt like I was at the end of my rope. That was until I happened to receive a particular piece of fan mail. It ended up rescuing me from my slump. I knew I couldn’t abandon my story when there were readers waiting to see what happened next, so I was able to change my outlook.
Authors are simple creatures. All it takes is a single piece of fan mail to pull us out of whatever abyss we find ourselves in. If there are any other series you support, please write the author a letter. Tell them you think their work is wonderful and how much you enjoy it. Even a single sentence will fill the author with delight.
The world is a difficult place, so you might not bring about a miracle and revive a canceled series with your one letter alone. However, you will no doubt bring relief to that author.
I wrote this part to make sure you all understand that.
Thank you so much for all the fan mail you’ve written to me. I’m not able to respond to them at the moment, but I keep and cherish each and every one. I even go back and re-read them from time to time. They’re my treasures.
Now, for something less sentimental, the new manga edition of Expedition Cooking has just kicked off!
It’s currently being published by Comic PASH! in Japan.
Shinobu Take-sensei draws an exceptionally cute Mell. Each unique squad member truly comes to life in the manga version too, so I hope you’ll show it your support.
With that, I will aspire to improve each day until we meet again somewhere.
Mashimesa Emoto