Hello! I’m Sakaku Hishikawa.
Thank you for picking up a copy of the fourth volume of The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows!
I can hardly believe it, but it’s been two years since I first started posting Brilliant Healer online. I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been following the story of Zenos and his companions up to this point!
On a different note, I’m very into buying books based solely on their covers.
When I was a child, we didn’t have review websites like we do now. I lived in a fairly rural area, so not much information made it there. With few forms of entertainment available, I always wanted to read books, but, without much money to spend, I couldn’t afford to buy that many each month. As a result, I clutched my pitiful pocket money and spent a lot of time at the store picking out just one book.
Since the books were wrapped in plastic, I couldn’t look inside. I’d practically burn a hole into the covers from how hard I stared, read the blurbs on the back, and try to sense the faint aura emanating from the books. I’d rely on my intuition to decide whether a book was up my alley, and carefully check every book on the display tables and shelves to make sure I didn’t miss any hidden gems. I’d often spend two, three hours at the bookstore.
Sometimes, despite my efforts, I’d leave empty-handed, thinking maybe it just wasn’t the right day and I should try again. Other times, I’d find a book that hit the mark perfectly. And on occasion, I’d pick something that ended up not resonating with me at all. Nowadays, with the inevitable exposure to reviews and ratings, I look back on those times with a sense of nostalgia.
Now then, on to the acknowledgments.
Once again, I’d like to thank everyone involved in the editorial department of GA Novel, my editors especially, for their hard work in the publication of this book.
Thank you to Daburyu-sensei, the illustrator, who always amazes me by drawing the characters exactly as I imagined them—and sometimes better!—despite my vague instructions.
Thank you to Ten Junnoichi-sensei, the artist behind the manga adaptation! I look forward to seeing the vibrant world of Brilliant Healer in manga form. Thanks to your hard work, the first volume of the manga sold out immediately and went into reprint! I hope everyone who didn’t get to buy it takes this opportunity to check it out!
Yet another thank you to the readers of the web version of Brilliant Healer. Your feedback is very encouraging.
And, of course, my deepest thanks to all the readers who have purchased this book!
I hope to see you again soon!