Afterword
THANKS FOR PICKING UP this volume of Reborn as a Space Mercenary! We’re already on the thirteenth. Just how far will we continue…? I’d like to go as far as possible!
It’s summertime, and it feels like the temperature rises by the day. Last year was hot, and this year’s no different. Please be careful to avoid heat stroke, everyone! AC is truly one of the great conveniences human civilization has created. Denizens of Hokkaido, like me, begin to melt when the temperature rises above 25 degrees Celsius, so AC is truly a lifesaver.
I’ve managed to play all kinds of games recently. For example, a game where the story centers on a conflict over a unicorn ring, one where you become a wandering samurai in the final years of the Edo period, one where you play as a half-machine, half-human beauty who stylishly swordfights monsters, and a survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world in which your goal is to revive civilization… Wow, I’ve really gamed a lot recently. I’d also like to enjoy the shadows of an Erdtree, but I’m currently obsessed with a shark maid… A curt, slovenly, depressive one. I wish I had a maid who’d say “Welcome back, Master” to me in a monotone.
I can go on and on about games, so let’s stop here before it’s too late. I really have a lot more I’d like to say, but I must control myself!
So about this volume’s cover… Bunny girls, huh?! Granny’s there too. Hmm? Putting aside Granny, why bunny girls? Just so you know, there are authors out there who edit their work to sate their lust for bunny girls. Me, for example.
The Verthalz Holy Empire has started doing things it didn’t in the web version. It seems the rapid speed of the story, and Hiro awakening to his psionic powers, are changing this universe’s direction.
Let’s talk about the various weapons combat ships are equipped with. Most galactic empires, including the Grakkan Empire, employ directed-energy weapons. As the name suggests, these weapons direct energy at the speed of light. When it comes to speed, range, accuracy, long-term usability, and shield damage, directed-energy weapons boast an effective, well-balanced performance. On the flip side, they’re somewhat lacking in firepower.
Combat ships also employ projectile weapons. Compared to directed-energy weapons, projectile weapons are much slower and tend to have less range. Ammo is also a concern with those, making them less suited to extended fights. As such, they’re less popular. But projectile weapons require less energy to operate, making them easier to employ than directed-energy weapons on ships with limited generator output.
Explosive weapons like seeker missiles have the same disadvantage as projectile weapons when it comes to speed. However, most have a tracking feature that locks on to enemy ships. They can seriously damage shields and ships themselves, making them second only to directed-energy weapons in popularity. But certain explosive weapons, like reactive anti-ship torpedoes, are a bit difficult to use.
Some ships also use plasma cannons. They shoot even more slowly than projectile weapons do, but they’re capable of dealing heavy damage to shields, plating, and ships themselves. Plasma accelerators—particle-beam cannons that accelerate electrically charged baryons at near light speed to destroy their target—are an improved version of plasma cannons. There are also disruptors, a special weapon that bypasses shields and plating. They disintegrate the things they strike.
I plan to introduce other weapon types as well… I’m not sure whether they’ll show up yet, though!
For the record, the Soul Crush weapon Verthalz uses in this volume doesn’t cause detectable material damage. However, it’s capable of bypassing shields and plating to directly affect living targets within a ship. Striking life-forms with this weapon destroys their minds and life force, killing them. Targeting a manned ship with Soul Crush would cause all the personnel aboard to die while the ship itself continued to operate as if nothing happened. It’s truly a terrifying weapon.
Time to take my leave once again.
Thank you to my manager, K; our illustrator, Tetsuhiro Nabeshima; and everyone involved in this book’s publication. Most of all, a huge thank-you to everyone who bought and read this book. Next up is the fourteenth volume! I hope we make it there!