Assassin mommy, but also there to roast Sardin. If Sardin has traits in common with Mena, then she’s a match for Phyllo, I thought. That’s why they both ended up unable to hold their booze, too. Possibly my personal favorite character design.
✦ ✦ ✦
His name comes from Tranexamic. [In katakana, “tra” is “tora” or “tiger.”]
One of the domain’s fistfighters—which means he’s all about muscle! That was all the thought I put into him. He was the single character I had to put the least effort into—he was always right there where I needed him. Really forced me to admit I have an addiction to dumb jokes.
On the technical side, having “Mwa-ha-ha” made him so easy to distinguish—in my heart, he’s part of the main cast.
✦ ✦ ✦
Her name’s an anagram of Ouren Gedokuto, a Chinese herbal medicine used to treat hot flashes. That’s why she spent so much time beet red!
Unable to match Anzu, ashamed of her country origins and forcing herself to act elegant—that was the core concept. That side of her blew up on me, and she wound up trying to get Anzu back by allying with the dashing city hero, Allan, and that went too far, and they got married… She and Allan probably got the happiest ending.
✦ ✦ ✦
I may have been the most emotionally invested in him. My favorite wussy demon lord.
He functions as a story milestone, and after his awakening, I started intentionally inserting him into flashbacks from Volume 8 on. Good in school, crap on the job, head full of dreams, too weak-willed to be much of a demon lord.
At one point, I planned to have him working with Shouma behind the scenes. Since Shouma was the hero who knows his own strength type, I made Satan a light novel cliché—terrible on the job but a demon lord in another world.
Can’t achieve results and carried by the rest of his team, but in a different setting, his talents show… He’s really living the isekai hero dream. Then our heroine (Lloyd, lol) fell in love with him, and he turned into a mentor character.
He was supposed to die so Lloyd could awaken, but I got too attached and couldn’t bring myself to off him. I wanted to take advantage of the “demon lords come back awhile after they die” so we could end with Satan showing back up to go, “You’ve grown so strong, Lloyd!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Watanuki drew a bunch of extras for the Volume 4 crowd scene, and they were so cute, I wound up giving the glasses girl lines here and there, and before I knew it, she had a name.
Adjusting her glasses as she makes Lloyd dress up, she serves as my proxy in the world. The most confident in her own deal, and totally capable of matching pace with Sou and Shouma—perhaps she was the most terrifying creation of all.
✦ ✦ ✦
He started out as just a name given to the cursed belt and somehow became critical to everything. I like the human version quite a bit; in the old world, he was every bit as put upon as Chrome.
“Apologize in writing at a later date” was actually what got the ball rolling on my ideas for the old world and for the relationships between Alka, Satan, Eug, etc.
✦ ✦ ✦
I only decided Eve should be inside Ishikura’s daughter in the second half of the series. Like her father, her name comes from the kanji in Chinese medicine’s Ma Ze Ren Wan. All after the fact (lol).
Originally, I had it in my head that the narration for this series was Riho telling the story to the kids in the orphanage, but a thought struck me near the end, and I gave that bit to her. It actually works out pretty well…I think.
Last Dungeon’s improvisation in action.
✦ ✦ ✦
I had things to write about other characters, too, but…sorry, I want to share a personal message here.
✦ ✦ ✦
To my father, who fell sick while I was writing this afterword.
I’m shocked to learn you can no longer move around. I knew it was coming eventually, but not this fast. I can’t bear to watch you enduring the pain and resting at home, so I’m choosing this way to talk to you. For that, I’m sorry.
You were the best father I could imagine.
You might love the horses and your drink, and crack jokes about what a lousy dad you were, but when I was at a crossroads, you said to do what I wanted as long as I had my health. And that proved to be the push I needed.
Those words—and having you as a father—helped me keep going and become the author I am today.
That didn’t stop once I got published; you were never one for compliments, but you told me in so many words how impressed you were, and I’ll treasure that moment for the rest of my life.
You said, “Please,” and meant volumes with it, and I’m doing everything I can to live up to that request.
I’m hardly a model son, but I’m gonna do what I can. Thank you so much. Please rest.
✦ ✦ ✦
Sorry to put something that personal in this afterword.
I’m here because of my readers, the publishing staff, and my family.
I never planned on it, but reading back through Last Dungeon, there sure are a lot of moms and dads working for their families.
I’m sure people making the effort for those closest to them were the ones I unconsciously wanted to write about. I wrote about an oblivious boy, while I myself was blind to my own goals.
Now that I know better, I want to return the favor, both to my own parents, and to the friends who were there for me.
And to my readers—I’m going to work even harder to bring you fun stories. I hope you’ll join me again someday.
✦ ✦ ✦
Thank you.
✦ ✦ ✦
Toshio Satou