This is volume 9 of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress!
I’m surprised. Only one year has actually passed in the story. But I guess that often happens. You know, battle movies and sports manga are like that. Martial arts tournaments and national competitions can go on for ten years if you aren’t careful. Nonetheless, I get to keep writing, which makes me happy.
Anyway, this time my concept was to bring together characters that had little to do with each other before. For no particular reason, many characters who have all been part of the story since volume one had never conversed. Like Lud and Daian, and Sven and Blitzdonner.
And by the way, the bumbling soldier Marissa, who stands out in this volume, was a new character from the last volume, and she’ll play a big role in the next volume, too. She gets caught up in the action.
On another note, human beings show different sides to different people. Not many people treat everyone the same. Parents, children, lovers, friends, senior and junior members of the same group, bosses and subordinates, et cetera, et cetera... Sometimes when two people talk about the same person, they have completely different opinions because that person shows each of them completely different faces.
There is no contradiction in the worst person from one’s point of view being the best person from another’s point of view. I think this will be an important theme in the next volume.
Now for my usual apologies and thanks and so forth. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who participated in publishing, distributing and selling this book, and to Zaza, who provided incredibly wonderful illustrations again this time. I know it isn’t easy, so thank you very much!
Above all, thank you to everyone who has the book in hand at this very moment. Next time, we reach the ten-volume mark. See you then!
SOW