Scene: Author (Hajime Kanzaka) and L
L: I told you! As long as that chuni soul lives inside people’s hearts, Slayers will always return!
Au: You did say that! In the afterword of the anthology!
L: Humanity and chuni soul are inscrutable things! Even if the “past life” and “special ability” strains die out and it mutates, the chuni disease itself prevails!
Au: Well, I’m not sure that’s what we should be talking about here... But it really has been a while, huh, everyone? This was the special Slayers volume, “A Chance Encounter in Atessa”!
L: A special volume, huh? Isn’t it just volume 16?
Au: Well, I meant it to be a special volume to show gratitude to our longstanding supporters for the thirtieth anniversary of Fantasia Bunko and Dragon Magazine, but... we realized it would be kind of weird if you read it out of context, so chronology-wise, we decided it really had to be volume 16.
L: It definitely has a “class reunion” feel. And you titled it “A Chance Encounter.”
Au: I wanted it to feel like a chance encounter on the street between the old fans and the Slayers story.
L: Do you know if you’ll keep going with it after this?
Au: Frankly, it depends on the reaction to it and the author’s feelings and momentum and whether or not there’s a good video game out at the time and the weather!
L: Those are some very soft standards!
Au: You bet they’re soft! Like pancakes with tons of merengue! There’s been no moment in my life I haven’t lived soft!
L: Blegh! Hearing an old man describe his life like a pancake kind of ticks me off!
Au: You say that, but there’re some nice things that have that old man softness to them.
L: That old man softness? Hmm... Oh! Like pilling on a sweater that hasn’t been cleaned!
Au: I guess that is old-man-like... Anyway, I really am serious about the weather part. I feel like we’ve had nothing but major hurricanes for the last thirty-five years. I’ve been ordered to take walks for my health, but I really need fewer consecutive days when I’ll die if I go outside due to what’s going on in the environment.
L: Ah. That’s right, Author, you take the train to a place with underground malls and walk around there. But the trains don’t run during hurricanes.
Au: I always find myself making excuses not to walk at night, or I’ll walk during the day when it’s not too hot, but... when the walk is over, I get that “whew, that was a full day’s work” feeling.
L: But you didn’t work! Not even a little bit!
Au: Well, obviously.
L: So get to work! One page every day!
Au: Don’t be ridiculous! Maybe faster writers than me can write at that pace, but I’m the same age as Namihei Is*n*!
L: Don’t be silly! Namihei-san put together millions of deals by doing a little each day!
Au: That’s way too much! Of course, he can afford a single-family home in Setagaya, so maybe he does do that much...
L: And so can you.
Au: Have mercy! That said, I do hope to do more. With any luck, the weather will calm down again.
L: Yeah, just be grateful that the temperature differentials aren’t as bad as the surface of the moon. Anyway, I hope you all take care! Look forward to seeing you again!
Afterword: Over