Afterword
THIS VOLUME was completely different from the previous one. What did you think?
Until now, it’s always been Japan and the game. There were two stories unfolding in parallel worlds, but in this volume they… Actually, there are probably going to be quite a few spoilers in the afterword, so if you’re one of those people who like to read the afterword before the story, I’d suggest reading the story first this time.
Okay, the spoilers start now. So far, Yoshio’s just been a player of a game, but in this volume he comes into contact with the villagers and gets to experience where he’s led them for himself. As I’m sure you know if you’ve read this far, the main focus of this series is Yoshio’s growth. Having passed thirty without working a day in his life, he learns the meaning of hard work and life itself through The Village of Fate.
I’m not trying to say that you need to become a corporate drone or live your life how other people want you to. While there’s pride and value to be found in work, it can be unpleasant, tough, and sometimes extremely difficult, for some people more than others. I hope my story can make you understand that, if only a little. In case you were curious, I wish I could just win the lottery and spend the rest of my life having fun!
Oh, right, the published version of volume three is actually very different from the web novel. If you’re here from the web novel, then I should tell you that in this version, Seika doesn’t go to the shrine for New Year’s. Yoshio and Carol take the train instead of the ferry. They have more allies, and there are some more changes and additions on top of that. Probably the biggest change is that they spend a few days at the company after arriving there. In the web novel, the company is highly mysterious, but you’ll learn much more about it in this version. They spend more time with Sewatari, of course, and ***, so look forward to it! (I’m blanking the name out in case there’s anyone who hasn’t read the story yet). This change means you’ll get to see more of Carol and Destiny, too. I tried to make their cuteness shine through as I wrote, since they’re our mascots. They were really cute, right?
I touched on this in the afterword in volume two, but I wrote this story to fit into three volumes. This will be the last volume that gets published like this. I think I did a good job of wrapping everything up, but what do you think?
To be honest with you, this series sold enough to print future volumes. I’m glad people are enjoying the manga, too, and I’m incredibly grateful—also to those who bought the digital version because of the Coronavirus (I know there were a lot of you). It actually sold a lot more than the physical version…
Because of the current circumstances, I wanted to make volume three as good as possible so that people would want to buy it. I actually ended up going back to the beginning and rewriting it. I kept the scenes and lines I liked best from the web novel, so I’d say the printed version is about seventy percent new content. There should be plenty for you to enjoy, even if you’ve already read the web version. In fact, I think it’s even better than the web version—that’s what I was aiming for.
If the third volume sells well enough, there’s a chance the series could continue, so if you like it, please tell your friends or share your thoughts online. I worked so hard on it, that I even had to ask for an extension on my deadline for the first time ever since becoming an author!
Now, since this probably will be the last volume, I’d like to say my thanks with that in mind.
First, to Namako-sensei. Thank you for your illustrations once again. Sorry for all the new characters and monsters you had to draw! I love the way you drew the monsters and Destiny, though, and I have a great time looking over them. Especially the color pages! They’re the best!
Next, to Kazuhiko Morita-sensei. The manga version is great! I’m always looking forward to the next installment, waiting to see how it’s drawn, the composition, and how the story is presented in manga form. The impactful fighting scenes and the way you can tell how the characters feel from their expressions are what blow me away most of all. I’m going to work as hard as I can so that your drawings won’t outmatch my words!
To my designers, proofreaders, printers, and my editor, N-sama. As always, you’ve done a lot for me this volume.
Thank you to everyone involved in this volume. The Coronavirus, which no one could have predicted, caused many setbacks, but thanks to everyone’s hard work, this volume made it on sale. Thank you so much.
Finally, I want to thank my readers. Whether you’re someone who’s come in at this third volume, or you’ve been around longer, thank you for sticking with me.
—HIRUKUMA