Thank you for choosing to pick up the fourth volume of The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! I am the author, Almond. As those of you who have finished reading have surely surmised, this is the final volume of the series.
Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your support! I could not have brought this series to completion without you.
To be utterly and perfectly honest, when it came to this series, I had always feared the swing of that mighty axe. When I saw (guesstimated) the sales figures of volume two, I was like, “Welp, this is it.” So imagine my surprise when I got the go-ahead to write more. Earth Star, you are the best and I love you. You even gave me a manga adaptation, which is more than I deserve (helmed by the great Yona Etou-sensei at that!). The art is immaculate, the story is easy to digest and adapted perfectly... Seriously, I could not have asked for a better mangaka with a greater sense of what works in the medium and what doesn’t—it’s incredible. If you haven’t read the manga yet, certain parts are streamed for free, so what are you waiting for? Check it out! You’d be doing yourself a favor, I promise!
Now, I’d like to share what is perhaps the biggest behind-the-scenes tidbit about this series:
I struggled with how to handle Flora’s story arc until the very end.
I thought maybe that she should face her fate in some kind of brutal, satisfying moment of comeuppance. But then I thought, given the general vibe of this series and Carolina’s personality...did that really work? Maybe something that ends with a redemption arc would be better? I wrestled with the question over and over again until my stomach hurt: what was the story I wanted to tell about these two sisters?
Even now, with the manuscript done and dusted, I sometimes have doubts I made the right choice. But then I just look at Yoshiro Ambe’s illustrations, Yona Etou-sensei’s version of the story, and that makes me think, “Yeah, every single character in this story deserves to be happy and get along.” (The power of pictures, I tip my hat to thee.)
Sorry for getting off topic. That was all I had for behind-the-scenes talk.
Also, there are quite a few side stories in this volume! They’re mainly epilogues about what happens to the characters after the story. If you want to learn about how they all got on, definitely check out the side stories at the end of this volume and the special edition ones too. Everyone does quite well in the end, so if you want to feel warm and fuzzy inside, go give them a read!
Lastly, but certainly not least, acknowledgments.
To my supportive dad, my outwardly cool but inwardly doting brother, and all my writing friends—thank you all so much, as always.
A special thanks to the illustrator of the series, Yoshiro Ambe. I always have too much to say about the characters, and you put up with me far more than I deserve—thank you.
To my editor, who supported me from the very beginning when I was just a newbie writer—your guidance has been invaluable. And to everyone else involved in the production of this book, I am deeply grateful to you all for your hard work and dedication.
Finally, to you, the reader—thank you for coming along on this journey with me, and for sticking through it until the very end. Your support is what makes it all worthwhile.
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.