Afterword
THANK YOU SO MUCH for purchasing a copy of this novel! It’s because of all of you that this series has reached its third volume!
When I first started working on the ZERO series, I remember asking my editor, “I think it’s going to be two volumes, so can I release a part one and part two?” However, around the time I finished working on Volume 1, I had a feeling that I might not be done in two parts and ended up going with numbered volumes. Thankfully, that turned out to be the correct decision.
You may have sensed it while reading, but I feel like there’s much more to explore, so the story will continue in Volume 4. I apologize if it seemed like this one ended on a cliff-hanger, but I’m taking some time to thoughtfully develop the next part of the story. I hope you’ll stick around for the continuation!!
Speaking of this volume, chibi has once again provided some amazing illustrations! Both the cover and insert illustrations are so stunning that just looking at them gets me all fired up. Thank you so much, chibi, for your fabulous work!
The other day I had the chance to meet with employees of the publishing company. It was a valuable opportunity to spend time with and get to know not only the novel’s editor but also the comic book team and sales representatives. It struck home just how important it is to meet with people face-to-face. I was reminded of how much fun it is to work with a large team to create something together and was truly impressed by everyone’s high level of dedication and ambition.
It made me reflect on my tendency to think things like “Ack… I might miss my deadline, but I’m not sure how engaging the next part of the story will be, so I need to spend a bit more time figuring it out. (Still, it’s not like anything’s going to come to me if I just stay cooped up in my room, so I think I’ll go catch a movie for a change of pace.)” I decided to at least try and cut back on the part in the parentheses…
This series has come to fruition thanks to many people. And as mentioned in a previous volume, a popularity poll was held for this work. The poll featured characters from both A Tale of the Secret Saint and A Tale of the Secret Saint ZERO. In an impressive feat, Sirius surpassed even the main series characters to claim first place!! Incredible, huh?!
Despite the short voting period of just half a month, we received a remarkable 4,633 votes. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who participated! Also, I really appreciated all the comments and requests for stories that were sent in!!
The response was so amazing that I wrote short stories featuring the top five ZERO characters in the poll based on your comments and requests. I hope you enjoy them!
Lastly, thank you so much for sticking with me until the end. I really appreciate everyone who helped bring this story to life and everyone who took the time to read it. I struggled a bit with my writing progress this time, but I still enjoyed the novel creation process! (I tend to wipe the tough parts from my mind.)
I hope you’re all excited for what’s coming next!