Rakuin no Monshou

Volume 1, Afterword

Hello everyone - Tomonori Sugihara here.

I brought out a new work after a year, but I was surprised by my own writing. Has it been a year already? Wow, that went by fast.

My previous work ‘Legion’ was a story about human emotions and a ruined world. It felt like the story itself was a huge barrier for me and there’s no mistaking it that it took me a lot of energy. So, every time after I proofread the manuscript before mailing it over, I remember falling back on my bed and looking up in despair.

“Man, this sucks. Damn it!”

I didn’t want to write such a story ever again.

I didn’t want any more clashes in the world of human emotions. There are already too many bittersweet romance novels like that. I’m sorry if I’m generalizing my own work like this, but I wanted something different than ‘childhood friends unable to express their feelings’, because there’s enough of that in the real world...

I realize that I’m not giving my previous work any good publicity right now, so please don’t misunderstand - I’d love for you to read it - but in the end, I wanted to do something completely different for my next work, eagerly hoping that I’d succeed.

“After reading this, let’s just make a more uplifting story.”

“There’s no teenage conflict this time.”

“This character is far too personal, let’s liven things up a bit!”

“These bloody developments and these dark settings - I’d better leave them out.”

“Ohh, I’m getting a little motivated!”

“All right, let’s write a plot with this vigour!”

Well... the book you’re holding your hands right now is the result of all these many twists and turns.

Eh?

Twists and turns you say?

Really, I feel like grabbing this author by the neck and throw him about a bit - he doesn’t even know what he wants!

Honestly (and now I’m entering serious mode), ‘Legion’ became a story about the heart, while this tale is a story about the flesh.

As in my previous work, the protagonist will be troubled by hardships and conflict, and he’ll strengthen his body to cut through it all, wield his sword, and use the knowledge gained by all of these experiences.

Experience of battle, intrigue, and love - what will this boy turned sword-slave gain, and what will he lose?

Personally, I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen in this tale.

-- Tomonori Sugihara