Afterword

Hello, Hitsuji Taro here.

This time, the fourteenth volume of Akashic Records of the Bastard Magic Instructor has finally been published.

I offer my infinite gratitude to the editors, publishing staff, and to all the readers who have supported Bastard Magic Instructor.

Now, this fourteenth volume feels very much like a prelude to a new arc, doesn’t it? That country, whose name has been mentioned here and there, is finally stepping fully onto the stage. And, well, things are starting to smell awfully fishy, aren’t they!

The first part, from volumes one to five, and the second part, from volumes six to ten, were set in places relatively close to the protagonists. But starting from volume eleven, they’ve been venturing far beyond Fejite, and now it feels like the stage is expanding to the entire world. Man, the story’s getting bigger and bigger—I’m getting all pumped up! (eyes rolling back)

While writing this volume, it hit me that Sistine is, without a doubt, a splendid heroine. This time, Glenn found himself trapped in a dead-end alley with no way out. And who comes to his rescue? It’s not Rumia, who gently stays by his side with devoted support, nor Re=L, who clings to him dependently. No, it’s Sistine, who boldly grabs his hand and pulls him forward. Compared to the weak, teary-eyed girl from volumes three and four, she’s grown so much in every sense of the word. As the author, I can’t help but feel deeply moved (laughs).

And this time, a certain important character finally makes their appearance. I’d been planning to introduce them for a while, but sadly, commercial novels come with the eternal curse of page limits, and because of that, this poor character’s existence kept getting cut.

Seriously, page limits are the worst, damn it! Because of you, I’ve had to—ugh, how much suffering have I endured?! The agony of meticulously trimming line after line, shaving dozens of pages, is just excruciating! I mean, come on, there are light novels out there thick as dictionaries, so what’s the big deal?! Argh, qwertyuiopasdfghjkl;@:“”—!

Anyway, I poured my heart into writing this fourteenth volume, so I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Hitsuji Taro