Log Horizon - Volume 11 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD 
It’s been forever and a half. This is Mamare Touno. 
I kept you waiting an extraordinarily long time regarding this matter, and the schedule this time is a bit like turning in my summer vacation homework after winter break. I’m sorry. On top of that, you could call it a highly intelligent maneuver in that, by turning in the summer vacation homework in a cardboard box, I’m glossing over the fact that I haven’t turned in my homework for winter break. Although that will be noticed… 
All right: Thank you for buying Log Horizon 11: Krusty, Tycoon Lord. This time, we left Shiroe’s team, and the charming typhoon queen Kanami’s team made an appearance. Since they’re on a different team from the main characters, the title of the Japanese version is in katakana. I took a shot at depicting the meeting between Krusty, who was flung to the Eured continent, and the fairy knight Elias, and their journey. 
Well, in an attempt to emulate the peripatetic overseas team, I also went traveling. In fact, I’ve visited all three of Japan’s greatest gardens. Next I thought I’d try visiting Japan’s three biggest caves. One of the reasons behind this was that I just happened to stop by Akiyoshido Cave, and it was really fun and interesting, and since I’m writing stories with dungeons in them, I’d been thinking I wanted some photos for reference. One other thing that was pushing me forward is that, at this point in time, I’d cleared Akiyoshido Cave, one of the big three, so I just had two left. Two locations remaining on a domestic trip: That’s easy, right? 
…Or so I thought. This is the sort of thing I really should have picked up on before I went, but as a rule, gardens are generally cultivated in human residential areas, so all three of the greatest gardens are in cities. That makes them destinations that are easy on soft, newbie travelers. In contrast, caves are natural features, and their characteristics mean they’re found in the mountains. 
My ragtag band of volunteers and I underestimated that fact. On a sightseeing road in the mountains, fire trucks kept whizzing past us, and as we were puzzling over that—“?” “???”—it turned out that there was a car accident and fire in the tunnel we were planning to go through. Naturally, it was closed to traffic. 
We were shown to the old road, which had been blocked off and hadn’t been used recently, and it was twistier than a poor attempt at a roller coaster. Not only that, but it was a dangerous journey: One third of the width of the road on each side was covered in fallen leaves, which made it slippery, and on top of that, there were areas where the guardrails just vanished. What the heck? 
It was a spectacle that made it feel like we were traveling through Central Asian countries whose names end in -stan. Never underestimate domestic Japan! 
The actual cave was wonderful, like something straight out of a fantasy. Although it was cold. As I wrote Volume 11, I was imagining that Mount Lang Jun was probably about like that. 
Sometimes people ask me what it feels like to write a long, serialized novel. I think the most accurate answer is probably “Like the cleanup after I pull something boneheaded.” Because I went and wrote random nonsense in the story, I keep having to work to make things make sense after the fact. 

I confess that when I first put Krusty in, I entertained myself by making him a super-cool character. However, he was immediately too much for me to handle, and I ended up verbally smacking myself upside the head: “If a guy like this is in Akiba, he’ll solve all the crises that are going to hit the town later all by himself!” The result was this great expedition to the China-like continent. I don’t really understand novels. In that sense, I’m also startled that he met up with the Kanami side of things, which began with the idea “A three-part story sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Yes, very good. I’ll write a side-story trilogy!” 
Still, no matter what the trigger was, they were together for a volume. That meant the writer learned about Krusty’s personality and the particulars of his past, too. His character had quite a bit of his background right from the beginning, so that was according to plan, but he’s probably more of a lazy guy who finds most things to be a pain in the neck—and, in a sense, a coward—than he says he is in the book. His basic performance is far higher than Raynesia’s, and as a result, he can do anything, so he’s just a show-off and a poor loser, and because he’s Haruaki, he’s not the least bit cute. Even I’m half-disgusted, thinking, I just can’t deal with this guy and half sighing: Break your glasses already. 
I might have—at my age—written my first Gary Stu. Is that really true? It doesn’t feel quite right, but… 
In this book, that bespectacled superhuman Olympic Krusty was probably reborn. He’s headed for the main Genius-collector base on the moon. That will most likely also be the site of the main story’s final showdown. 
This time as well, the items listed on the character status screens at the beginning of each chapter were collected on Twitter in May 2016. I used items from @_6361744744842, @aoapple, @dharma0430, @hige_mg, @hot_mintjam, @houden_noyuki, @hpsuke, @iron007dd22, @kazamasa504, @kkkjhl, @makiwasabi, @Meer_1010, @nyohru, @ookinaGU_, and @sato_shogouki. I can’t list all your names here, but I’m grateful to everyone who submitted entries. We got tons and tons of ideas this time, too! Thank you very much!! This time really was a “Break your glasses” sort of story, so the responses were loaded with loathing and affection. Hua Diao is its sole saving grace. 
For details, and for the latest news, visit http://tounomamare.com. You’ll find information about Mamare Touno that isn’t Log Horizon–related in the blog Mamare Wednesday, which is updated every Wednesday. 
Come to think of it, there’s a simultaneous TRPG book release this time: The Log Horizon TRPG Expansion Rulebook: Create A World That’s All Your Own!! If that sounds interesting, do take a look. 
And then, and then: When Volume 11 is released, the smartphone game Log Horizon: A New Land of Adventure, which is being expanded by GREE, Mobage, and dGame, will turn three years old. That’s a very long life, and it’s thanks to all of you! Please keep giving it your support. 
And finally: Shoji Masuda, who produces the series; the illustrator, Kazuhiro Hara (Hua Diao is so cute!); the designer, Ms. Kiribatake from next door design; little F?ta and Nagashio of the editorial department! Oha, who helped me out again this time! Thank you to Tosho Printing! As I’m writing this, there’s a big earthquake in Taiwan in the news, and an incredible amount of snow in the Hokuriku region. I have friends in both places, and I’m worried. I hope the people there are safe. 
In any case, now all that’s left is for you to savor this book. Bon appetit! 
Mamare “People say in springtime you sleep like a log, but I can sleep sixteen hours even in winter” Touno