No Game No Life - Volume 11 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD

“…We should probably get this out of the way first. Let’s hear your justification for the three-year hiatus.”

Kamiya saw his new editor, O, smiling back at him through the computer screen.

In that moment, he was secretly grateful for the times we live in.

After all, there was no danger of his editor wringing his neck in a virtual meeting!!

So, utterly unfazed—Kamiya simply put on a troubled expression as he answered.

“Well, see, sometimes Tet really takes his sweet time with his manuscripts. My hands are tied here.”

“Right… I’m not quite sure I follow. Could you please elaborate?”

Kamiya nodded sagely and proceeded to explain himself to his still-smiling editor.

“You know how there’s an ongoing debate as to whether it’s okay to use foreign idioms and expressions—or words like karma that refer to real-life history and religion—within a fantasy context?”

“Yes, I’m well aware.”

“Basically, in my case—I’m adapting Tet’s material, so it’s all right for me to use real-world jargon.”

“…Go on.”

The editor leaned in, interested in what Kamiya had to say.

“As portrayed on multiple occasions throughout the series—Tet is the author of No Game No Life,” Kamiya continued mirthfully. “It’s the literal word of God, a myth. All I do is translate that into Japanese. So if someone says it’s weird to use real-world jargon in a fantasy setting, then they have more of an issue with language itself. Don’t get me wrong; the original manuscript is written in Tet’s language. It’s my job to translate that into modern Japanese so that readers will understand the various nuances that arise. Just take a look at Jibril’s tendency to borrow words from English. And in the English translation, she uses French.”

“I see. You may have a point there.”

 To be honest, this spiel is nothing new.

It’s essentially the same thing the granddaddy of high-fantasy works said when he penned a certain tale about a ring. Kamiya decided not to mention that tidbit and brazenly continued!

“I can’t get you your manuscript if Tet doesn’t give me mine. You wanna know the reason he took three years on this one? I haven’t got a clue. We’ll have to ask him. I bet he was gaming or something!”

Kamiya laid out the perfect excuse for his editor, who answered with the same unflinching smile.

“All right, then. So you won’t have any problem with me sending the royalties for this book to Tet?”

“Uh.”

“The same goes for the previous volumes. If you’ve been translating the manuscripts for us this entire time, then we’ll have to make some changes to our contract…”

“Um, about that…”

“I’ll have to double-check with legal, but we may also have been overpaying you, in which case—”

Hello, everyone! It’s the author who’s kept you waiting for three and a half years—Yuu Kamiya!! I am truly, deeply sorry for the long wait for this volume. I’m also incredibly grateful for the readers who were willing to hold out.

“So what was the real reason you took so long this time?”

Yes, allow me to set the record straight with my new editor, O.

You see… If I write out my entire excuse, it’ll end up too long to be anything of interest. So I’ll just leave it at “I really let myself go.” To put it in the vaguest terms possible…

Have you ever heard the phrase “Anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”?

“I have, sure. It’s fairly common.”

Indeed. It’s clear and easy to understand—succinct, to the point.

However, I think it might be too straightforward—it’s worth more thought than just taking it at face value.

For example…

…if you leave a scratch untreated, it could potentially turn into a life-threatening festering wound. That sort of thing.

Just because something doesn’t flat-out kill you doesn’t mean you should work right through it.

It should be “What doesn’t kill you eventually heals.” You gotta treat whatever isn’t killing you, right? Right?!

The human body simply isn’t fit to go beyond its limits.

It’s just as the great Nietzsche once said: The mind is but a slave to the flesh!! A broken body is a broken vessel for the mind; it’s only a matter of time before the latter breaks as well…

When it gets to that point, that’s when you start wondering why you’re so bad at life.

 Why? Uh…because you let yourself go?

You’re so broken that you can’t even recognize that yourself. What are you, stupid?

For those of you out there who don’t wish to be treated like an idiot by a medical professional, please, please take care of yourselves.

It’s very important to recover from whatever failed to kill you!

There’s no greater resource than your own health!

Which brings us to what happened to me. Basically, I’d expended every bit of that resource and ended up destitute—or…more like I’d accrued so much debt that it took me several years to pay back what I owed!

And now I can finally see a day on the horizon where I’m debt free!!

“Aaalll righty then! Why don’t we talk about something a bit more lighthearted?!”

Sounds good to me!! I love lighthearted conversations!! Bring ’em on!

“I’m actually a big No Game No Life fan. It was my dream to be your editor when I first joined this publishing company! You have no idea how happy it made me to get this job. It brings a tear to my eye seeing my name in your books!!”

…,

……Oh. Huh… Thanks. Much obliged…

“Wh-what? Why are you so standoffish all of a sudden?!”

I mean… In my experience, whenever an editor shills compliments like that, it’s only because they want something. You know, kinda like how the Italian Mafia sends someone a gift before they whack ’em.

I can already hear the next words that’ll come out of your mouth: “So when’s the next volume coming?”

“…I can’t begin to imagine the struggles you’ve been through. And I was just trying to keep the conversation lighthearted.”

 Wait. So you really meant what you said to me just now?

“Of course! I’ve been a fan ever since I was in college. They made a huge impact on me, even now.”

Y-you really are serious!!

Congratulations—and thank you!! It makes me so happy to hear you—

 Hold on. Did you say college?

“Yes, I did. Is something wrong?”

No, uh… So how long have you been working for this publisher…?

“Oh, about eight years, give or take.”

 Come again? So you read my books in college…and now…you’re my editor…?

Hmm? I’m having a hard time figuring out the math here.

“What’s there to be confused about? This is No Game No Life’s ten-year anniversary, after all.”

 HUHWHAAAAT? T-T-T-TEN YEARS? I’ve been writing this series for a decade?!

And—and—in those ten years I’ve only written twelve volumes, if you include Practical War Game?!

But wait—that also means I’ve aged ten years since I wrote the first volume!!

Then Shiro’s already legal by now!!

THERE’S NOTHING LIGHTHEARTED ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION AT ALL!!

“So! The series has reached its tenth year, the story is approaching its climax, and we’re about to introduce a new manga adaptation!! As your editor, I’m looking forward to getting your fans excited for what’s to come! And as a fan myself, I’m already excited to see what’s in store! Please get the next book finished so I can read it!!”

There it is!! I knew you’d start asking for the next volume!!

I mean, yeah, I’m gonna write it! I’ll write it without damaging the temple that is my body!

And of course I’ll ask the readers to look forward to the next installment! See you all again!!

But man, ten years…? Seriously…?