The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 5 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Hi, everyone, long time no see. Honobonoru500 here. Thanks for picking up a copy of The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash, Volume 5. You all helped make this possible. Nama-sama, thank you for the beautiful illustrations of a slightly grown-up Ivy. I just love the vibes from everyone on the front cover. Also, get this: Weakest Tamer, Volume 4 is getting a second edition! Thank you all, seriously. I received word on the second edition while I was writing this very afterword, so I’m still stunned from the news. I’m also quite flattered that they decided to do the reprint only a month after it went on sale.

For Volume 5, I wanted to focus on deepening Ivy’s relationship with Druid. I struggled with that, though, since their relationship was already in a good place by the end of Volume 4. My goal was to show a glowing new dad, giddy about his first year with his daughter. I wanted him to try to show a little restraint, since he wasn’t her real father, but make him unable to hide his joy…and somehow, he wound up being a dad who loves playing dress-up with his daughter.

Also, since Volumes 1-4 had gotten a bit heavier than I ­intended, I wanted to lighten up the story a bit this time…yet, for some reason, things got heavy again! Every time I sit down to write this story, things never seem to go in the direction I originally planned. One thing I was satisfied about, though, was that I finally found a way to work a summoning circle into the story. I really struggled with where to introduce that.

Another thing I’m proud of with Volume 5 is finally writing about how hard it is to be a guild master and a captain of the watch. Then again, that’s what made the story take a heavy turn… Believe me, I really did intend to keep things lighter this time, but when I started fitting all the pieces together, I got a bit carried away. And before I knew it, the guild master and captain of the watch were much more gloomy than I’d intended. I’m really glad I was able to resolve their little character arcs.

Thank you, once again, to everyone at TO Books for your help. To my editor K-sama, thank you as always. Every single one of you, thank you with all of my heart for making Volume 5’s publication possible. And thank you in advance for your continuing support.

Lastly, to those of you who read this book, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also, I have some exciting news: Volume 6 will go on sale soon! I hope you’ll check it out, and take a look at the manga version, too. May we meet again in this “Isekai’ed into a world…where proper waste disposal rules!” light novel and manga series.

HONOBONORU500

MAY 2021