v1 Afterwards

 Afterwards 

Hello, I’m Sakaki Ichirou, The author of this ranobe.  

I present to you my new work, Hitsugi no Chaika ( Chaika The Coffin Princess). It’s a sword-and-sorcery fantasy… probably.  

This work was completed with the help of many people, though saying that might make it sound like my other works were entirely my own creation from start to finish, which isn’t the case. Even normally, my works are undoubtedly shaped by the support of many, from my editor to the illustrator, proofreaders, and designers.  

But this time, in particular, I’ve shamelessly incorporated various people’s opinions and ideas regarding the concept and the content itself, so it might feel a little different from my previous works. Or maybe that’s just me thinking that (laughs).  

The whole thing started during a meeting with my editor.  

Me: "So, what should we do for the new work?"  

Editor (hereafter "Ed"): "A straightforward sword-and-sorcery fantasy."  

Me: "Hmm. How about something like this?"  

Ed: "That’s very good, but could you change this part?"  

Me: "No, if I change that, the work’s defining trait will be gone..."  

Ed: "Don’t try to be needlessly unconventional."  

Me: "Ugh... Then how about this?"  

Ed: "That’s very good, but could you change this part?"  

Me: "No, if I change that, the work’s defining trait will be gone..."  

Ed: "Don’t try to be needlessly unconventional."  

Me: "Ugh... Then how about this?"  

Ed: "That’s very good, but could you change this part? (etc.)"  

Me: "No, if I change that, (etc.)"  

...And so it went, repeated several times in a loop.  

Me: "Then what the hell do you want?!"  

Ed: "A sword-and-sorcery fantasy where the protagonist fights against a great enemy while traveling, protecting family or lovers along the way!"  

Me: "Ohhh. I feel like I’ve written something like that before!"  

Ed: "Really? Then it should be easy to write, right?"  

Me: "Then the heroine’s name will be Pacifica! And I’ll probably crank out a dozen volumes’ worth of manuscript in one night?!"  

Ed: "That’s a no!"  

Me: "Then what the— (etc.)"  

Well, something like that.  

So, after butting heads with my editor, we ended up with things like "a protagonist party of one guy and two girls," "a travel story," and other elements that felt like a return to basics which was good. But on the flip side, I also found myself stumbling a lot, being pulled in different directions by my past works. The pressure to "return to form" and the pressure to "create something new" ended up weirdly tripping each other up.  

As a result, I kept coming up with all sorts of little ideas, only to have them shot down by my editor every single day.  

Even the heroine’s name got rejected for not being cute enough.  

I mean, I wanted her to have a vaguely Russian-sounding name due to her backstory, but most of the cute Russian names are already taken by famous characters—Anya, Sasha, Kudryavka, etc. I could have just gone ahead and used them anyway, but if I wrote something like "Kudryavka," people would immediately have a fixed image in mind, you know?  

So after agonizing over it, I ended up asking Russian experts Tomonaga Hirofumi and Hayamizu Rasenjin, "Would a name like this work in Russian?"  

The title also got rejected repeatedly, and after much fretting, I tearfully consulted a few acquaintances. That’s when Shūsuke Amagi suggested, "How about writing it as *Hitsugi no* (棺姫, 'Coffin Princess') but reading it as 'Chaika'?" So I gratefully took that.  

Well, thanks to everyone’s warm support (though I could phrase that better, huh?), this work came to be. It’s not like I didn’t do any work at all! Believe me please!  

I’ve fleshed out a lot of the setting in the background, but whether I’ll be able to continue writing stories that delve into those aspects depends entirely on whether people enjoy reading them.  

Since I approached this project differently from the very beginning, I honestly can’t predict how it’ll turn out. Well, if you’re thinking, "You never can, though," then I’ve got nothing to say to that.  

I’d be happy if many readers find it interesting and want to see more.  

And hey, with Namaniku ATK’s illustrations being absolutely stunning (including the early concept art that didn’t make it to print), you could even think of this as a mini art book with a story attached (laughs).  

Well then,  

I hope we’ll meet again in the next volume.  

2010/11/13

Translator's Note:

Azakami : Translating this volume was a lot of fun! I might share this on my blog since I can’t afford a dedicated website. Some chapters, like the Illustrations or Afterword, may or may not be posted on Novel Updates, as most readers discover this translation through that platform. You might wonder why the Afterword was translated before some chapters and yeah it’s because I translate sections slowly in parts to keep up with my schedule, then upload them later on.  

To ensure consistency, I frequently cross-checked the Wiki, Fandom pages, and official manga translations. Thank you all for reading! I hope this doesn’t get taken down by a DMCA notice. Please support the author by purchasing the book!  as I said before that I don’t earn anything from these translations and I do this purely out of love for the series. I’ll admit I used machine translation (MTL) at times, despite not being a fan of it, more like I hate it. With my elementary-level Japanese, MTL helps me stay closer to the original text. Going fully human-translated would take me ages, so this is also my way of practicing Japanese?  

Thanks again for reading! Let’s meet again in Volume 2! And I am sorry that I am really slow!