My name is Rebecca Sharlahart.
BOOK WALKER has given us a special opportunity to provide this exclusive additional chapter, simultaneously in English and Japanese.
And this totally happened because of my underappreciated efforts!
Huh? Did you just ask if I've appeared anywhere before?
You bet I have! In both Volume One and Volume Two! But only briefly...
And I didn't even get an illustration!
This exclusive chapter is actually being released with the English edition of the novels, so its content is based on events in the series up through Volume Two.
That's right...
I start appearing regularly from Volume Three.
So I thought I would try to earn the honor by popping up here!!
But, putting that aside for a moment...
Tha main story of Combat Baker is all about a bakery, so it introduced many different kinds of bread.
For example, anpan, which was a paste of sweet bread boiled beans inside, was baked in the beginning of Volume One, and pineapple bread was created midway through that novel.
And, um... this is a good time to tell you that anpan actually exists, but pineapple bread doesn't.
However, in Japan, there is a type of bread called melon bread.
Sven Avei gave Lud's pineapple bread its name because the crosshatch pattern on melon bread resembles the fruit, and it was assumed Japanese readers would understand without any explanation.
We didn't expect the novel to be translated into another language, and this turned out to be difficult for foreign readers to understand.
Rice is the primary staple food in Japan, but people loved bread too.
In the morning, long lines of customers form in front of popular bakeries.
Melon bread is one of the favorite breads, and you can even buy it from mobile bread stands.
In Western countries, people commonly eat bread with something on top, or sandwiching something inside.
In Japan, rice balls are stuffed with different ingredients.
Maybe that's why the most popular way of eating bread is by enclosing ingredients inside.
The anpan in the first story is one such a bread.
Other breads include jam bread that has jam inside, and cream bread with custard cream inside.
There's also curry bread with curry roux inside.
Originally, melon bread didn't have any cantaloupe in it, but in recent years, people have included real melon juice. It's pretty confusing, huh?
There's also bread called uguisu bread. Uguisu refers to a bird known as the Japanese bush warbler. But don't worry, there's no bird meat inside!
We call these breads sweet buns or delicatessen breads.
If you ever have the chance to visit Japan. I hope you'll enjoy this aspect of the country.
Did you know that it was a samurai who first made anpan?
He was actually a former samurai, who was leading a completely different life with the changing times, Lud Langart, the main character of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress, was partially based on the samurai.
However, that historical samurai didn't have as tumultuous past as the main character of these novels.
Well, it's about time to wrap this up.
I do wish it were possible for you to see me.
So, look for me in Zaza's illustration at the front of Volume 3#and even in the cover illustration!
I'm destined for great things!
It's almost as if I'll take Sven... Sven Avei's place!
I basically already have. Everything up through Volume Two was just a sort of prologue.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that I'm the true heroine.
So... ladies and gentlemen who have read these novels... make known your desire to read Volume Three and request more volumes!
I'm counting on you!
Now it's time to say good-bye.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope to see you someday and somewhere!
This is Rebecca Sharlahart... signing off.