Chapter 25 - Afterword

Hiya! Nagatsuki here! Tappei here! People call me The Mouse-colored Cat!

 Thank you very much for purchasing Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-,

Volume 3! It's awesome that you've read this far, so thanks a million! Volume 3

is the last volume being published in consecutive months. I'm not sure any

brave souls out there decided to take the plunge starting with this one, but if

so, go ahead and try the others with the pretty girls on the covers. Volumes 1

and 2 should be right beside this one—and if they're not, ask the clerk to order

them!

 And if that line gets us even one more sale, the fate of the entire work could

be changed forever!

 Along with the same direct marketing as in the Volume 2 afterword, I want to

thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with our story so far.

 The first volume was the tutorial. The second was more like, "This is how the

series goes." This, the third volume, wraps up what I hope is a hearty three-

month consecutive publication schedule with the message: "This series is

interesting."

 I passed on the view of Ikemoto the editor, who wanted a safe publication

schedule to slowly grow the series, and ignored his admonition that "we're

looking at a new horizon here, an achievement never done before!" as I dashed

forward, with Otsuka-sensei the illustrator rising to the challenge of my

unreasonable requests, with Kusano the designer doing all-nighters to humor

the selfish author's selfish project goals—just kidding! The editor said, "Do it!"

Your dear author worked desperately to make it happen. Now I have sympathy

 votes! Thank you very much for buying this!

 Now, setting aside minor tales of such hard labors, the "main series" begins

with the next volume.

 The royal capital becomes the dramatic stage once more, with the world

beginning to expand from the narrow confines of the story up to the end of

Volume 3. The cast of characters will approximately double, with cute girls and

cool guys coming out of the woodwork. Otsuka-sensei looked almost dead from

the heavy character design workload, but he's all right—his face says, "I made it

because of all the messages from the readers cheering me on!"

 Of course, messages of goodwill are welcome for not just Otsuka-sensei but

also the author, Nagatsuki, too. You can even send me "I want to be an author!"

messages. You can message me on Twitter. You can comment on my blog. You

can make your own Re:ZERO fan site and spread the word. You can run for

election, take the political world by storm, and get my novels published as

textbooks for school. It's all good.

 Impressions, cheers, critiques, commentaries—anything goes. You can read

the Quick Response Code at the back of the book and talk directly to the

publisher, MF Bunko! It's all good! Bring it on!

 Since I've run out of other things to babble on about, I'll move on to

customary words of thanks.

 Ikemoto the editor, you really took good care of me. Publishing three volumes

in three months is all thanks to you. I think both of us had a change in the look

in our eyes over those three months, so I await the return of the gentle-looking

Ikemoto during the interval that now follows.

 Otsuka-sensei, thank you again for such beautiful illustrations. In particular,

your "lap pillow" illustration was E M D beyond words. I enlarged it and used it

to cover my bedroom ceiling. Thank you, thank you!

 Kusano the designer, as usual your mighty designs stand head and shoulders

above, mercilessly laughing down at my expectations. Thank you very much.

Beako is one seriously dangerous Beako.

 Volume 3 is also the product of the cooperation of many others, with their

 efforts having brought us to a successful back-to-back-to-back monthly

schedule. I think I caused you all a lot of trouble from my unfamiliarity with

various things, so thank you very much for helping me this far.

 I would be most content if you stuck with me from here on…forever.

 For that, dear readers, please stick with me…forever. Please and thank you.

 Tappei Nagatsuki, February 2014

 (Stress relief through direct marketing!)

Illustration 12

Illustration 13

"The main series is about to start, so let's preview the next volume! Isn't it a

little late for me and Emilia to be doing one?"

 "Hmm, I think we should be very grateful for being given this chance to

appear like this, just the two of us. It's kind of exhilarating."

 "No one uses exhilarating anymore…but with the back-to-back-to-back

publishing done, the next volume is a ways down the road, right? How about

we shoot the breeze?"

 "No, you have to do your work properly. The three-month publishing

schedule is done, but the Monthly Comic Alive man said… The, ah, Re:ZERO

Project will continue, yes?"

 "Re:ZERO Project, huh? The back-to-back-to-back and the Visual Complete are

done, but Monthly Comic Alive decided to serialize a short novel! Wait, it's a

comic magazine, why's it publishing short novels?"

 "It seems to be a new thing for them. Also, apparently the story involved will

take place during the time between Volume 3 and Volume 4. With the uproar at

the mansion and the village resolved, peaceful days should have returned, but

something new stirs up the mansion…so they said. It sounds like a lot of fun!"

 "The way you said that just now makes it feel more worrying than fun,

though!"

 "And from the fourth volume on is the 'episode' when the story really begins.

This is around when it made big waves in its Web novel days."

 "Emilia-tan's going one way, withdrawing from the royal selection, and I'm

going the other, riding on taking care of the demon beast mess. So when we get

back to the royal capital, we see other royal candidates face-to-face…and I get

treated like an intruder. Rough stuff!"

 "When it comes to weirdos, I don't think anyone is going to get the better of

you, Subaru…"

 "Didn't hear that, fingers in my ears. So, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another

World- is taking a little break with the next volume, due in June!"

 "Err…thank you very much for buying Volume 3. We would be very happy to

 have you with us for Volume 4 and beyond… Is that all right?"

 "E M D!"