Volume 1Afterword

Allow me to say hello for the very first time, everyone. My name is Yū Moroboshi, recipient of the Gold Award in the 24th Late Fantasia Prize.

Thank you very much for picking up this humble book of mine.

First, allow me to briefly introduce my background as an author.

I was born in the Heisei era. It wasn’t until I moved to Tokyo and enrolled in university that I bought a personal computer for the very first time in my life and started writing stories in a word processor. Up until then, I didn’t even have an internet connection at home, and since I was perpetually broke, my student life consisted of working one part-time job after another around the clock. I am by no means a cultured intellectual—just one of the countless ordinary mortals (bonjin) you can find anywhere on the street.

Which brings me to my conclusion—the fact that an author like me managed to win this award came down overwhelmingly to sheer luck.

There is an old saying that luck is part of one’s true ability, and in my case, I genuinely believe I never could have won this prize without a massive stroke of good fortune.

Precisely for that reason, now that I have seized this chance at a life as an author, I intend to see it through until the day I die.

Even if this series gets axed after a single volume, I want to keep making my living in this industry for the rest of my life.

Because as long as you refuse to give up, sooner or later, luck is bound to smile on you…

Next, a few words about this work. The Sky Wizards Academy (Kūsen Madōshi Kōhosei no Kyōkan) underwent considerable revisions from the original manuscript submitted for the prize. It belongs to what you might call the “fighting serious battles while raising cute girls—w-what do I do?!” genre. And if you’re wondering which part has me saying “what do I do?!”—it’s the author himself panicking over “what do I do with the plot from here on out?!”

W-Well, it’ll work out somehow, right…?!

As long as I pour everything I’ve got into working hard, things will fall into place somehow… probably.

In fact, at this very moment, I am swamped with work drafting the plot outline for Volume 2 as well as writing a short story for Dragon Magazine. Writing an afterword for the first time in my life, writing a sequel volume for the first time—literally everything I’m doing is a brand-new experience, and while my days are hectic, they are wonderfully fulfilling.

If you are interested, please check out the September issue of Dragon Magazine (on sale July 20, 2013), which features a short story cranked up to eleven on the comedy front.

Additionally, we expect to deliver Volume 2 into everyone’s hands before the end of this year, so if you enjoyed this book, I hope you will pick up the next volume as well.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who helped bring this book into the world.

First and foremost, to my editor, Mr. N. The only reason this book was able to see the light of day is thanks to your tireless dedication. Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for patiently putting up with a clueless fool who sends emails at midnight—and for replying to them minutes later—and who even calls you on the phone at midnight. Thanks to you, we managed to publish this volume safely.

Next, to the selection committee judges who evaluated my manuscript, the Editor-in-Chief, everyone involved in production, distribution, and publishing, and to Mikihiro Amami-shi, who drew such wonderful, heartfelt illustrations. I am deeply ashamed that, in my lack of proper manners, I failed to express my gratitude adequately at first. Every single night before I go to sleep, I face toward central Tokyo and beam telepathic waves of heartfelt gratitude your way—have they been coming through, I wonder?

If they have reached you, please send me an email. I genuinely have zero friends, so please take me out somewhere to hang out. And while you’re at it, please give me more work. My bank account is starting to look dangerously grim (sweat).

And last of all, to all of you readers.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for picking up this book. May good fortune bless everyone who purchased this volume.

For all my complaints, in a sense, this author really is a lucky guy. Despite having zero looks, personality, or money to speak of, I’ve managed to stay alive and kicking right up to today. Simply being alive is a stroke of luck in itself, isn’t it? After all, it gave me the chance to meet all of you through these pages.

Looking forward with all my heart to meeting everyone again in Volume 2 later this year, I shall bring the curtain down on Volume 1 here. Thank you all so very much for reading to the very end!