Afterword

I’m digressing, but I believe that eyes are called eyeholes because tears flow out from them.

Hello, readers. And sorry. I’m currently kneeling down on both of my knees while writing this afterword. This isn’t a psychological figure of speech, but I’m actually physically kneeling. I’m typing this while kneeling.

Coincidentally, as my computer monitor is at the perfect height on my desk to apologize, and if you consider the fact that half of my life is spent on the computer, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that half of my life was born at a height for apologizing. I’m sorry······. My manuscript was excessively, extremely late.

While expressing my gratitude to cocorip, the illustrator of 〈Dungeon Defense〉, as per usual, I wish to also write my apology here. By periodically finishing my work and sending the manuscript, the illustrator will be able to draw each scene while taking their time, but I believe that this time around, it must have been incredibly difficult to work on the illustrations because of me. I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll resolve myself more.

So, along with my apology, I will also be speaking sincerely to you, my readers. In this volume 5 as well, cocorip’s illustrations have proven their specialty most satisfactorily. Please go back to the beginning of the book and look at the color illustrations once more. There is a sea that is exquisitely dyed in purple. Moreover, Humbaba is there looking this way while skipping around.

Is it not beautiful?

Furthermore, sitting on the right, marvel at Lapis Lazuli who is collapsed on the surface of the water, appearing as if she were drenched in water ever since the moment she was born.

Is it not beautiful?

In addition, behold Laura De Farnese who is sitting in a defenseless state while brushing her bang behind her ear, with a gaze that appears as if she wouldn’t go out of her way to block anyone who approaches her in a defenseless state, but wouldn’t particularly be interested in them either.

Is it not beautiful?

Additionally, although there’s a male standing in the center with some bath towel wrapped around his neck, please just ignore this child. I wonder what the significance of this child’s existence is. I don’t understand. For starters, the fact that he isn’t a beautiful girl makes this unknown man’s value drop by 90%. I’m saying this with the utmost sincerity.

Thank you to cocorip who drew beautiful illustrations this time as well.

Editor.

I’ve committed a grave sin······.

Editor, I thought that if I left land and went to an island, of course, due to its political and diplomatic characteristics this peninsula actually isn’t a peninsula and is no different to an island, in any case, if I went to a smaller island than that, to be exact, I thought that my manuscript would become better if I wrote it at Jeju Island. But because nothing came out even then, I thought that if I went into a Buddhist temple, the Beomeosa Temple of Busan, even though I tried to write while doing a temple stay for the first time in my life, even though I had done the 108 bows for the first time in my life, this, because I still couldn’t write despite having done all this······. I’ve committed a grave sin. I’m sorry.

I believe that you readers may be unfamiliar with how important of a position editors hold. However, for 〈Dungeon Defense〉, especially this volume 5, this was a volume for which the hard work of the editor was absolutely necessary. Every direction has their own respective intentions. If the editor edits something while not knowing what my intentions are, then the direction immediately loses its life force. Not only the direction, but the black and white illustrations and the positioning of the lines are the same as well.

If you readers enjoyed volume 5, then know that the editor’s touch was in that hard work. People often refer to their editors as cocreators. I can say without any pretense that I’m a happy author for being able to work together with an editor who I can refer to as a ‘cocreator’. I shall do my best to write my next manuscript better. I give my thanks to my editor and Youngsang Publishing Media, Inc.

Finally, to my readers.

I’m sorry. I had promised in volume 4 that I would present to everyone a manuscript as soon as possible. I was unable to keep my promise. After a long period of time, I was finally able to barely prepare this single book during this season where autumn is approaching Chuseok. Once again, I apologize.

Excluding volume 1, in 〈Dungeon Defense〉, I’ve been trying to put in a subject that’s meaningful to me in each volume. Additionally, I try to sculpt that subject into an interesting story. There has never been a time where I had contemplated about what I could possibly talk about and how I could make it into a story more than I did while working on this volume. I wonder if I had finished this manuscript excessively hurriedly because I was being chased by that thought and I blame myself for it.

In 〈Dungeon Defense〉 I confidently act out scenes and write lines. My confidence comes solely from the cheers of you, my readers. Thanks to those of you who had sent me an email letter. Thanks to those of you who had written down their appreciation and sent it to me. Before being thankful for the contents of the letters, I’m thankful for the fact that you all are still writing letters to someone, and the fact that that someone could be me. I felt so sinful for not being able to finish my manuscript for half a year, so there were many letters which I could not respond to. I ran away because I was ashamed. Since I was now able to barely release this volume, I will be reading all of the letters I had pushed aside and be responding to them.

Not only the letters, but the very act of you all reading these very words is the same as you cheering me on. I wonder how this volume was to you all. There is something I challenge myself to do each volume, but if that challenge was projected well in your eyes, then there is nothing more that I could hope for. While imagining that this book, which I had sent out into the world, is placed in all sorts of rooms, I shall give my thanks to you, my readers, once more.

Thank you.