Ch.BONUSAfterword

# Afterword

The story has concluded.

Actually, until a few days ago, I thought I would feel relieved or happy when it ended, but now that I’m writing this afterword, I feel rather strange.

“How the War God’s Retainer Lives” began on January 16, 2025. By the time this afterword is posted, it will be June 18, making it a work that spanned 5 months. It’s a period that might seem long or short depending on perspective… but to me, it felt long. Perhaps because it was my first work, but first, I should express my gratitude.

Thank you so much.

This work made it this far entirely thanks to you readers. Whether you’ve been reading from the beginning or joined along the way, thank you all. To those who left comments, pressed the recommend button, added it to your favorites, or simply read it… truly, thank you so much.

Rex’s journey ends here. Some of you may be satisfied with the ending, while others might be disappointed… if you are disappointed, I apologize. I wanted to satisfy all readers, but my abilities were lacking. Please throw stones at this foolish author.

Just kidding. Getting hit with stones can kill a person. But still!!! If you write in the comments about the parts that disappointed you, I promise to read them carefully and return with a more entertaining and improved work next time.

I always read every comment. Not just once, but twice, maybe even three times or more.

Anyway, this concludes the afterword. Thank you for reading my novel until now. Everything below is just unnecessary rambling, so feel free to skip it.

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First of all, this work began spontaneously. I usually just wrote a bunch of prologues, but when I heard that Nopia was holding a “Please Pick Me” event, I casually thought, “Why don’t I give it a try?” and started writing.

Naturally, I hadn’t planned any settings or endings. I had only roughly thought out up to Chapter 13, the childhood arc, which I still pat myself on the back for writing well, when suddenly my work was selected as a PD Pick. Seeing the graph shooting through the roof like a drill from that certain anime, I decided to write it through to the end.

Oh, despite how I’m expressing it, once I started writing, I was always sincere about my work. Please understand that I was fully committed… Anyway, the setting of the Sacred Awakeners was hastily conceived at that time.

It would have been more convenient if I had used common settings like mana or aura, but I wanted to create something that seemed plausible, which was quite ambitious. In truth, Sacred Flame is just sword energy, and Radiance is just protective martial energy. Even the Apostle’s Divine Release is just another cliché. Still, I tried to express somewhat original settings, but it didn’t turn out as I wanted. That’s another regret.

Another regret is that in creating new settings, I lost track of the power balance. As a result, Rex approached world-strongest level too quickly, and I couldn’t send appropriate opponents against him. I often wonder if I should have subdivided the levels of mastery more.

As I write this, more regrets keep coming to mind. Like how the build-up before the exciting parts was too slow, or how the plot development was bland…. I don’t want to console myself by saying it was my first work. I’m always aiming for the top. It sounds like middle school syndrome, but it’s true.

Regarding the heroines:

Both Elin and Chloe were heroines I came up with spontaneously. Still, I gave them their own narratives. I had been planning the Albheim arc since I first introduced Elin, which was in Chapter 20, so I had been planning it about 100 chapters in advance.

A protagonist who rescues a heroine from an absurd fate. Isn’t that cool? I think it is. It was a development I really, really wanted to write, and it was the part I enjoyed writing the most.

However, I’m not completely satisfied. It was good up to the part where Kaiserion descends and defeats Elandir, but what came after is quite regrettable. Yes, honestly, I messed up. Some of you expressed dissatisfaction in the comments, but you did so in a very kind tone. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

As for Alvar… from the first conception, he was always meant to be an antagonist. However, unlike Elturas, who was “absolute evil,” I portrayed him ambiguously to make readers wonder, “Is this guy bad? Or not?” When you think about it, Alvar’s logic has some valid points.

Rex always thought he wasn’t righteous and was selfish, fighting for what he wanted, and I wanted to show a moment where that becomes clearly evident. It wasn’t conveyed properly, contrary to my intention. That was my shortcoming.

Apart from that, I think I wrote fairly well. Some might ask if he powered up too quickly, and to that, I must apologize again.

In fact, I had many concerns while writing this work. Around Chapter 100, I considered ending it early because the performance wasn’t enough to make a living. About 10,000 won a day, around 300,000 won a month. It’s quite insufficient to maintain a livelihood. Of course, this isn’t something for readers to worry about. If I’m dissatisfied with the income, I should just write better. It was because I, the author, was lacking. I’m sorry…

Anyway, I didn’t want to end it prematurely. It’s a story I started, with characters I created, and I wanted to at least neatly conclude the narratives I gave to these children. So I set a goal of 150 chapters. I thought by then I could finish the narratives of Rex-Kaiserion and Elin-Elisis.

I increased the volume and compressed the plot development, but it ended at Chapter 149. Please consider this afterword as Chapter 150.

Somehow the story digressed, but Elin was ultimately saved. And Chloe. Chloe is also a character I have many regrets about. Chloe’s narrative is the Underhand Clan part, and compared to Elin’s Albheim part, it lacks density.

Originally, I planned to include a development where Chloe was a hidden bloodline of a ducal family. The background was the Montreyan Duchy of the Calderia Kingdom, which didn’t appear in the work. The outline goes something like this:

The previous head of the family suddenly died, and for twenty years, there was a bloody struggle for the position of family head. As a result, the second son Lucien became the head, and he is Chloe’s father… At the time of Chloe’s birth, there were many forces threatening his life, so he entrusted Chloe to the Lindvale Orphanage in the Kingdom of Liberta, far from the ducal family…

I had thought of several developments related to this setting, but they didn’t end up being used. It’s regrettable. Anyway, Chloe will live happily with Rex.

As for Charlotte… I’ll keep it brief. Charlotte will also end up living happily with Rex. In the latter part of the work, she doesn’t have any particular feelings yet and regards Rex just as a likable disciple, but by the conclusion, she’s gradually becoming aware of her romantic feelings. Rex also likes Charlotte, and since Chloe and Elin have given their permission, they’ll live well together, won’t they? They will.

Other heroine candidates included the Imperial Princess and Fia, the Saint of Chaos, but they also ended up becoming background characters.

Heh heh…

Moving on to the protagonist, Rex. When I started this work, I hadn’t decided on the ending or settings, but I did think about the “theme.”

I wanted to portray a young boy realizing the importance of family and gradually becoming an adult. To some extent, I think I achieved that.

Rex realized his responsibility after losing his father, gained a new wife and children, and that peace won’t be broken.

While writing, I didn’t know how the ending would turn out, but I was determined to keep one thing: to make Rex happy. I dislike endings where the protagonist and main characters end up unhappy. It leaves a bad taste, doesn’t it? So I was determined to write an ending that clearly suggests a happy future, and I did.

This afterword has gotten too long. I don’t know if anyone has read this far, but if you have! Thank you for listening to the author’s excuses.

It’s June, summertime.

It’s quite hot. I used to dislike the heat, but right now, I like this heat.

Once again, thank you for reading my novel.

Please be happy.

And if I ever return with a new work, please read it too!!