I’m scratching my eyes out over the “+a”
Here’s Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei’s ninth volume’s afterword. It’ll be up on Baka-Tsuki soon.
Please do correct me if I get anything wrong.
| あとがき | Afterword |
| 今回も『魔法科高校の劣等生』を手に取っていただきありがとうございます。はじめまして、の方はこれを機会に今後もよろしくお願い致します。 | Once again, truly, thank you very much to those who read “Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei”. For the first-timers, I would like to take this opportunity to say please put up with me until the end. |
| 今回のサブタイトルは『来訪者編』です。様々な来訪者が主人公たちを事件の渦中へ引きずり込んでいきます。大物ゲストキャラも登場します。主人公サイドにも犠牲者が出ます。事件は三つ巴+aの複雑な展開を見せていきます。ほんのり伝奇風です（異議は甘受します）。この様に第八巻までとは一味違う魔法科高校生たちの物語になりましたが、きっとお楽しみいただけると思います。 | The subtitle this time is “Visitor Arc”. A variety of “visitors” pulls the protagonists into a maelstrom of incidents. A bigwig guest character also makes their appearance. The protagonists also have a victim amongst them. I showed, in this case, a complex development of a three-way struggle +a[1]. It is also slightly like romance novels (feel free to object). In this way, the eighth volume will tell a slightly different story of magical high school students but I am sure it will be well received I think. |
| さて、ここで皆様にお断りしておかなければならないでしょう。――すみません、今回は（上）（中）（下）の三分冊です。『追憶編』が一冊だった反動でしょうか。『来訪者編』は上下巻収まりませんでした。いえ、電撃文庫には（よほどのことがないかぎり）上限頁(ページ)数がありませんので収めようと思えば可能でしたが……諸事情によりこの様になりました。エピソード完結までいつもより少しお待たせすることになりますが、その分、皆様にはたっぷりお楽しみいただけるものを作り上げる所存です。 | Now then, I shall leave everybody with something unacceptable. ――I am sorry but this time, the story is divided into three [(I), (II) & (III)] separate volumes. There will surely be some backlash from those who say, “but the Reminiscence Chapter was one volume”. I could not fit the “Visitor Chapter” into just two volumes. No, rather, to Dengeki Bunko, (as long as there is not too much content) there is no maximum page count so I there’s the possibility that I could have finish it off I think but… … Due to various circumstances, it ended up as you see. You may have to wait a little more than usual until the episode’s end but, accordingly, it is my intention and thought to create something that everyone will be able to fully enjoy. |
| 今回はいつも以上にスケジュールがタイトでした。（中）も（下）も慌ただしい日程になることが予想されます。関係者の皆様方、あらかじめ、ごめんなさい。そしてありがとうございます。この物語をご愛読くださっている皆様に一日も早く続きをお届けする為に、次回も是非、ご協力願います。 | The schedule for this one has been tighter than usual. I predict the schedule for (II) and (III) will be busy. To all those involved, I apologise in advance. And I also thank you. So that this story may reach all those who continue to read it with pleasure without further delay, please, definitely cooperate with me next time as well. |
| それでは、この本を手に取ってくださった読者の皆様にもう一度感謝を。次回も『来訪者編』（中）でお目に掛かれますことを祈っております。 | Now then, to all the readers who took this book in hand, once again, my gratitude. I pray that next time too, the “Visitor Chapter (II)” will catch your eyes. |
|
佐島勤 |
Satou Tsutomu |
[1] Honestly, I’m not sure what this means. The “three-way struggle” likely refers to the Saegusa-Juumonji group, Chiba-Yoshida-Shiba group and the USNA while the +a probably refers to “and another” (my English side tells me) which could mean the Kudou/Yotsuba faction or “and Angelina” (which I find highly unlikely). If anyone knows, please explain it to me.
My Translation Blog 