Heavy Object

Volume 14, Afterword

Heavy Object has finally reached its 14th volume.

This is Kamachi Kazuma.

This series was designed with the 1st volume as the starter and the others as boosters, but after two curveballs in a row with The Smallest War and Northern Restricted Zone Cinderella Story, this story was meant to bring the focus back on the clean wars. ...And the 37th’s tough guys started dropping like flies. To be honest, of the different series I’m working on, this series has to be the one where the most allies die in any one volume. I guess that’s because it’s a story about war, not crimes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Quenser and Heivia’s silly conversations.

This time, I placed the spotlight on the Information Alliance and pushed the Martini Series that supports their system of AI development to the forefront. They got the guest heroine spot for all three chapters. Ignoring whether they were an enemy or an ally, did you find a personal favorite Martini-chan?

The stories for this series tend to start when I find some interesting science news and use a broad interpretation of it, but one thing in particular has really stood out recently: AI. I’m impressed with how it is making the world a more convenient place, but I feel a chill down my spine when I hear how it’s taking part in marriage counseling and job hunting. When I think about how the spotlight of success will more easily fall on someone with a more program-searchable life, I feel like I could write a book on that premise alone.

For the Objects, I tried to have them reuse old and familiar technology and phenomena instead of strange and bizarre technology. Paper armor, anti-tank weapons that use springs, and the strange phenomenon spoken of for ages across the world: mirages. I have several other Object ideas in reserve, but I tried to give these a unique coloration by using that common theme. What did you think? That said, the world of technology is not a straight line from the past to the future. You sometimes hear about the return of older ideas like bulletproof equipment that uses spider silk or an origami artist helping fit everything in the limited space of a satellite.

Even with the starter and booster setup, I of course still focus on them in order as I write them, but if you do read them out of order, I like to think you might find that kind of “return to older ideas” in this series itself.

I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san and Anan-san. ...With all the non-Object weapons making an appearance this time, it may have been a lot of work for you. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

I also give my thanks to the readers. We had Frolaytia turning into a little devil (...little?), Myonri shouting “boobs”, Lilim fighting with a barf bag, and Wraith going dere far too easily. This one was even crazier than normal, but what did you think? I think one important point is how the Princess nonchalantly escaped to safety. Fighting out in the open isn’t the only form of moe! You can find it in those who take a step back as well!!

And I will leave it at that.

Hey, you! Don’t say you think a 400-ton mama is moe!

-Kamachi Kazuma

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