Afterword

To first-time readers, nice to meet you. To returning readers, thank you for joining me again. I’m Ishi no Yassan, the author. Thank you for purchasing I, Who Had Everything Stolen by the Hero, Formed a Party with the Hero’s Mother! NOVEL 1.

This story began with a simple question: Who is the one heroine a womanizing Hero could never steal? When I thought about it, the answer was family. That was the starting line for this tale. However, a sister or older sister felt like a common trope, so I boldly chose the least likely option—the mother.

Also, as I’ve grown older, haven’t you noticed that the age of women you find appealing rises too? How about you?

The heroines of light novels and anime we admired—

“Oh, I’m so jealous of the protagonist!”

“If only she were my girlfriend!”

Surely, we’ve all had a heroine we felt that way about.

But while those heroines never age, we do.

When you reach the age of their parents, don’t they start feeling more like daughters than romantic interests?

I found myself thinking that way one day.

At the same time, I began finding the mothers in light novels and anime more charming.

These two ideas combined to create I, Who Had Everything Stolen by the Hero, Formed a Party with the Hero’s Mother!.

Thus, the heroine’s age in this story is not only a perfect strike for the protagonist, Ceres, but for me as well.

For the past few years, I’ve been posting novels primarily on Kakuyomu, reaching the mid or final stages of various contests but always falling just short of victory. That’s been the pattern of my writing career.

I must have made my long-time supporters quite anxious.

With the manga adaptation and novelization of this work, I feel I’ve finally begun to repay their encouragement, even if just a little.

This work isn’t the product of my efforts alone but was born from many encounters.

To the fans who encouraged and cheered me on while I posted on Kakuyomu—your support kept me going.

To Kuon-sensei, who liked my work and said, “I want to draw a manga for it.” Drawing a character who’s older yet cute is incredibly challenging, but you brought them to life exactly as I envisioned. I remember tearing up with joy the first time I saw Shizuko-san’s artwork.

To the editor who connected me with Kuon-sensei, I still recall rereading your email in disbelief.

To the staff who handed out fans with Shizuko-san’s illustration in the sweltering heat at Comiket.

To Noriko Shibasaki-sama, who voiced Shizuko-san in the YouTube PV, and Yuuko Natsuyoshi-sama, who voiced Haruka-san—I was moved the moment I watched it.

To the editor who noticed the manga and proposed the novelization, lending their strength to make it happen.

Through countless encounters and the efforts of many, I, Who Had Everything Stolen by the Hero, Formed a Party with the Hero’s Mother! took shape.

As mentioned, this work was adapted into a manga before the novel.

Thus, many readers may have come from the manga. The key difference is that while the manga emphasizes adult themes, the novel tones down the adult elements to a sexy level, focusing on the story.

There are differences here and there, so picking up both and comparing them could be a fun way to enjoy the work.

For example, the novel lacks flying magic, but in the manga, Sayo flies with Ceres on a broom—there are small and large differences like that.

Comparing them feels a bit like exploring a parallel world, which is quite interesting.

I’ll keep working hard on my writing, so please continue to support me!

Ishi no Yassan