Original author note
With this, the story of [TS] Isekai - Local Protagonist Edition comes to an end. I’d like to take this moment to express my sincere gratitude to all the readers who’ve followed it to the very end.
As always, I also owe thanks to my mentor and fellow apprentices who helped me with story structure and plotting. I can’t sleep easy knowing I still owe so much to my mentor.
Now then, from this point onward, I’ll be going into some personal reflections and behind-the-scenes talk. If that’s not your thing, feel free to skip the rest.
This work shares the same setting as my earlier TS Sub-Heroine story, but the tone and approach are quite different. The reason for that lies in Flatche’s role in the narrative.
Fio, the sub-heroine from the previous work, was written as a "heroine" as the title suggested, while Flatche was written, as the title says, as the "protagonist." I tried to stick to the basics as much as possible—having her grow through battles against stronger rivals, following a fairly standard protagonist arc.
An ambiguous female tactician whose loyalties are unclear, a growing underdog character, and an enemy who embodies her past self—I worked hard to pack in as many clear-cut classic tropes as I could.
In short, I tried to avoid any overly flashy or gimmicky plot developments. Which also means, perhaps, that some of the story beats were a bit predictable.
Now then. Before I move on, there’s something I absolutely must say to someone as I reflect on this story.
At the beginning, I posted this work anonymously, without revealing my name. As for the reason why… I’ll get to that in a bit.
During that anonymous phase, I casually used the fake name "Namakura" without permission—sorry, Master.
The truth is, this story is part of a series I posted under a friend’s name in an attempt to hide my own perverted tastes.
In the past, I even used a ridiculous name like Namakura (R18) to post full-blown fetish-driven R18 stories. I’m really, truly sorry, Master.
Now, there's another reason I stayed anonymous. This story was originally meant to be scrapped.
I didn’t even have a plot prepared—I just wrote the first four chapters entirely on impulse, riding a wave of enthusiasm.
But then I hit a wall and couldn’t think of what came next. Still, it felt like a waste to throw away that much writing.
So I decided to throw it out there under a friend’s name as a sort of offering. That’s why the title and synopsis were so half-baked.
Yep, just like with Sub-Heroine, this story ended up getting into the rankings, and I panicked and started scrambling to work out a proper plot. I haven’t grown at all…
Still, I couldn’t come up with new developments on the spot, so I ended up borrowing plot points from one of my older anonymously posted works.
That older story starred Penny as the protagonist, but the plot had collapsed and it ended up being abandoned. So I recycled the unused later chapters and shoved them into this story.
As some of you pointed out in the comments, Clarise, Penny, Emma, Mello, and Mino all come from that previous work. That’s why the latter half of this story started to shift focus toward them.
The core theme I wanted to explore in this story was: “If there are 100 people, there are 100 versions of justice.” I fully expected strong reactions, especially regarding Mino.
From a modern perspective, she could definitely be seen as a psychopath. But at the root of her heart is a sincere desire to “reduce the number of sacrifices, even by one.” Can she really be called evil?
While I did write her as an antagonist, it’s possible some readers didn’t see her that way at all. Everyone’s got their own interpretations, and I don’t think any of them are wrong.
Incidentally, when I asked my mentor what they thought of Mino, they said, “Well, I don’t think she’s bad.” As for me, I think she’s valid—but not the kind of person I’d want to be friends with. That kind of character.
Anyway, that about wraps up my rambling. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send them my way. If I have the time, I’ll do my best to reply.
Lastly—starting this April, I was transferred to a new department, and work has been hellishly busy. I expect things will only get more hectic, which means it’s going to be hard to stay active as a writer.
Posting long-form works will be difficult for a while. At best, I may manage the occasional short story here and there. If possible, I’d be grateful if you didn’t forget about me.
Well then, until we meet again somewhere. Thank you so much for reading.
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