Sumeru arc wrap-up

The Sumeru arc has come to a temporary close. As I wrote in this chapter's author's note, this arc mainly served to flesh out the setting and power levels, and lay the groundwork for the story to come.

But The Knave didn't participate in any of the main storyline in the Sumeru arc.

So I interwove Xingsu's main storyline in Sumeru with everyday events or amusing incidents that might have happened while Arlecchino was a Harbinger.

(It absolutely wasn't because I got addicted to the art of my own scene transitions. Absolutely not!)

Hmm... Since this is my first time writing, I don't know whether everyone likes this format.

Originally, I wanted to write more for the Sumeru arc, such as the battle of wits with the Akademiya, bonds with the characters, and so on. But a lot of you guys must be here for the lovey-dovey moments with Arlecchino, and plenty of people have been asking, "When are we going back to Fontaine?"

So I cut a lot of content from the Sumeru arc.

The biggest example was the desert arc, since much of it involved Sumeru's history, lore, and things like that, which you guys definitely wouldn't enjoy reading.

So if there's content you don't like, I simply won't write it.

Anything else I want to write in Sumeru can wait until the Traveler arrives.

Now, then, I can officially announce that the outline for the Fontaine arc is almost finished, and the arc will start releasing no later than the 30th!

Applause! (Clap clap clap clap!)

Next, let me answer some questions.

1.

Q: Why did you only start writing a fanfic starring The Knave now? Aren't you worried nobody will read it once her popularity fades?

A: There are two reasons. One was that I was afraid of getting backstabbed by canon. I read some fanfics when The Knave first came out, and then The Song Burning in the Embers dropped, and the entire fandom blew up.

Besides, there are still major revelations about The Knave that haven't come out yet. Why did she say she would oppose the Tsaritsa? Why does everyone say Arlecchino has a crazy side?

The other reason was that I genuinely didn't have the energy to write. In fact, I wrote around 4,000 words when The Knave first came out, but then I had no plan in my head and no motivation in my body, so I shelved it. Things are different now. I have some free time and wanted to find something to do, so I picked fanfic writing back up.

As for nobody reading it? If nobody reads it, then nobody reads it. I simply want to write, and I never expected to make money writing fiction. But as it turns out, plenty of people who like The Knave and are very forgiving toward me are willing to read my work. Thank you all. I'm kowtowing to you here. Kowtow, kowtow, kowtow, kowtow, kowtow.

2.

Q: Why come up with a setup like Lin? Wouldn't it be better to just use a system?

A: Hmm... I'm more on the conservative side. Rather than having a system as a cheat and running rampant through the world, I prefer letting the protagonist explore and understand this world little by little. Also, I still feel that systems are a very jarring concept that hurts immersion, so I borrowed a "system" from the Honkai: Star Rail universe next door. At least they're both part of the HoYoverse family, so it wouldn't be quite so jarring.

3.

Q: This crappy story still hasn't delivered any satisfying moments after all this reading. Why is the protagonist still such trash?

A: Hmm... This story is mainly about being lovey-dovey with Arlecchino, but I think how to make Arlecchino fall in love with the protagonist is a very serious question.

Because Arlecchino's personality means she wouldn't fall in love with someone easily, it's very easy to write her OOC. So I thought there was nothing more compelling than someone who gave everything he had and burned himself out, working together toward a shared ideal. Especially if that person died just before dawn.

But that also makes the protagonist look rather weak. Still, I don't feel there's anything shameful about being unable to beat Crucabena. After all, even The Knave had to use a Vision plus the power of the Crimson Moon.

And don't worry. Once the protagonist gets his necklace back and can trade memories with Lin, his combat strength will shoot right up.

This book has started getting recommended. I'm begging everyone here to add it to your library and hit the update request button. Your support is my biggest motivation for mass releases. I'm kowtowing to you all again here. Kowtow, kowtow, kowtow, kowtow, kowtow, kowtow.