Traveler of the Void - Afterword and Illustrator's Notes

 Traveler of the Void

(Book 4 of the Guardian of the Spirit Series)

Author: Uehashi Nahoko

Translator: Ainikki the Archivist

 

 Afterword and Illustrator's Notes

 

Rowing Across New Seas

    Standing at the train ticket counter in Jiyugaoka, I suddenly caught sight of a woman. It was Satake Miho: I was sure of it. She had a notebook in one hand and carried a bag, and although I was certain it was her, I wanted some form of confirmation. For her part, Satake Miho had recognized me as well; we called out to one another at the same time.

    My editor approached us and asked, “Huh? Do you know each other?” She was as surprised as I was. I couldn't explain it, but I'd recognized Satake Miho on sight, even though I'd never seen her before.

 

 

During lectures and events, people often ask why the cover of Traveler of the Void looks different from the other books in the Guardian of the Spirit series. Up until now, the series has been illustrated by Futaki Makiko, but she's become outrageously busy. She's an animator at Studio Ghibli, and works day and night animating movies. Under the pressure of such a heavy and unrelenting workload, it became impossible for her to keep drawing art for the series.

When the manuscript of Traveler of the Void was complete and it came time to draw the cover, I discovered Futaki Makiko's current work situation and decided to wait until her work on the movies ended...but her workload showed no signs of slowing down for an entire year. And then I was really in trouble—what could I do now? My editor and I put our heads together and decided that because Traveler of the Void was a slightly different story than the rest of the Guardian of the Spirit books (with Chagum as main protagonist and a setting switch to another nation), it made sense to use a different style of art. And so we decided to approach another artist to draw the art for the book.

But the problem wasn't that simple. The Guardian of the Spirit books are a series and the readers are used to Futaki Makiko's art. The artist would have to evoke her same style, but artists all have individual styles, and being asked to illustrate a book in the middle of a series is a somewhat intimidating proposition.

Leaving all those considerations aside for a moment, we did have some idea of who we'd like to ask to draw the art: Satake Miho. I've always loved her depictions of other worlds and I believed that commissioning her would be our best choice. But I also thought that working with her was a dream that was out of reach.

But Satake Miho didn't just respond favorably to my and my editor's requests: she managed to produce art in the same vein as the previous books, with her own individual style, in record time. She surprised me a great deal. Throughout the entire process, I thought she was amazing. I think this series has been blessed by the work of talented professionals throughout its publication history.

 

 

Traveler of the Void could be considered the series' first spinoff from the main plot, but it's actually not. The events here connect directly to those in Guardian of Heaven and Earth, the tenth volume in the series. The “Guardian” books feature Balsa as the main protagonist, and the “Traveler” books feature Chagum as a the protagonist. The as yet unpublished Those Who Walk the Flame Road will feature Hugo as the protagonist.

Changing the direction and orientation of the series in this way may seem strange, but when the whole series is put together, it's clear that many people get tangled up in Balsa and Chagum's story. Like a tapestry woven of threads of many colors, every color contributes to the picture as a whole. At least, I hope that's what people will think.

Traveler of the Void adds depth and richness to the series' world, and I consider it a precious and indispensable volume in the series.

Uehashi Nahoko

July 6, 2007

 

Illustrator's Notes

    “So, just how thick should this spear be?” I asked. Ever detailed, Professor Uehashi assumed the pose of a soldier, seized an invisible spear in both hands and lifted it over her shoulder, indicating by the width of her gripped hands just how wide the shaft of the spear should be. I understood perfectly then the shape that the Dreaded Spear had to take. It had been made in a land to the faraway south, in a country of many warlike people. This became the basis for the Sangal sense of style.

    We were in an ordinary coffee shop. Suddenly, the decorative plant next to Professor Uehashi flapped in the wind—the wind of Sangal! That's what I felt it was like. As I sat there, I envisioned Tarsan picking up the Dreaded Spear casually, with one hand.

 

 

Traveler of the Void is different from the rest of the Guardian of the Spirit series: the perspective shifts to Crown Prince Chagum and the story is somewhat unconnected to previous events. When I first accepted the work of producing art for the work, I was a little overwhelmed at the difficulty of it. I couldn't use a style that would break continuity with the previous books, so I had to internalize the images of the world as it already existed. I didn't know how I would be able to represent Chagum's story using my own pictures.

When I saw Professor Uehashi holding up an invisible spear in front of me that day, all my worries were swept away. I understood Sangal. That was where my connection to the story began. I felt like I was taking the journey there with Chagum. This journey of discovery was exciting and surprising, and I had no choice but to keep moving forward. The moment I picked up my pen, I departed on that journey.

Every journey needs the image of a home to return to at the end of it. I tried to summon the image of Chagum's homeland, though it didn't come to me before I finished creating the last draft of the art.

 

 

From the depths of the deep dark sea, I saw a lump of lapis lazuli float up to the very surface of the water. The surface of the sea slowly became the same color as the precious stone; I was caught in another world as if I'd gotten trapped in a net. In that world, I felt the presence of the water dwellers.

Yona Ro Gai...

After finishing work on Traveler of the Void, I had a chance to board a boat in my home town and observe the fish and bullrushes beneath the waves for the first time. The rushes grew clumped together and whispered as the transparent blue water made them dance.

Sometimes, Chagum is able to see Nayugu and the many water dwellers that live there. When I looked under the water from the boat, I felt like I could see them floating there, too; flitting to and fro in large groups between the rushes. The image stayed with me well after I read it, and I was a little stunned as I looked down into the water. I blinked and leaned over the handrail to get a better look.

Traveler of the Blue Road also has the sea as a backdrop, and Chagum's journey over the sea by boat will become its most important feature in terms of setting. The details of ships and sailing are mainly confined to Surina's boat in Traveler of the Void, but Chagum will eventually cross the Yaltash ocean himself in a ship of medium size. His journey will begin at New Yogo's harbor, but then his ship will sink and he'll jump to one of Sangal's rowboats, encounter a pirate ship, and stop in an enormous, exotic harbor in the south...and then some. Chagum's journey by boat hasn't even started yet.

 

 

I'm holding a note from Professor Uehashi in my hand right now. It says:

• The distance a ship can travel in a day
• How far New Yogo's navy can travel in a day
• How far Sangal's navy can travel in a day (these ships are small, adaptable, and fast)
• How far Senna's ship can travel in a day (Senna is a character in Traveler of the Blue Road)
• How many days it would take for the New Yogo navy to reach Kalsh
• How fast could the ox cart carrying the Crown Prince move in a day, taking into account that the driver couldn't hurry or cause his guests discomfort, because that would be disrespectful?

Etc., etc...so many distances and speeds are laid out on this piece of paper.

 When it came time to draw the map, I felt a bit like a sea cartographer. The speeds and capabilities of various ships are very different and have evolved across time and across cultures. From fishermen's boats to warships, their shapes reflect the highest beauty and grace of human inventions. I had to use great care in depicting them all: unfinished ships being built, ships burned in war, ships retreating from battle, ships clustered in next to one another at a dock, etc.

And of course, special care was needed for ships traveling over the sea. The surface of the sea took shape using my pens and brushes, and at the same time I felt the sensation of sinking beneath the waves as an excavator looking for things from a lost time and place. It was deeply rewarding work for an illustrator.

In the last scene of Traveler of the Blue Road, Chagum jumps into the ocean and swims off alone in the darkness. The moon and spirits from Nayugu light his way; his shoulders poke up above the surface of the water. This last image was one I had a hard time envisioning at first. Chagum is set between heaven and earth, crossing the sea alone, looking for a way to go home.

 

 

I've said a lot here, but I'd like to line up some of Chagum's more fantastic and wonderful souvenirs from Sangal before wrapping this up.

• Dried jagou from Kalsh
• Flower wine from Nourmu (a gift from Roksana)
• Sangal's strong distilled liquor, saccharon
• Cham made by Surina
• Chaz bean jam cakes from Manan's market

Since I ate the jagou from Kalsh, I can't go there ever again...

 

Satake Miho

July 2, 2007

This is the end of Traveler of the Void. The story continues in Guardian of the God - God's Appearance.