Hello, everyone.
It has been around eight months since I last posted a chapter, and before returning to the story, I owe you an explanation and an apology.
To get straight to the point, I have spent much of this year dealing with a serious legal situation in my country. From the middle of January until May, I was held in custody while an investigation was ongoing.
Some older readers may already know that I am an Electrical and Electronics Engineering student. Because of my field, I had previously worked on several government-related projects, attending demonstrations, technical meetings, and other professional events. That experience eventually led to a new position within my country's defence industry.
For some time, everything was going well. Then an information-security incident occurred involving the suspected transfer and leakage of sensitive information. Because of the nature of the incident, as well as concerns involving foreign actors in countries geographically close to mine, a wider investigation was opened.
Somehow, that investigation eventually reached my secondary source of income: my writing.
Although my legal documents concerning this income were in order, the fact that I received earnings from overseas platforms drew additional scrutiny. Before I was given any meaningful opportunity to explain or defend myself, I was detained as part of the investigation.
The following four months passed under those circumstances.
Eventually, with the help of my lawyer, I was released through the legal process. However, the experience affected me deeply, both mentally and professionally.
I had been very close to completing my degree, but being detained caused my education to be delayed. Although I did not suffer any major physical health problems, I struggled to find the motivation to return to writing for quite some time.
I technically had limited access to the internet during this period, but that access was strictly monitored. My lawyers also instructed me not to post comments, make statements, or discuss the situation publicly while the investigation continued. That is why I disappeared without offering any explanation.
During the considerable amount of empty time I had, I began rereading my novels from the beginning. I went through both Transmigrated into an Eroge and Shattered Innocence from start to finish.
To be completely honest, much of what I found embarrassed me.
There were far too many unnecessary mistakes, inconsistencies, incorrect names, continuity problems, and passages that should have been handled with much greater care. The more of them I noticed, the more I began to feel that I had no right to simply return and continue as though nothing had happened.
For a while, that feeling prevented me from writing at all.
Eventually, however, I decided that leaving everything unfinished would be worse than acknowledging my mistakes and trying to correct them. I started these stories, and regardless of their flaws or my failures as their author, I want to see them through to their proper conclusions.
I understand that I have accumulated a great deal of bad faith with my readers. Eight months of silence cannot be erased by a single explanation, and I have no intention of sitting here and begging for sympathy.
What happened explains my absence, but I know that explanations do not automatically rebuild trust.
The only way I can begin doing that is by returning to the work.
In the Continuity Report auxiliary chapter, you will be able to see some of the changes and corrections I have already made. I also intend to continue going through the much earlier chapters where I started seeing concentrated amounts of mistakes, proofreading them and repairing continuity issues where necessary.
That process will take time, but I do not want it to become another excuse for delaying the actual story.
For now, I am planning to begin writing and posting new chapters again.
I am sorry for disappearing without an explanation. I am sorry for the long silence, and I am sorry for the many problems that were left unresolved in the existing chapters.
To those who waited, checked for updates, sent messages, or simply remembered these stories after so many months: thank you.
I cannot ask you to trust a promise after such a long absence.
All I can do is return, continue writing, and allow my actions from this point onward to speak for me.
Another update will be made for the other book.
Sincerely from your Fraud Author, Darkness_Enjoyer.