Exclusive Interview “The Essence of Light Novels” with Rifujin na Magonote-sensei, Orc Eroica: Chronicles of Consideration

[ Summary ]

Having traveled across nations and proposed to beautiful women of various races, Bash returns to his original goal—marrying a human woman—and heads toward a human enclave. On his journey, the "Hero" meets a "Sage"...
"I shall bestow upon you all the knowledge I possess."

Bash, who learned how to woo women and gained a wife and child from an Orc Mage, becomes his disciple and receives wisdom from the first mentor in his life—

In the Blackhead Territory, where the final key to reviving the Demon King is kept, the reunited Nazar, Thunder Sonia, and Judith anxiously observe the "Hero" as he moves into action.

"I'm glad I got to talk with you... By the way, I’ve booked us a room."
That’s right—he’s flirting!

—Let’s start with a self-introduction.

I’m Rifujin na Magonote. I was writing a work called Mushoku Tensei on “Shousetsuka ni Narou,” and it ended up becoming number one in the rankings. That led to me starting a career as a professional author. I love cream puffs and hate cockroaches. It’s about that season where they start appearing again, and I live in fear (laughs).

My daily routine is mostly writing and playing games, but recently, I built a house... Now I finally have a place to display all the merchandise I’ve received in large quantities, and I’ve been filling the house with new furniture and such. Life feels quite fulfilling these days.

—So you’ve built what could be called the Mushoku Tensei mansion. That’s the dream (laughs).

Exactly (laughs). The location is right next to the house I live in, so it’s more of a second house. If you can build a house just by writing novels, then I’d really like everyone to try writing novels too!

—Rifujin na Magonote-sensei made his professional debut in January 2014. That makes this your twelfth year, I believe. Looking back, how does it feel from then to now?

It feels like time has just flown by. Honestly, my lifestyle hasn’t changed much from ten years ago. Ever since I was posting on “Narou,” my daily life was just waking up, writing novels, playing games, eating, and going to bed. And now, it’s still pretty much the same (laughs).

Of course, over these ten years, my environment has changed, and I have more responsibilities now, but the fundamentals remain.

That said, writing novels as a job and earning money from it has eliminated the vague sense of anxiety I used to have.

If there’s one thing that’s really changed, it’s my perception of what it means to be a writer.

—How has that perception changed, specifically?

This applies to manga artists as well, but I used to think of writers as mysterious, unknowable people. But once I started working professionally and met other writers around the same time as me, I realized they weren’t that different from myself.

Their way of thinking, too—more than I expected, they’re just regular people writing novels. That’s how my perception shifted.

—I see. Speaking of other writers, during a past interview with Akatsuki Natsume-sensei, he mentioned you as one of his good friends. Are you two still in touch?

I always thought of us as being on good terms, so I’m happy to hear he mentioned me (laughs).

The pandemic did disrupt some of my connections, but both Akatsuki-sensei and I still often attend gatherings like “Hey, let’s all go out drinking!”

I live in Gifu and I’m not the type to actively invite people out, but if Akatsuki-sensei is going to be at a get-together, then there’s no way I’d skip it (laughs).

—Thank you. Returning to your reflections over the past ten years, how did you feel about Mushoku Tensei becoming such a big hit?

That’s a tough question… Honestly, when I first started writing on “Narou,” I didn’t even understand what it meant to rank.

At first, I thought it was normal to get on the rankings just because there weren’t that many new works being posted.

Eventually, I realized, “Wait, this is kind of a big deal.”

As for its commercial success, I truly feel the power of the publishers.

No matter how interesting a story is, it won’t sell if the promotion isn’t good.

The manga adaptations, spinoffs, and a high quality anime—all those things helped.

I did my part as much as I could, but from my perspective, the series grew bigger on its own (laughs).

—In the afterword of Volume 2 of Orc Eroica, you mentioned how Mushoku Tensei was taking up so much time that it was hard to work on other things. Now that the book version is finished, has that situation changed?

Yes, Mushoku Tensei is complete, and there won’t be a sequel, so I’d like to put more effort into new works.

That said, there’s still the anime continuation, and I have to oversee various things that come up almost weekly.

I constantly need to re-read Mushoku Tensei to keep the settings in mind. Balancing that while also writing Orc Eroica gets confusing. Especially during overlapping periods, it takes time to mentally switch gears, and my writing pace slows. I think those who can switch quickly probably handle it better—that’s definitely a weak point of mine.

—Thank you. While that was a serious note, your humorous afterwords are also quite memorable (laughs).

They seem like I’m going all over the place, but in reality, I’m just talking about games (laughs).

When writers or manga artists talk about games, people tend to think, “Oh, they must have a lot of free time,” even when we’re actually super busy.

Gaming time and writing time are as different as private life and work, so to avoid misunderstandings, I try to keep my afterwords fun and lighthearted (laughs).

—By the way, what games are you playing now?

Lately I’ve been playing Dragon Quest X.

I didn’t hear great things about it at first, but the current version is 7, and with all the updates, it’s turned out to be really fun.

I also played Final Fantasy XIV and enjoyed it too, but it’s a different kind of fun. You’ll often find me at the in-game casino on Fridays (laughs).

—So DQX players might run into Rifujin na Magonote-sensei in the game world (laughs). Let’s now focus more on Orc Eroica: Chronicles of Consideration. Could you tell us what kind of story it is?

It’s a tale about the orc hero Bash, who helps the oppressed throughout the land while striving to reclaim the pride of the orc race!

…At least, that’s the premise, but in reality, it’s about Bash traveling the world looking for a wife.

—We’d also like to ask about the story’s inspiration. The word “sontaku” (consideration) in the subtitle was chosen as a buzzword of the year in 2017. Was that a reference point for you when deciding on the title?

The title was thought up in 2018, so I guess the buzzword was already starting to fade by then, but it still had an influence.

Also, a specific work influenced this story. It’s called The Virgin Orc’s Adventure Tale, which was posted on the web novel site “Nocturne Novels.” It was so interesting that I kept reading, and eventually, thoughts like “If it were me, I’d do this” started to form, and that was the catalyst.

The protagonist, Volgo, was super cool and hardboiled despite being an orc—really compelling.

There are stories where the orc setting doesn’t really match the character’s personality, but after comparing those with The Virgin Orc’s Adventure Tale, I realized that “orcs are most interesting when they’re written like orcs.”

With that in mind, I started to see the direction and end goal, which led to the creation of this work.

—I see. Not just broader social trends, but even within the web novel space, you keep a close eye on what’s popular or fading out.

I try to, as much as possible.

Trends are interesting, but I think you can only really understand why they’re popular at the time they’re happening. Five or ten years later, you might remember that something was trendy, but not what made it so fun.

While something is trending, it’s easier to grasp the atmosphere.
I want to analyze it and internalize the logic behind the appeal while it’s still fresh. So I try not to look at trends too cynically.

—Thank you. When writing Orc Eroica, did you intentionally use the same or different approaches compared to Mushoku Tensei?

In terms of approach, I think they’re mostly the same.

But the process is different: for Orc Eroica, I create a solid plot and write each chapter based on that. Since Mushoku Tensei’s anime began airing, I’ve had to juggle more tasks, so I try not to write impulsively.

Motivation and momentum are like fuel for writing—and they deplete daily. If I start a story with only momentum and then run out of time, I hit burnout and lose motivation.

To avoid that, I’m using this project as an experiment to see if I can write without relying on momentum. It’s not that my motivation is low—it’s more like I’m figuring out how to write even when the fuel’s gone.

I’m definitely thinking things through more than I did with Mushoku Tensei.

—Has this change in writing style led to any new insights?

Yes, I’ve realized that if you want to write a long or large-scale story, it’s definitely better to write it in one go.

Our brains have limited memory, so focusing on one thing makes for deeper storytelling. Of course, even with this new method, I think the current work has turned out well, including from a technical standpoint (laughs).

――Now then, could you tell us about some of the standout characters in this work?

First off, we have the orc hero (MC) Bash—a serious orc. He's a character created with the theme of "an orc aiming to break away from the public image often portrayed in doujin works." While Bash is still a virgin, his personality does inherit the stereotypical orc traits of loving fights and women. However, in areas unrelated to that image, he is an incredibly earnest character. He's the type of orc who tackles the problems in front of him head-on and persists, even when it's tough. That kind of person isn't limited to orcs—there aren’t many people in general who can keep going through hardship. Most people tend to cut corners or look for the easy way out at some point. But Bash doesn’t do that. People who’ve slacked off before know their own weaknesses and live justifying themselves with excuses. That's exactly why, when they see someone who doesn't slack off, they think, “That guy’s amazing.” Someone who doesn’t run away is truly cool. Bash is that kind of protagonist.

Zell the fairy is, if I had to describe it, like Bash's external CPU (laughs). Because of his orc nature, Bash isn't very smart. He can't come up with ideas or take initiative with new concepts. That's where Zell comes in as the external CPU, helping steer things in strange and interesting directions. For that reason, Zell ended up being a really easy character to write. As a fairy, he can do and say just about anything. He can lie, say nonsense, or contradict himself from one second to the next. He really contributes to the ease of writing the story.

Judith the human is a heroine created with the classic trope of “orc and female knight” in mind. Because of that premise, I do think her appeal as a heroine might be slightly lower than the others—a bit of a regret. Staying true to that trope, she's arrogant toward orcs, but in reality, she’s not very capable and quickly ends up in trouble (laughs). To balance her out, I introduced a human hero named Houston the Orc-Slayer. When Judith looks down on orcs, I thought it would be fun to see how someone else would react, and that's how he came about. Unlike Judith, Houston understands how amazing Bash is, and I think that contrast is a highlight. In each volume of Orc Eroica, a new heroine appears, and usually there’s also a character who recognizes how incredible Bash is. This is a story where you enjoy seeing characters who realize, “Wait, that’s the orc hero?!” Maybe they’re the real heroines after all (laughs).

Thunder Sonia the elf is a character who combines elements of both Judith and Houston. She's both a foil and a heroine. To all elves, she’s like a nosy, overbearing, talkative auntie from the neighborhood. They see her like she’s their niece or nephew, so they tease her with familiarity, even if she nags. Sometimes people are pretty harsh toward her, but she’s also approachable and clearly loved. I personally like characters like that, and because I enjoy writing her so much, I think her charm really comes through. Maybe that's why she's also popular with readers.

Then there’s Asmonadia, the demon princess who appears in volume 6. She starts off by charging at a dragon and losing. She acts like she’s smart, but she’s actually kind of an airhead (laughs). Originally, I wasn’t planning to introduce Asmonadia in volume 6. But our illustrator, Asanagi, said, “Next is a demon, right? Hurry up and bring her in.” So I felt like I had to (laughs). Her appearance even changed the structure of the story. Normally a heroine shows up early on and gets proposed to at the end, but in volume 6, the structure is like “actually, that’s not the real heroine.” So her proper heroine arc is coming a bit later, but it’s already prepared, so please look forward to it. At this point, Bash hasn’t even seen Asmonadia’s face. Eventually, a gorgeous demon woman will confess to him, and he’ll be like, “I’ve met a lot of women before… but I don’t recognize the one in the front,” probably (laughs).

――Thank you. Since we’re on the subject, we’d like to dive a bit deeper into Bash as the protagonist. His strength really stands out—where does he rank in this world?

He’s number one (laughs). There’s no one else who can solo a dragon. On the flip side, that means most orcs actually have the potential to become that strong.

But they can’t put in the effort to get there, so they end up just being normally strong. When I seriously thought about the orc race, the simple conclusion I came to was: “They shouldn’t function.” A race that brings women back in the middle of battle wouldn’t realistically be strong—in fact, they’d be extinct. So I figured, deep down, the orcs must be incredibly powerful. Bash is an orc who never slacked off and focused entirely on combat—so he has to be the strongest, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense.

――I see. There are probably a lot of other races in this world who rank above orcs in the hierarchy. If a character from another race worked as hard as Bash, do you think they could become even stronger?

Probably, yes. For example, demons. They’re smart, so they don’t put much effort into combat and tend to focus on intelligence. A good example is Gediguz, the one who united the Seven-Race Alliance. He specialized in intellect and had the highest overall stats of any character in the story. He could see ahead, had power, and a deep understanding of all kinds of races. That’s why he could stay on top of the alliance.

――Your interpretation of orcs is really interesting. I’d also like to hear about the other races that appear in the story.

Since the theme is orcs breaking away from their public image, I felt like I needed to write the other races according to their typical image. For example, elves live in forests and coexist with nature. They’re exclusionary, discriminate against other races, and are really aggressive… that kind of thing. And for every race, I added the background spice that they’ve all been fighting wars for over 10,000 years. Like how elves spitting “ptooey” is something they picked up from another race during those ten thousand years. Or in volume 2, when elves wear white flowers for marriage—it might be a custom they copied from humans who use rings. Each race has its own stereotype, and now that the long war has finally ended, their unique cultural traits are starting to emerge.

――Which race gave you the most trouble to write?

Definitely succubi. Orc Eroica is meant for all ages, so if I leaned too hard into the public image of succubi, it would become adult content (laughs). The stereotypical succubus is a creature that survives through sex, right? If I wrote that as-is, they’d just be a lewd race. So in my version, while succubi use sex as a form of nourishment, their culture considers it extremely rude to view others with similar appearances as food. They’re intelligent enough to realize how disgusting that act is perceived to be. In this world’s setting, it’s a taboo, but they struggle with it. I think that inner conflict made them an interesting and balanced race.

――The succubi in this story are also from a defeated nation, and that harsh situation makes it harder to associate them with their typical image. It’s a really striking portrayal.

That goes for all defeated races—not just succubi. They’re all in really rough situations. Succubi especially are hated by women. They fought brutal wars with the elves, reduced the male population, and now relations are terrible. The four-race alliance—humans, elves, dwarves, and beastkin—fought against the Seven-Race Alliance because they truly believed “You guys deserve to be wiped out.” Humans hate orcs, demons were nearly destroyed. Across the board, the defeated races are still struggling.

――Speaking of races, we haven’t seen any brides from the lizardmen or harpies yet.

Right. And I’m not sure if I’ll include them in the future. The cast already feels pretty full, and adding more might hurt the story structure. Also… Bash has preferences too (laughs). Forcing in heroines he’s not into would just make me feel bad for him. It’s not like he wants a harem, anyway.

――He’s on a journey to find one wife, after all (laughs).

Exactly. Honestly, if he could just lose his virginity, it wouldn’t even have to be a wife (laughs).

――One last question about Bash. Though we hope it never happens, orcs become orc mages if they reach 30 as virgins. If Bash were to become a magic warrior, what would happen?

Magic is a skill, so even Bash wouldn’t be able to use it right away without training. His combat power wouldn’t drastically increase overnight. But if he got a good teacher and practiced properly, there’s a real chance he’d become an overwhelmingly powerful orc mage (laughs). That said, becoming a magic warrior is deeply shameful for orcs. If that happened, Bash’s motivation would probably plummet, and he’d get weaker. That’s probably the only way to beat him (laughs).

――Next, could you tell us your favorite character in the story?

That’d be Venus, the succubus from volume 5. I especially like her character design. She has two outfits—traditional dress and a military uniform. But if you look at the chest of the uniform, you’ll notice she’s wearing it right on her bare skin (laughs). Asanagi is seriously a genius. He gets fetishes.

――Speaking of Asanagi-sensei, let’s talk about the illustrations. Could you name some of your favorites?

There’s the illustration in volume 1 where Judith is shown pregnant in Bash’s fantasy. It’s a sexy image in typical Asanagi style, but the Bash face in the lower left is just amazing. Another is in volume 2, where Bash holds flowers and proposes to an elf. Her smug expression is so perfect—I love it (laughs). Volume 6’s cover is also amazing. It shows an orc fighting a dragon while holding the heroine—but the heroine’s the one doing the fighting (laughs). That kind of narrative trickery is only possible in commercial works, not web novels.

――What do you think makes Asanagi-sensei’s illustrations so great?

Definitely the thick thighs (laughs). I think Asanagi’s strength lies in how erotically he can draw girls. On top of that, he can draw a wide range of expressions and make them all cute. Like with Venus’s design—he really nails the little quirks. I think it comes down to how well he understands the material. He probably has a great sense of direction and can visualize the author’s intent. Maybe that increases his workload, but for someone with that level of understanding, giving them creative freedom is best.

――Thank you. Finally, from the author’s perspective, what should readers look forward to most in this work?

I hope readers focus on Bash’s growth and the reactions of characters who know him when he shows up—how they get totally flustered (laughs). I want readers to enjoy the story as if they were young orcs themselves, watching their hero in action and getting all excited like kids.

――And now volume 7 has been released. What should we look out for in the latest volume?

In volume 7, you’ll get to see Bash smoothly hitting on girls (laughs). It’s the seventh book, and finally, he’s gotten this far—so I want people to keep that in mind while enjoying it. As for the world affairs parts… I’m only writing them because I have to, honestly. They’re not super relevant to Bash’s story (laughs). But eventually, they will matter to him, so I hope readers can kind of remember it. I want people to enjoy that side too, but for a young orc, it’s probably a bit complicated—so it’s totally fine to only half pay attention to that part.

――What are your future goals or ambitions?

I want to finish Orc Eroica properly. Even if the books get canceled, I want to finish it on the web. I’m also still involved with the Mushoku Tensei anime and want to stay responsible for that until the end. Honestly, once those two projects are done, I think I’ll have done everything I wanted to do as a commercial writer. At that point, I might retire and go back to being an amateur, writing on the web again. It’s not that I dislike commercial work—it’s just that everything takes so much time. That slow pace affects my motivation and energy. I’d like to strip all that away and sprint full-force on my own again. Maybe not a “goal,” but more like a retirement dream? (laughs)

――But let’s be real: if you go back to being an amateur and start a web serial again, 100% it’ll get picked up for publication. What would you do then? (laughs)

Hmm… if it were to get published, I’d have to revise the early parts again, add edits, maybe write bonus stories… and that would slow down the web version’s progress. So I think it’d be better to finish everything first, then revisit it. I’d only agree to it if I felt good about it after finishing. Also, there’s the age factor. Focusing intensely on one thing takes a lot of energy. I’m still a ways off, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do something like that at 60 or 70. Concentration declines with age. Even now, compared to ten years ago, I feel like I’ve lost some focus. It’s weird to say, but I’m getting too used to doing things half-heartedly. I’d like to give it one more try—to recapture what I lost back then (laughs).

――Do you already have any story ideas in mind?

I’ve said this before, but I’m thinking of a story set 80 years after Mushoku Tensei.

――Lastly, do you have a message for your fans?

Thank you as always for your support. I’ll keep working hard until the end, so please continue to cheer me on. Look forward to Bash’s future adventures!

――Thank you for your time today.

<End>

We interviewed Rifujin na Magonote, who writes the tale of the true manly orc hero on a journey to find a wife and lose his virginity. With heroines waiting in every land, and enemies lurking even in this newly peaceful world, Orc Eroica: A Record of Political Consideration is a story you won’t want to miss!

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Pub: 21 Jun 2025 01:03 UTC

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