Kadokawa’s Sneaker Bunko imprint announced on October 16 that Ryo Mizuno’s fantasy line, titled in Japan as Lodoss-tō Senki: Seiyaku no Hōkan and published in English as Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant, is officially resuming [1]. The series hasn’t received a new volume since its debut book arrived in September 2019 [2]. While volume 2 remains in development and needs more time before a physical release, Sneaker Bunko will post a preview from the ongoing manuscript on Kakuyomu on October 22 [3].
Reading the Record of Lodoss War Preview
Sneaker Bunko announced the decision on its official X account, thanking loyal fans who waited through the long silence since the first book launched in 2019. A second social update clarified that Mizuno is actively penning the sequel text this autumn [4]. The complete book still lacks a bookstore release date [3]. To show readers where the draft currently stands, Sneaker Bunko decided to post an excerpt from the ongoing manuscript directly on Kakuyomu [4].
Sneaker Bunko will launch the Kakuyomu preview on October 22 at 5:00 p.m. Japanese time (4:00 a.m. EDT). That release offers audiences their first taste of fresh Lodoss prose since Kadokawa released volume 1 with illustrations by popular artist Hidari [1]. The online excerpt provides an early reading window while Mizuno finishes the remaining chapters [4].
Readers can access the Japanese-language manuscript online next week, but Sneaker Bunko stated that publishing the full bound volume will require additional preparation [3]. The team wants the finished book to meet editorial standards before setting a bookstore rollout [1]. Seeing genuine pages online proves that the project has resumed [4].
Why Volume 2 Took Seven Years
When volume 1 arrived in September 2019, it ended a 12-year wait since the franchise’s prior novel release [1]. Hidari provided the cover art, placing the legendary high elf front and center as anime outlets declared that Deedlit returns [4]. But after that initial book, the series stalled [2]. Years slipped by without publication announcements [3].
Because the hiatus dragged on for seven years, many readers assumed Kadokawa had quietly shelved the story [4]. Mizuno responded to reader concerns on social media, telling fans that he hadn’t given up on the series. In December 2024, when an eager fan on X asked whether volume 2 would ever arrive, Mizuno posted a humorous reply referencing his fictional setting: “The author is currently unable to escape from the deepest labyrinth. I will definitely finish it, so please wait a little longer.” [2]. That quote went viral among fantasy enthusiasts, giving them confidence that the manuscript remained alive on the author’s desk [4].
Mizuno’s promise is now materializing through the Kakuyomu posting [3]. Sneaker Bunko’s decision to share unfinished work is unusual for commercial light novels, but it ends years of uncertainty. Readers won’t receive the physical volume immediately, yet the upcoming preview shows clear progress [2].
Early Lodoss War Tabletop Sessions
The setting began with an origin story unlike almost any other Japanese fantasy property. In 1986, Kadokawa’s Comptiq magazine began printing Dungeons & Dragons session replays, translating tabletop gameplay sessions into narrative prose for readers [2]. Mizuno acted as game master for a player group that called themselves Group SNE [1]. Science fiction novelist Hiroshi Yamamoto sat at the table and played the high elf Deedlit, shaping her personality during dice rolls long before she became an anime icon [2].
The magazine transcripts attracted an enthusiastic following, encouraging Mizuno to transform the role-playing campaign into standalone prose fiction starting with The Grey Witch in 1988. That foundational novel followed the young warrior Parn, Deedlit, and their traveling companions through warfare and dark magic on the cursed island, setting up a fantasy realm that soon expanded across the Legend of Lodoss prequels and the Lodoss War Next Generation sequels. Mizuno’s prose established high fantasy in Japan [2].
Group SNE eventually crafted its own custom ruleset when it departed from D&D mechanics, releasing a 30th anniversary edition of the tabletop RPG in 2018. English translations reached western readers years later. Seven Seas Entertainment published The Grey Witch in English in 2017, following that debut with an English audiobook in 2025 [2].
Deedlit Returns in the New Era
Set a full century after the original adventures, The Crown of the Covenant places Deedlit at the heart of the new storyline [2]. Known by its Japanese subtitle Hōkan, the narrative centers on a century of peace maintained across the island by the sacred covenant. But when the ambitious ruler of Flaim threatens to ignite a devastating war, young prince Lyle of Marmo seeks out Deedlit, hoping another legendary champion will emerge to defend the island [1]. That premise allows Mizuno to explore how an immortal elf copes with outliving mortal allies [2].
While Mizuno worked on the second book, artist Atsushi Suzumi created a manga adaptation that ran in Kadokawa Monthly Shonen Ace from October 2019 through April 2021 [4]. The manga spanned three collected volumes, which Udon Entertainment released in English starting in 2023. Publishers frequently commission comic adaptations to keep literary settings visible, similar to how projects like the Destroy All Humans manga spinoff offer fresh stories for established audiences [2].
Suzumi’s manga brought Lyle and Deedlit to life with expressive character art, but it couldn’t advance beyond the events of the debut novel. Because the adaptation covered only the first volume, readers were left with an incomplete story [4]. Next week’s Kakuyomu excerpt finally moves the prose narrative past that stopping point [3].
Anime Adaptations and Digital Webtoons
Anime played an indispensable role in transforming Mizuno’s world into an enduring worldwide classic. In 1990, Studio Madhouse released the famous 13-episode original video anime series that defined high fantasy animation for a generation. Studio AIC followed in 1998 with Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, a 27-episode television series that aired on TV Tokyo to adapt subsequent novel storylines. Funimation licensed both productions for North American release before the company was absorbed into Crunchyroll [4].
The Record of Lodoss War setting also expanded across video games and webtoons during the novel hiatus. In 2021, Deedlit took the spotlight in Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, a 2D Metroidvania game that found popularity on modern consoles and PC [2]. More recently, Studio White launched an official webtoon titled Queen of Death, which debuted in South Korea in May 2025 before launching worldwide in August 2025. Set prior to the original novels, the webcomic depicts the historical fall of the Kingdom of Kastuul on Lodoss. Southern Camel adapted the script with artwork by Blanton [1].
Operating as a joint venture created by Kadokawa, LINE Digital Frontier, and REDICE STUDIO, Studio White demonstrates the publisher’s push to keep the Lodoss world active across digital comics. That collaborative studio proves Kadokawa remains invested in modern multimedia formats [1]. For longtime readers, though, next week’s Kakuyomu preview marks the return they’ve waited seven years to read [4].
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, October 16). Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant novel series resumes. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Best, G. (2026, October 16). Record of Lodoss War returns as Ryo Mizuno’s Deedlit sequel novel restarts after a 7 year wait. SFFGazette.com. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Yomimono. (2026, October 16). Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant novels resume with manuscript posting. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Best, G. (2026, October 16). Record of Lodoss War: The Crown of the Covenant is back after 7 years, with a volume 2 preview on October 22. AnimeMojo.com. [Article Link]
