#1080 The Kappa That Washed Ashore

Name’s Racha Leones, a proud member of the demon clan.

I’m an explorer chasing endless adventures.

This world is overflowing with the unknown and with dreams.

Somewhere out there, unseen lands and undiscovered wonders are eagerly waiting to be found.

Somewhere in this world.

It’s my job to go out and find them.

Or you could say it’s my calling.

Anyway, I dream of sailing across the seven seas on my beloved ship, the San Imelda, reaching places beyond the horizon that no one’s ever seen!!!

Even while I’ve been off chasing dreams, lots of big things have been happening back on land.

With the end of the centuries-long Human-Demon War, all sorts of events have been drawing the attention of us explorers.

The discovery of the lair of Geyser Dragon, the Dragon Emperor’s Castle.

The Demon Isle, where a faction of demons who split off long ago supposedly settled.

Even the Mermaid Kingdom’s capital deep beneath the sea, once considered unreachable by us land-dwellers, has become accessible now that we’ve established diplomatic relations with the merfolk.

I wanted to be the first to discover all of those...!!!

While I wasn’t looking, the world kept unveiling its mysteries.

Meanwhile, a shadow loomed over my life as an explorer...

And the biggest reason for that was the scrapping of my trusty ship, the San Imelda.

My partner, who had sailed with me through rough seas for many years, through hard times and happy times.

But after all those long voyages and the wear and tear that came with them, my partner could no longer sail.

All the quick fixes we’d been doing couldn’t cut it anymore; they were saying, “It’s impossible to steer,” and “Setting sail in this is suicidal.”

Even in the Demon Kingdom, there are laws about operating ships.

To prevent maritime accidents, ships that fail regular inspections by officials are banned from sailing and must be dismantled.

I tearfully begged them to let me keep sailing, but officials are inflexible creatures.

And since I knew they were right, I had no choice but to part ways with the San Imelda, like an old married couple getting a tearful divorce.

Parting ways with the San Imelda signaled the end of my explorer’s life.

Without a new ship after saying goodbye to my old one, I couldn’t go back out to sea.

But I couldn’t manage that.

Because I couldn’t forget my ex-girl?

If only it were such a cool reason...!

Actually, the real reason is more down-to-earth.

I’m broke and can’t afford to build a new ship.

My recent expeditions hadn’t produced the results I’d hoped for, and I was running in the red.

As a result, my funds were nearly depleted, and I couldn’t even afford to buy, much less build, a large ship capable of months-long voyages.

Well, I hadn’t made any noteworthy discoveries as an explorer for several years...!

I never managed to find the Saint’s Farm, the big prize that all us explorers were after.

I figured if I could just find it, it would be a game-changer! ...Which is why I didn’t bother setting any smaller exploration targets, and that was a problem.

Before I realized it, I was flat broke.

Even an explorer can’t do much without some seed money in this world.

An explorer who can’t set sail is like a seagull with its wings clipped.

It felt like a giant boulder suddenly blocked my way, and I couldn’t break it or get over it.

All I could do was drink myself silly while chewing on the bitter taste of my broken dreams.

***

“If you’re gonna get wasted, do it at a bar. This is a café, you know,” grumbles the owner of my favorite coffee shop.

Sure, you might think, “Getting drunk at a café?” But I like the laid-back vibe here, so it’s all good!

Another melon soda!!!

“Don’t you realize your ranting is ruining the atmosphere? I get that you’re upset about your broken dreams, but...”

What do you know, you café barista!

Explorers are creatures who’ll die if they stop chasing dreams!

Water, air, food, and booze! And dreams are the fuel that keeps us alive!!!

An explorer who’s lost their dreams is as good as deaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!

Another Blue Hawaii soda!!!

“Explorers and adventurers sure do love their romantic notions. So, do you know how to heal the wounds of broken dreams?”

I don’t!

All I can do is chug cola floats and get drunk to numb the pain!

“You can’t get drunk on cola floats, you know.”

Quiet!

“Hmph... If you don’t know, let me tell you. The only way to heal the pain of lost dreams is with new dreams.”

New dreams?

If finding those was so easy, I wouldn’t be in this mess!

Listen up! I’m a bona fide explorer who’s sailed across the seven seas!

My dreams are big and grand, like glittering piles of gold and silver treasure!

Dreams like that aren’t just lying around for anyone to pick up!

“So, Mr. Explorer who sails the seven seas, are you up to date on the rumors on land?”

Huh?

“Looks like your information gathering is a bit lax. You don’t seem to know that the big shots in the Demon Kingdom have been putting out a call recently.”

Recruiting?

For what?

It’s not conscription, since the war’s over, right?

Explorers don’t find dreams on the battlefield, you know!!!

“The powers that be aren’t always thinking about war. Apparently, they’re starting a new development project.”

Development?!

Oh, so new towns or villages are being established?!

“Lately, there’s been a baby boom. With the war over and population growth expected, the sudden increase has the country scrambling, don’t you think?”

Hmm.

So they’re hurriedly starting development projects because of that?

Well, they were probably preparing the projects steadily, but with the sudden and unexpected change in pace, they had to push their plans forward.

“So, their prized development project is about to start in a hurry. How about it, Mr. Explorer who’s lost his dreams? Don’t you feel like staking a new dream on that uncharted land?” says the barista.

Those words feel like a beam of light shining on me.

If it’s a development project, then the land selected must be untouched territory.

Unseen, untouched virgin territory...

I can smell the scent of adventure.

Until now, I’ve been chasing after unseen things, sailing across various seas.

The things I’ve been chasing... maybe the same things are waiting in those undeveloped lands.

I’d already lost my ship and saw the end of my life as a maritime explorer.

Even if I look to the land for one more chance to find something unseen, I wouldn’t be blamed!!!

“Thanks for the tip, Master! I’m gonna head to that development area!”

“They say they’re recruiting pioneers over at the Demon King’s Castle, so you should head over. It’s quite the buzz, so if you don’t hurry, it might fill up.”

What?!

Then I can’t be getting drunk on sodas here!

First come, first served—that’s the explorer’s code!

Time to charge towards the gateway of new dreamssssssssssssssss!!!

“Wait.”

As I was about to dash out of the café, something whizzed past my cheek.

Right after, there was a stinging sensation on my cheek.

A knife was sticking out of the pillar in front of me.

“Could you please settle your bill before leaving, sir? The total for all the melon sodas, mango sodas, and pineapple sodas you chugged comes to this amount.”

Ah, hahaha...!

Master, you’re pretty good at knife throwing for a café owner, huh?

Um, like I mentioned earlier, I lost my ship and I’m a bit short on cash...

Any chance I can put it on my tab?