Track 2
Cruise Ship - Party Venue
—Ladies and gentlemen, the cruise ship Sea Serpent will soon begin preparations to return to port. Please enjoy the remaining time at your leisure.
Huh? We’re already heading back…?
(So in the end, it really was just a wonderful, ordinary dinner party…）
Chief. How about we go out to the deck and enjoy the night view? As I recall, you didn’t get to take it in properly earlier.
That sounds great!
Cruise Ship - Sky Deck
The sound of the ship’s horn can be heard.
The night view really is beautiful… Even though it’s the same scenery I always see, just stepping outside and looking from here makes it shine so much more.
Yeah...
…Raito-san. Thank you so much for bringing me here today. Truly—
His words are interrupted as a strong wave strikes against the ship.
Wha...?!
...! Chief, take my hand!
Raito holds the Chief’s hand to steady him.
Y-yes. Thank you…for helping me.
Ship Announcement: “Attention passengers—due to the sudden rise in sea level and high waves, we are currently unable to return to port. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience.”
Hey, hey, is this safe…? There wasn’t any forecast for waves this high!
For the tide to rise during ebb tide… What on earth is happening?
…Sudden sea level rise, and high waves…?
…Raito-san! Could this be…a sign that the Kraken1 is appearing?!
!
They say the Kraken’s body is as big as an island. A small ship could be swallowed whole. I read about it online!
Sailors who claimed to see it said a dark shadow rose on the surface, then slowly sank again. …Look, isn’t the sea over there kind of darker than usual?
Chief...
Incredible, truly incredible! You’ve studied UMA so thoroughly… Your knowledge of the Kraken is flawless!
Then, that means—
No. This time, it’s probably something else.
Eh...?
Chief, come here.
(?! H-He pulled me closer by the shoulder…)
See, over there… Look at the western sky. It’s hard to see in the dark, but thick clouds are gathering. The weather must be breaking out west.
Oh… You’re right…
I’m sorry for making you uneasy. But let’s endure it a little longer, until the waves settle down…!
No, it’s fine… I understand!
Park
Whew, I am so glad we made it back to port safely!
Thank you so much for inviting me today, I had a wonderful time!
Once again, I apologize for the extra worry I caused, but if you truly enjoyed yourself still, then I’m glad. If I invite you again, will you come?
Of course!
…Still, I was surprised there wasn’t much talk about UMA. I thought there’d be rituals or debates or something like that.
Haha, we don’t do anything that obvious. But…didn’t you notice?
The champagne and dishes had UMA names, and the venue was decorated with little hidden Nessies and Yetis2 here and there.
Hidden Nessies!? That’s like a theme park3...
And I didn’t even notice the names of the food or drinks. To think that I thought I’d studied so much beforehand…!
Haha, don’t worry. They used some pretty obscure UMA names.
That’s what UMA are: things that slip into daily life, blending in, rarely noticed. Yet they’re still there.
Believing in, chasing, doubting, investigating…and even loving those “seemingly intangible things”—that’s the motto of the UMA Observation Research Group.
This dinner party was held under that theme.
I-I see...
By the way, Chief, you spent the whole party wondering where the UMA elements were, didn’t you?
...!
And when you realized the high waves weren’t caused by the Kraken, you even looked a little disappointed.
(H-he noticed...!)
Eh?!
In any case, thank you for today. It made me happy that the Chief studied about UMAs beforehand.
I’m already looking forward to the next time we go out together. Now then… Where shall I take you next?
W-wait, Raito-san! What do you mean, “UMA swamp”…?!
Hahaha.
Uuuuuugh, Raito-saaaaan~~!!!
The kraken is a legendary sea monster from Scandinavian folklore, often described as a gigantic, tentacled creature that lives deep in the ocean, usually off the coasts of Norway and Greenland. Sailors believed it was so enormous that it could drag entire ships underwater. Personally, I think it’s cute how the Chief (who already canonically likes kappas) seemed interested in yet another aquatic mythical creature.
Nessie is an affectionate nickname given to the loch ness monster, which is believed to live in Scotland’s Loch Ness. Sightings and photos have been reported for decades, but scientific investigations have not confirmed its existence. Similarly, the yeti (otherwise known as “The Abominable Snowman”) is another cryptid that has had many sightings but no veritable proof that it is real. The yeti is said to live in the snowy Himalayan mountains—though in the 18TRIP seasonal event Falling for UMA… Well…
Most likely a reference to how Disney theme parks often have “hidden mickeys” scattered all about the venues, attractions, etc.
In Japanese internet/fandom slang, “沼” (“numa,” literally “swamp” or “bog”) means a fandom or obsession that pulls you in so deeply that you can’t escape. In other words, Raito is saying that the Chief is beginning to get hooked on learning about UMA.