Otaku Translation: Lone Adventure V5C2

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Chapter 2: The Telescope’s Function (Part 2)

The street vendors, though instrumental in fueling the city's bustling commerce, were not without their downsides. Their presence was like an unchecked weed infestation—chaotic and suffocating. The once-wide, smooth-flowing streets were now clogged beyond recognition, forcing people to shuffle forward in a slow, awkward procession, shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers.

To my left front, a burly orc growled impatiently at his companion, his voice cutting through the din. "Damn it! On any other day, I’d confiscate all this junk and fine these guys five hundred bucks for obstructing the road, plus two hundred for management fees. That’d teach them to set up shop wherever they please."

His friend blinked at him, surprised. "What do you do for a living?"

"City inspector," came the curt reply.

"Ah..." A ripple of understanding spread through the crowd around him, accompanied by knowing glances that seemed to carry layers of unspoken judgment.

Finding someone in this sea of bodies was no small feat, but the telescope proved invaluable. It allowed me to spot Elegant Strings from afar. The poor elf ranger struggled more than most in the chaos. Visibly frail, he drifted aimlessly with the tide of humanity, his slight frame accentuated by the crush. He looked as if the pressure had compressed him vertically, making him appear taller—or perhaps just more fragile.

"Hey, Elegant Strings!" I called out as I finally elbowed my way close enough to wave at him.

"You...?" His tone carried confusion, his eyes vacant.

"I’m Jeff, Jeffrey Kidd," I said quickly, not expecting him to recognize me through the haze of bodies. "...Stay put—I’ll get us out of here!"

With renewed determination, I pushed through the throng until I reached his side, grabbed his arm, and began dragging him toward the city gates. It felt like wading through molasses, but eventually, we broke free of the crowd and burst into the open air beyond the walls.

"Whew..." I exhaled deeply, adjusting my armor and helmet, which had been knocked askew during our escape. "...I can’t believe how crowded it’s gotten."

"Yeah..." Elegant Strings nodded. "...Free beta testing started, after all."

Free beta? What was that? Though I didn't know what he was saying, I decided to play along.

"Mm-hmm... Right..." I mumbled vaguely before asking, "...So, where are you headed?"

"I need to visit the blacksmith to repair my gear."

"The blacksmith?" My knees nearly buckled. "Isn’t that near the east gate?"

"Yes, why?"

"We’re at the west gate—and we just fought our way out..." I gestured toward the still-packed entrance, swallowing hard. "...uh… Do you want to go back the way we came?"

In the end, we opted against retracing our steps through the madness. Instead, we took a wide detour around Kampnavia’s outer walls, looping all the way to the eastern gate. Though it doubled our travel time, I estimated that trying to reenter via the west gate might have left us trapped there indefinitely.

After helping Elegant Strings fix his equipment, I guided him outside the city to a quiet spot nestled among the trees. Pulling the homemade telescope from my pack, I handed it to him.

"Try this on," I said.

"What is it?" He examined the strange contraption skeptically.

"It’s a telescope—something I made." I explained its origins and purpose, then added my bold hypothesis. "...If you use it, it might improve your vision slightly."

"Do you think it’ll work?" He hesitated, doubt flickering across his face.

"Hard to say. We won’t know unless you try." The novelty of the idea sparked my curiosity, filling me with an inexplicable excitement. I practically bounced on my heels, eager to see the results.

Elegant Strings reluctantly raised the telescope to his eyes, peering at a nearby bush. After a moment, he lowered it, squinted at the same spot without it, then repeated the process several times, comparing carefully.

"Well? Any difference?" I pressed anxiously.

He removed the telescope and pointed to a rabbit crawling through the underbrush. "Without it, I only see a blurry black dot."

Reattaching the device, he pointed again. "With it, things look... clearer."

"Really? Can you see clearly now?" I leaned in eagerly.

Elegant Strings shook his head, forming a small circle with his thumb and forefinger, leaving about a third of an inch between them.

"With it, I see a larger, blurrier black dot."

He chuckled ruefully, his expression tinged with self-deprecating humor.

"Doesn’t work, huh?" Despite knowing it wouldn’t affect me directly, I felt a pang of disappointment sharper than his own. Dejected, I retrieved the telescope and tossed it back into my bag.

Elegant Strings noticed my deflated demeanor and offered a consoling smile. "Jeff, thank you for thinking of me first with something you worked so hard on."

"It wasn’t specifically for you—I just happened to see you and thought of it. No big deal..." I waved dismissively. "...And stop bowing to that tree; I’m standing right behind you."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if struck by an idea. "Oh, Jeff—you said you hand-polished these lenses, right?"

"Yeah, didn’t I mention that already? What about it?"

A sly grin spread across the elf’s face. "If that’s true, Jeff, I may have a brilliant idea..."

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