Under Orsaga's watch.
Lady of Pain's hand, which held the Snake Scale, was fair and soft.
Yet in her hand, that Snake Scale, with the texture of hard metal, seemed like some exceedingly malleable lump of putty.
She kneaded it casually.
Its form kept changing.
One moment it was round, the next it was square...
Ever-changing and full of uncertainty.
Seeing this.
Orsaga understood.
Even Lady of Pain herself had not quite decided what form her gift—or rather, her trial—should take.
Only after some more time had passed.
Amid Orsaga's wordless silence.
Did Lady of Pain finally settle on what she wanted.
With just a few deft motions.
She completely transformed the Snake Scale into a scroll-like object roughly thirty centimeters long and as thick as a walnut, its outer layer covered in green patterns, while its entire body emitted a faint, subtle golden glow!
If one carefully observed that glow.
One could vaguely see within it strange, ancient characters as tiny as gnats, constantly flickering and drifting about...
As for this appearance, putting everything else aside.
At the very least.
Its technical sophistication had gone up.
Compared to the original plain scale, it carried a touch of artistry while revealing an air of mystery.
Just looking at it made it seem like some incomparably precious treasure!
One could imagine.
If certain adventurers found this thing in some secret realm or exploration site, they would surely want to chop up their teammates and keep it all for themselves.
It was a thoroughly qualified treasure!
Solid!
Then, before Orsaga's eyes, Lady of Pain casually tore open a patch of space.
Temporarily linking some distant location with this place!
On the other side of space and time.
A special individual was revealed, utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
He was