Renato sat down at the laboratory bench, took off his elven boots with their blood-caked soles, and put on the "gift" Klauthsura had given him.
These boots were even lighter than his elven boots made from rothé hide. The material felt fine and smooth, and dark scales densely covered both sides of the shafts, gleaming faintly under the Magic Lamp.
Renato stamped twice to settle his heels into place, then stood up to try them out.
The fit was impossibly perfect. His heels rested securely in the recessed heel cups, while his toes had just enough room to move-not too tight, not too loose. They felt as though they had been made to measure.
How did Klauthsura know my shoe size? He had never mentioned his size to the mind flayer. Even Renato himself could not have said exactly what size he wore now.
"I took inspiration from elven craftsmanship and used a double-layer construction," Klauthsura said, standing beside him and beginning its customary explanation. "The outer leather is a single piece of tough hide from a Deep Dragon's back. This hide is dense and resilient, providing both protection and waterproofing."
"The lining is made from the dragon's belly hide. Compared with the hide on its back, the belly hide is softer and more supple, with greater stretch, so it won't cause additional friction against your feet during long walks."
The mind flayer drew a design sketch out of thin air and spread it before Renato.
"Before cutting it, I also used psionics to give the leather a special tanning treatment. This preserved a True Dragon's natural resistance to magic and the various elements while minimizing any loss in the material's properties."
Klauthsura explained its design choices and manufacturing details one by one.
But all Renato felt now was a