Aegon had eliminated all four Dark Wolves, and now it was time to gather them and share the loot, which included the mana cores, beast hides, fangs, and even bones.
The mercenaries clustered around the fallen creatures, their hands grabbing onto the thick fur and dragging the bodies closer together. Aegon watched them work, his gaze focused as he surveyed the scene.
While the others were preoccupied with the task at hand, Aegon summoned his inventory once again. The panel materialized before him, its gray surface shimmering with hidden treasures. He deftly navigated through the options, selecting the items he wanted to retrieve.
Amidst the commotion, Aegon noticed one of the mercenaries casting a curious glance in the direction he had previously ventured—the place where the fourth Dark Wolf had met its demise.
The gray panel, visible only to him, materialized in front of Aegon once again, and he willed it to spit out the corpse of the Dark Wolf he had stored in it earlier.
With a thud, the body crashed to the ground, drawing the attention of the other mercenaries. Even the one who had been planning to retrieve the corpse of the fourth beast turned to see what had happened.
The sight of the beast appearing out of thin air startled them at first, but then, recalling how Aegon had effortlessly dealt with the three Dark Wolves they had been struggling against, they reasoned that it wouldn't be strange if such a person possessed a Space Key.
A Space Key was a rare and very expensive item that served as a pocket space for the owner. While it was generally called a key, it could come in any form and shape.
The same thought ran through the minds of all six of them, and they immediately scanned Aegon's body, searching for any item that exuded mana attributes relating to space. It was only possible to do so because he had recently used a spatial ability. The item would still emit mana traces of space.
Their search was indeed fruitful as they sensed very minuscule waves of spatial energy coming off a ring worn on the index finger of his left hand.
Seeing the ring brought a higher sense of respect from the mercenaries as one thing became clear to them. The figure in front of them was one with both power and wealth.
Aegon noticed their glance at the ring on his finger and smiled subtly. He had acquired it precisely to create the impression that everything he pulled out from his inventory was, in fact, from his Space Key. His disguise had worked again.
Thud!
They dropped to the ground and lowered their heads. "Thank you for the support rendered today. Well, it wasn't exactly support. You carried the whole thing," one of them spoke first, his tone full of appreciation.
"If you hadn't interfered and the fourth beast was left alone, who knew how much damage the town would've faced?" Another added.
And then another. They seemed to know who would go next, and only when the last figure, the one farthest back, finished speaking did Aegon sigh.
"You all don't have to be so formal. I can swear I'm younger than you all by at least twenty years," Aegon said with a hint of amusement. He wasn't lying. The youngest of them all looked to be in his late forties, while Aegon had just turned twenty-three a few months back.
His words didn't end there though. "I simply helped fellow mercenaries. So please, get up," he pleaded, his voice carrying a mix of humility and respect. He didn't feel comfortable with having elders such as them kneeling before him.
"Besides, what's the slogan among male mercenaries?" His last sentence was a question posed to all six of them, his eyes meeting each of theirs in turn.
In unison, they responded, their voices resonating through the clearing, "A brother who helps a fellow brother in need is a brother indeed!" As the words left their lips, their expressions softened into smiles.
"You are a brother indeed," one of them added, and the others nodded in agreement.
"That's aside. How do you suggest we split the spoils?" One of them asked. Since Aegon was a brother indeed, there was no use for long talks between brothers, right?
They all turned to Aegon, their expressions expectant, eager to hear his suggestion as it had been him who had slain all four beasts. A sense of trust and camaraderie filled the air as they awaited his decision.
He knew it as well. They were giving him the chance to take whatever he wanted, and the rest would then be shared among them. Seeing them agree without a prior gathering, Aegon figured they were closer than he had initially assumed. He smiled.
"One core would be enough for me," he said, his tone casual but determined. Any other person who had done the same thing Aegon did would have collected all four cores since they were worth a lot, but he needed the cores for something else.
The others were surprised to see the beast's core fly out of its body and come to rest on Aegon's palm.
"The others should be used to rebuild the ruined parts of town," Aegon suggested, his gaze sweeping over the worn-out weapons in their hands before he continued.
"And get good weapons as well. The battle would've been to your advantage if you all had decent weapons. Especially you," Aegon pointed at the black-haired man who had stayed away while supporting the other five during the fight, "a good mage should possess a decent magic item."
Aegon looked at the core in his hand and then at the old man, his expression thoughtful.
"Get yourself a decent item," Aegon urged, tossing the core toward the man, the oldest in the group, in his mid-fifties.
"Then…"
"I won't be needing it. You'll need it more than me anyway, and I have more than enough at the moment," Aegon cut the man off before he could say more. He wanted Aegon to at least take another part of the loot, but Aegon insisted on his decision.
"I'll only be in town for a few more days, and I hope to see you guys before I leave," Aegon said, his voice carrying a hint of sincerity.
Their response didn't reach Aegon before he vanished from their midst.
Regardless, they offered polite bows. "Gratitude."
Aegon arrived at the entrance to the inn he had previously slept at for the past few days since he arrived at the town. With the same level of enthusiasm as he'd left his room,he arrived inside again and found the lady still sleeping on his bed. She'd switched positions but she still remained naked in the bed.
He slapped his head in frustration and then a suddenly realization hit him. Only now did the memories of the previous night come flooding into his head.
Last night was… Epic!