Reborn: Demon Core (5 page)

“You two stop that,” Lillian’s said sighing.
“We always complain about the nobles we have been forced to deal
with so don’t go try corrupting the only good one we have met.”

“Not to worry, he is not a noble,” Halon
said.

“Ok enough…lets go the ogres are waiting,”
Lillanis said as she led the way to the labyrinth.

Before heading to the labyrinth, they stopped
by the alchemy shop. There was a number of potions and their prices
changed according to how well they worked. There was potions that
could do almost anything from refilling your HP to giving you a
boost to your HP. The potions that gave you an hour boost of 400
points to your HP cost two gold coins. Ash bought a hundred potions
that refilled MP by a 100 points. Each one cost twenty-five silvers
but Ash considered it coin well spent. He also bought a hundred
Potions that refilled 20SP that cost the same amount.

Ash thought about buying some HP potions as
well but when he did the math it was cheaper to have Lillanis
refill her MP and cast heal then to use HP potions. The only time
HP potions would be useful was if he needed healed immediately and
she was on her cool down period for her spell. Not seeing that
happening Ash decided to forgo the HP potions.

As soon as they entered the labyrinth they
went straight to work. Halon and Jacob lightly protested the use of
potions, but since there was coin to be made, Lillanis supported
him though not very loudly.

With the MP and SP potions there was no lag
between their fighting. Having never used potions before, Ash never
realized how much help they could be, though if he was concerned
about coin then they would seriously eat into the profits.
Thankfully with his high luck attribute, they received a drop item
99% of the time now and at least 75% of the time it was of good
quality.

Ash also didn’t hold back in the fighting and
instead of waiting for Jacob to come for the kill, he took out
quite a few of the ogres alone using a combination of poison vine
whip and death wail. Ash had learned that the ogres were extremely
susceptible to these two techniques and if he used the vine whip
first, most the time the ogres would die when he used death wail.
The only downside was that he couldn’t use it if any of his group
were within fifty feet of him otherwise they would get caught
within its effective range.

Though it was hard, by the end of the day the
group was able to kill enough ogres for Ash to obtain its last
ability, Iron Strike.

[Iron Strike: Cost 15SP- triples the weight
of a single blow.]

The ability sounded simple enough, but Ash
could see its use. To test out the skill he found a lone ogre and
tried it. Before when he hit an ogre with all his strength at most
it would leave a deep cut, but nothing more. This time when he used
iron strike, it neatly severed the ogre’s head from its body in one
clean strike.

“So unfair,” Halon said looking down at his
own sword.

“Don’t sit there and whine about something
you have no control over,” Lillanis said while crossing her arms
over her chest.

“Each and every person in the world is
blessed with at least one unique ability. You are lucky enough to
have two and yet you are still unsatisfied,” Lillanis added.

“That is true, but Ash has an ability that
lets him gather abilities…Even you must admit that it seems
slightly unfair,” Halon replied with a light whimper.

“Yes it is unfair but what can you do about
it. His luck is abnormal,” Lillanis said casually.

“It is not as if I asked for this ability,”
Ash retorted as the two talked as if he was not present. “I cannot
do anything about what the gods have granted me.”

“Don’t let them bother you,” Jacob said with
a small snicker. “They like to play out this little banter every
now and then. I often say the two should just get hitched, but
whenever I mention it I end up having my food budget cut to the
bone.”

“What are you talking about Jacob, who would
want to marry a man who can only think with his sword?” Lillanis
said her face turning slightly red.

“And who would want to be with a woman who
has the charm of a bull frog,” Halon retorted.

“We should leave before they degrade into
throwing things,” Jacob whispered to Ash.

“Let us go so that the two lovers get their
affections out,” Jacob said loudly.

Taking his small friends advice, Ash started
to move toward the boss room so that he could warp out of the
labyrinth when Halon and Lillanis called to them. Looking at the
two, Jacob gave a hearty smile then yelled “run,” as he dashed in
the direction of the plaque.

“Get back here you beardless dwarf,” Halon
shouted chasing after Jacob.

From the smile on Jacob’s face, Ash could
tell the smaller man was enjoying the chase and easily made it to
the plaque before Halon. Ash warped out just after Jacob and
watched as the little man darted into the city interior just before
Halon arrive.

“Where did that little bastard go?” Halon
asked looking around.

“Into the city,” Ash calmly answered.

Halon didn’t waste another second and darted
into the city after Jacob. Just as Halon faded into the distance
Lillanis appeared breathing hard. “You could have held back,”
Lillanis said giving him a harsh glare. “What would have happened
if an ogre appeared while the other two idiots were playing
around?”

“Sorry,” Ash said bowing his head. Lillanis
was right. If anything had happened, it would not only be Jacob and
Halon’s fault but his as well. “I just got caught up in the
moment.”

Lillanis let out a deep sigh then looked in
the direction that Halon had ran in. After being surrounded by
young women over the past months, Ash couldn’t mistake that sigh
for anything other than it was. “You love him huh?”

“Is it that obvious?” Lillanis asked without
a hint of embarrassment. “I met Halon when we were both young. At
the time we lived in a large city and were both living on the
streets. When some older boy were harassing me, Halon showed up
even though he was a year younger and stood up against them. Ever
since that day, he has watched over me. We met Jacob a few years
later.”

“Have you ever told him?” Ash asked as he saw
the warm smile on her face.

“Once…Years ago,” Lillanis said her face
becoming somewhat pained. “He…Told me that he loved me as well, but
only as a sister. For months after that it was awkward between us.
Not wanting the same thing to happen again, I never mentioned it
again.”

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have asked,” Ash said
consolingly as large tears started to form in Lillanis’s eyes.

“It is not your fault,” Lillanis said. “But
if you really want to take pity on this older sister, then a good
glass of elven wine would hit the spot.”

“What about those two?” Ash asked, waving his
hand lazily in the direction of the city.

Lillanis let out a short laugh. “Jacob will
move from bar to bar using what little coin he has hidden away
while Halon will search every bar. If they don’t cross paths then
in the morning they will both come back complaining about their
headaches. If they do meet up, then they will fight, then drink and
return bruised and complaining about their headaches.”

“Well then I don’t have to worry about them
needing fed,” Ash said as he led the way back to the manor.

As soon as they arrived, Ash was greeted by
Allice who was slightly blushing. “Welcome home master.”

“I’m home,” Ash said smiling. “Allice ask
Gilda to find the best elven wine we have and to bring it up to the
sitting room. Tonight Lillanis and I are celebrating idiocy.”

“Yes master,” Allice said though she looked
at Lillanis with a questioning glare.

“So we are dirking to idiots then?” Lillanis
asked as they entered the small sitting room often used for meeting
special visitors. The room wasn’t very big, but it was the only
room in the manor that had cushioned chairs and a long sofa.

“Just the idiot who is too blind to see the
prefect woman for him,” Ash said with a smile.

Gilda quickly arrived carrying a plate of
cold meats and cheeses. Milly followed behind her holding a large
glass bottle in her hands with her small face pinched in
concentration. Smiling Milly lifted the bottle up and Lillanis
quickly took it with a warm smile to the young panther girl.

Lillanis poured her and Ash a glass then sat
the large bottle aside. “What shall we toast to?” She asked as she
lifted up her glass.

“Why don’t we toast to happiness?” Ash said
after a few moments thought. “It is too rare in this world to find
and too easy to lose once it is found.”

“I can agree to that,” Lillanis said lightly
hitting the edge of her glass against Ash’s.

Ash had never drank in his last life and only
sparingly since he had been reborn in this world. It wasn’t that he
didn’t like the taste of wine or ale, but that he feared that it
would mess with his training. Tonight though he forgot about
training and continued to drink as Lillanis poured him glass after
glass.

Within the space of a few hours Ash and
Lillanis drained three bottles of wine. “One time when were we in
the city of Gifar Halon was hitting on this woman at the local inn
we were staying in. Every night he would sweet talk her for hours.
One night after weeks of trying, she finally took him to her
room…he came running back to the common room half naked a few
moments later. It seemed that she was more man than lady.” Lillanis
said, slurring slightly as she told the story.

“Really,” Ash said his head spinning as he
leaned against the large arm of the chair to hold himself up.

“Really,” Lillanis said laughing ash she
leaned her head against Ash’s shoulder. “Jacob still teases him
about it from time to time. Always pisses Halon off.”

“It sounds like you three have had a lot of
good times,” Ash said, the envy evident in his voice.

“We had good times and bad.” Completely
drunk, Lillanis turned her head to look at Ash but her hand moved
as well sloshing some of the wine on his shirt.

“Sorr-rry,” Lillanis slurred as she tried to
wipe the wine off with her handkerchief. When that didn’t work, she
leaned down and started to lick the stain.

“What are you doing?” Ash asked laughing.

“Why waste good wine?” Lillanis replied
laughing.

Suddenly Lillanis stopped laughing and rested
her head on Ash’s chest. “Is there something wrong with me?” She
asked sadly.

“Nothing that I can see,” Ash replied,
absentmindedly rubbing Lillanis’s head with his head the same he
would do Yuki or Allice.

“Then why won’t Halon love me?” She asked,
raising her head up as tears ran from her eyes.

“I don’t know how to answer that,” Ash said,
using his thumb to wipe the tears away from her left eye.

“Don’t I have charm?” Lillanis asked as she
got unsteadily to her feet and twirling around.

“Your beautiful,” Ash answered honestly.

Lillanis laughed then jumped into Ash’s lap
like a spoiled child. Grabbing Ash’s hand, she placed it on her
arm. “Isn’t my skin soft?” Lillanis asked leaning back into
Ash.

“Feels like silk,” Ash said as his finders
traced the skin on her arm. It was soft and felt good to his
fingers.

Suddenly Lillanis turned her head and pulled
him into a kiss. Ash tried to pull back at first, but after a few
seconds his mind went blank. When Lillanis released his breath had
become haggard and his heart was threatening to tear its way
through his chest. “Aren’t my lips soft?”

“Yes,” Ash said his mind in a haze.

“Then why won’t Halon touch me, or kiss me.
Any other woman he is fine with, but he never even looks twice at
me no matter how hard I try.”

“I don’t know,” Ash replied as his hand
continued to run along Lillanis’s smooth skin. His mind completely
absorbed in its silky feeling.

“You are nice,” Lillanis said pulling Ash’s
arms around her waist.

Normally Lillanis wore a simple white dress
with leather armor, but shortly after they had begun drinking she
had removed her armor and placed it in the corner of the room.
Right now Ash could feel Lillanis’s toned stomach under his hands.
Lillanis pushed back into Ash and shifted in his lap.

Turning her head, Lillanis gave Ash another
quick kiss. When she pulled back she looked warmly into Ash’s eyes
then ran her finger tips over his cheek then kissed him again.

Ash pulled back as his mind cleared for a
moment. “I can’t…Emelia,” but before he could say more his lips
were covered again.

Letting go of his lips, Lillanis nipped Ash’s
ear lightly. “Don’t talk, just hold me…Please,” Lillanis said with
a sad glint to her eyes.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Ash felt bad and
took another drink from the bottle on the table. As he sat down the
bottle, he lightly stroked Lillanis’s back.

As the last drink of wine hit him, Ash’s mind
started to get hazy. His eyes started to fade and the rest of the
night was lost in a haze.

The next morning Ash was woken when his head
started to pound as if a small creature had taken up residence
within his skull and was using his temple as an anvil. Sitting up,
Ash found himself in his bed. After grabbing his head, Ash placed
his hand down to steady himself but his hand hit something
soft.

“Uggg…” a pained groaned from beside ash.

In his half-awake and hungover state Ash
thought that Yuki had snuck into his room so he pulled back the
covers. Lying beside him was not Yuki but a completely naked
Lillanis.

“My head,” Lillanis said covering her eyes
with her arm.

“What are you doing here?” Ash nearly yelled
even though his head protested the noise.

“Please don’t yell,” Lillanis said in a
pained voice.