"Your aware she's a devil right?" Lilith said pointing at his lap.
"What?" Zack replied as he noticed Tanya at Lilith's side.
Zack looked over shocked to see a stranger in his lap. He looked down realizing her horn curvature was different from a demon's, and her tail was thicker at the base. Closing his eyes he focused on her aura and realized it matched an adult. That's when he realized the tremendous power lurking within her.
Ruby had been making deals with a mortal for over a thousand years, and with each deal, they provided to Lucifer their power rose. She has served Mephisto's family for several centuries, and along with her servant duties, she provides security.
In the event anything was to happen in the auction she was meant to ensure Zack could relax. After the events in the market, Mephisto wanted to ensure no more problems. Fulfilling her role was easiest from sitting in his lap, and she wanted to test his reaction.
When a devil's demonic essence hits maturity there appearance stops advancing. This allowed them to keep their youthful appearance their entire life and made it easier for them to close deals with mortals.
Ruby was aware her petite frame could be misleading with her youthful appearance, and toying with people was one of her many hobbies. Zack quickly lifted her up putting her down on the ground.
"What's wrong?" Ruby smirked.
"He probably mistook you for a demon." Lilith laughed seeing Zack's embarrassed face.
"Something wrong with being a devil?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, I thought all species were welcome." Lilith teased.
Zack knew that Lilith was trying to force a reaction out of him. He patted his thigh allowing Ruby to return. Lilith wanted to tease him more and looked disappointed. Kaya glanced at Ruby's chest with a smirk. She was happy to finally have the one up on someone.
"You wanted to discuss something," Hisato stated.
"I'm sure you know about the teleportation array I can set up. I would like to have one set up with you if that's okay." Zack suggested.
"Her reports were very thorough. I've looked it over, but still can't replicate the effects. How do you achieve this? I checked the one you gave Haruna thoroughly, and it was a simple stone." Hisato asked.
"About a year ago a tsunami was preparing to hit a coastal village. At the time I was using my full power to halt the disaster while they attempted to flee. When I was passing through I was still recovering from a major battle. Since I couldn't stop it for long I was forced to set the array up. I knew it was reckless but had no choice. Thankfully it worked, and after I experimented with it more I discovered my grace was the cause." Zack explained.
"Setting one up would between us would definitely benefit both of us greatly," Kintaro suggest as he glanced towards Alisha.
"I agree with Kintaro. My desire to do this stems from building trade routes, and a relationship between our people. With your information network, I can help a lot of people. I can also help you connect your network, and given the incident in Stormhaven you must see the value in this." Zack stated.
"Connecting our network would revolutionize our system. If you wanna prepare me a set they can begin right away." Hisato said while glancing at Kintaro's squad.
Zack could see Kintaro wasn't ready to leave just yet. He was getting used to the lifestyle in Eden, and also wanted another night with Alisha.
"They need to soak in my grace till morning. When it's done I'll send them with Kintaro," Zack stated.
Zack lifted Ruby up preparing to walk to the table. He wanted a drink, but the servants stopped him.
"If you need anything you just need to ask." A demon said with a smile.
"Anything?" Zack asked.
The demon smirked pressing up against him.
"That's right." The demon said running her hands down his chest.
"Then grab some food, and join us." Zack smiled.
The servants thought Zack was joking until they saw his companions grabbing their food themselves. They looked around, and there were more than enough seats. Everything being served was high quality, and they never experienced such luxuries before. Zack saw them eyeing the food and fixed a plate handing it to the woman.
"This is too much for us to eat alone, and it would be a shame for this food to go to waste." Zack smiled walking back to his seat.
Ruby walked up accepting his offer and grabbed a few drinks. Seeing this the others sat down talking with Zack's companions. Not long after a succubus wearing a red qipao walked onto the stage.
"Is that one of yours?" Zack asked.
Destiny was happy he could notice her work so easily and nodded at him with a smile.
"My name is Isabel, and I'll be your host today. We have a large roster tonight so let's get started." Isabel announced.
In the first few segments, it was the usual bulk health potions and magic crystals. Zack promptly bought them all. Rolen could always use more crystals in the forge, and with the children getting into training he finally had a use for potions. With them, they would be able to absorb mana faster, and given the vast amount in Eden, they would benefit tremendously.
"Up next we have a set of grade four armor. We will start the bidding at one thousand gold." Isabel announced.
"You need to just buy from me directly," Vicente suggested.
"You sold your stock last month, and I thought you were waiting till spring to start running them?" Zack asked.
"We are, but I'm talking about going forward. You should have more than enough to last you through winter." Vicente replied.
"We definitely do. I'm not even halfway through our current inventory." Rolen stated.
"I have another use for them," Zack replied.
"Haruna mentioned you training the children. That library must truly be impressive." Hisato said knowing his intentions.
There was an array that would allow you to channel the mana inside to strengthen one's endurance, and would also enrich their meridians allowing them to cultivate more mana. The method was only effective on those yet to pass puberty, and it would expend a lot of resources for only one person. What Hisato didn't know was the one they used was only a small part of the array.
"You're welcome to visit it anytime. So long as you understand that the books must remain in the library. They belonged to someone special, and I don't wish to lose any." Zack stated.
Hisato wasn't expecting such a direct response. He wanted to visit right away but knew Zack was staying overnight. Knowing it would be rude to visit without his host he kept his composure. Hisato was expecting Zack to be an ally, but not one willing to give so much.
"I have a request and feel free to say no. How would you feel about my grandaughter staying with you?" Hisato inquired.
Haruna looked over confused by his request. Hisato already had another mission assigned to her, and she was to leave after the auction. Haruna would never refuse an order and didn't feel any particular way about Eden. Unlike the rest of the shinobi to visit she was unphased by its charms. She just couldn't comprehend his reasoning behind such a request. Anyone else could fill her position with ease, and it was clear Kintaro wished to stay.
"From our exchange, it seems I'm the one getting all the benefits. Haruna is my most talented operative and could help your cause in many ways. I also want you to understand how seriously I view our partnership. After all, there is nothing more precious to me than my grandchildren." Hisato stated.
"So long as Haruna doesn't mind," Zack replied.
"Go inform Katsumi she will be taking over the infiltration," Hisato told Asad mentally.
"Yes sir."