Barbara thoroughly explained to Lander the real meaning of soul with Lord Kazo and Sung-min adding some informations.
After that, Aria came just in time and Lander asked her, "So? Where are the books."
Aria tossed her a ring. Lander was dumbfounded, "I didn't ask for a ring? I wanted books. Or do you want me to marry you?"
Barbara giggled, Sung-min laughed wholeheartedly, Lord Kazo smiled and the others just hid their smiles and laughed inwardly.
Aria became so embarrassed, she never thought of her actions that she ended up embarrassing herself. Indeed, giving a ring to a person means giving your heart. But she never thought of that as her mind was preoccupied by her precious things and secrets stored on her storage ring that was stolen by Lander.
"Bastard! The books are inside that storage ring," Aria told her with a slight anger but her face was still full of embarrassment.
"Huh?" Lander was ignorant as he never knew about the storage ring.
Lord Kazo then asked Lander to give him the ring, "Basically, this ring is the most common storage ring where in only commoners with no abilities to do magic and outcasts are the only ones who can use it. As Lady Barbara has explained to you a while ago, this ring can be opened if you drop your blood in it. But, mind you that the blood needs to have the essence of your soul. By doing that, you have to concentrate and remove the soul essence of the previous user before you can use it. You can only do that if you're soul is stronger than the previous owner."
Lander already knew about things related to soul so he nodded. As an outcast, his soul would be ranked as the lowest which was the Ordinary Soul followed by the Common next was Basic, Intermediate, Advance, Expert and Legend Soul respectively.
Soul ranking doesn't mean having the greatest or largest soul but by the ability to use soul in contracting beasts and slaves, communication and magic.
Being able to have a soul contract with a pet, messenger and mount would be equal to having a soul adaptability to beasts ranked as a Basic Soul. But being able to have a contract with one or two beasts would be ranked as Common Soul.
Ordinary Soul referred to the people who can't have a contract with any single beast but has the quality to use soul to open storage things but has a deficit, as it could lead to soul eruption destroying the human quality of being alive. So only a few outcast carry a storage ring.
If a person met these requirements and was able to have a slave or two without soul eruption, then that person could be ranked as Intermediate Soul user.
As for Advance, that depends if a person can cast magic without using any battle equipment but can damage the opponent via soul magic. Also, Advance Soul user can have at least 3 slaves.
Expert Soul user and Legend Soul user were the people who achieved the greatest soul ability where in they could control their beasts and slaves with just their soul and has no capability to resist.
"So how do I use soul exactly?" Lander asked.
"Soul is not something you can use. Soul is a thing you have that only you can control but not to use. Because it is something that comes freely as you wanted," Lord Kazo explained.
"So what if I can't open the storage ring?" Lander asked with curiosity. He knew that a good thing always goes with a danger.
"Either soul eruption or low soul manipulation." Barbara answered.
"If it's a low soul manipulation? What would happen?" Lander asked doubtfully. He can't take risks if he knew that he could be in danger when trying.
"You can have another go and try again," Sung-min answered smiling.
"So it's either I go insane or if my soul and I are together, then success would follow?" Lander asked.
"Right!" The four of them answered.
"Then how could I increase my success rate?" Lander asked the thing that concerned him. As this would bring him more chances of surviving in this world. No, their survival, him Yan Yan and Grey.
"That depends on each person. And since you have a contract beast, you can try and find how you can control your soul." Lord Kazo answered looking at Grey.
Lander was dejected. He was hoping he could have some guide but unfortunately, there was no guide as he has to learn by himself.
Since they could not help him, Lander asked Lord Kazo to remove the soul of Aria's soul in the ring and bring out the books he needed. He also asked him to store his travelling bag inside the storage ring. He will try his hardest to learn how he could operate the ring using his soul so it could at least lessen his burden in carrying his stuffs.
When everything was done. Lander stood up and brought out the things he borrowed, "Thank you all for your cooperation! And since everything was set then we shall take our leave." Lander said as he carried four large books, a medium sized and two small books.
"You can have that money young man. But where will you go? If you want, you can have a rest here." Lord Kazo politely invited.
"Thank you Elder but I don't need your money as I have the money of that guard and woman and of course, I wouldn't want to trouble you so I will go to where my kins are staying," Lander politely declined.
As he was about to turn his back in them, "Ah Elder, I have one request."
"Do tell," Lord Kazo said smiling.
"Can you please take care of those two? I will come back and deal with them later," Lander asked politely as he was looking at the woman and the guard who immediately tensed up when they saw Lander looking at them.
"Not a problem young man. But since you declined my offer, at least let my guard accompany you in the suburbs of the capital where the outcasts live." Lord Kazo friendly offered.
Lander nodded and was led out by the guard of Lord Kazo.
Seeing his figure disappeared, Sung-min turned his head on Lord Kazo, "Lord, why didn't you give him tips when he asked you about the success rate of controlling the soul?"
"He's Great Duke Bobby's disciple, so I must believe him. And how about you milady? Why didn't you give all the informations he needed when he asked you how to enter the academy?" Lord Kazo asked back.
"He's gonna fail anyways," Sung-min replied clenching her fists while Barbara nodded. Only Lord Kazo and Aria thought otherwise.
"Lord? I haven't forgotten about what happened earlier. I will tell my parents about it to give you some punishment. That would at least lighten our mood from the shame we felt," Barbara said with a glint in her eyes looking at Lord Kazo before she also turned away followed by the two.
Lander, Grey and Yan Yan who were being led by a guard arrived at the suburbs of the capital with ease.
The guard assisted them to get an accommodation and a meal before he left them ensuring that everything was settled. Lander thanked him politely.
After that, Grey and Yan Yan rested as they have been traveling and training these couple of days so they needed enough rest. While Lander was immersed in his reading.
The night came quickly, Lander who was still reading felt his eyelids closing and slowly advanced into sleeping with an awkward position.
Unknown to him, Elder Bobby was actually leading a bearded old man towards his own manor.
This old man has pointed ears with a mustache touching his belly. He also has these horns of a deer. He was actually a Druid.
Elder Bobby invited him and served him hospitably as they sat down and enjoyed a tea while having a simple conversation when they were interrupted.
"Greetings Great Duke and to our Respectable Druid, I have brought news," Lord Kazo said. When he heard the news that the Great Duke returned, he immediately ran towards his manor.
"Tell me," Great Duke Bobby said in a very friendly way.
"Your disciple came this afternoon and I have led him to my manor to have a simple conversation," Lord Kazo started.
He told him everything that happened during the afternoon without escaping a single information, how he provoked the elite students and the Three Great Beauties, adding his impressive fighting abilities that made his arm numb and also how he fought back his aura despite having no means to counter. Even how he stole their belongings without being caught.
Elder Bobby laughed as he listened while nodding his head from time to time.
Lord Kazo also included those elites who hunted him down and almost got him dead. He only learned of this when those elites were asking informations about Lander so he coaxed one of those elites to tell him all the things that happened.
Elder Bobby squinted his eyes, "So? Did you catch them?"
Lord Kazo nodded as he signaled his guard. After a while, a group of men, 14 in total entered with only one woman, "Here they are Great Duke, as for the woman and that guard, Lander told me that he would deal with them personally."
Great Duke Bobby released his overwhelming aura engulfing the group of men, the guard and the woman, "It is the reason why I hated slavery when you think of outcasts like they are animals! How dare you do that to my disciple, as much as I hated slavery, I will take this time as an exception."
"Now, release your soul and be my slave or else, death will be in your doorsteps," Great Elder Bobby said with a majestic presence.
All of them felt fright and obediently did what the Great Duke asked them. But Elder Bobby didn't bind a contract with the woman and the guard as he respected Lander's decision.
After having a slave contract, a bright light shone on their chest as a tattoo appeared indicating that they were slaves.
It was a round tattoo with an arm being chained in the middle. Once the chain was broken, it signifies the end of their slavery contract. But for them, they could only sigh to their fate as they don't have the capability to unseal the chain.
The next moment, Elder Bobby assigned them their first mission, "Go and protect my disciple secretly until he enters the academy. Do not show yourselves to him unless he is on the brink of death."
The thirteen men excluding the guard were aghast when they heard that an outcast wishes to enter the academy but they soon nodded as they can't say no to their slave master.
Soon, they left his manor with the exception of the guard and the woman. "As for you two, go and meet Lander tomorrow. If you dare do something that would hurt him, I will show my wrath to your entire generation."
The guard and the woman felt terror and beads of sweat rolled down their faces as they both kowtowed, "We will do what you wish Great Duke."
Then the two hurriedly ran off going straight to the suburbs of the capital.
"Is he really that interesting?" The Druid asked Elder Bobby.
"My friend, you know that my instinct never fails me." Elder Bobby answered in a friendly manner.
"Mmmh!" The Druid just nodded and they continued their conversation inviting Lord Kazo with them.