Chapter 6: Goodwill Light Ring?

Kaios strolled around the manor for a while and discovered that everyone he encountered had a ring of light behind their head, which only he could see.

Sharvella's ring of light was entirely blue. Harvey's was two-thirds blue and one-third yellow, though even the blue portion was much paler than Sharvella's.

Housekeeper Pete's ring of light was two-thirds yellow and one-third gray. As for the others, like those Silver Armor Guards, most had a majority of yellow with a small portion of blue. There were also some whose rings were almost entirely gray, with just a hint of purple.

After using a process of elimination, Kaios had formed a basic hypothesis about the rings of light before going to bed. It likely related to how the corresponding person viewed him—in short, their goodwill toward him.

He deduced that blue represented an emotion similar to trust, making it the highest level of intimacy he had seen so far.

Yellow was the next level down, likely representing feelings like respect and reverence.

Gray probably meant a lack of emotion, indicating coldness and detachment.

And purple? Was it disgust or fear? He wasn't entirely sure, but it was definitely negative.

Earlier, when he first confirmed he had crossed over into this world and met Old Pete, Harvey, and Sharvella, he had noticed his acute ability to see or feel others' emotions. He could even perceive the most subtle changes.

Later, after learning about the Soul Subordination Contract, he figured this ability must be related to it. As a Lord, he could easily discern the emotional shifts and the sincerity of his Contracted Servants.

Now, these visual goodwill light rings were likely a byproduct of the Soul Subordination Contract combined with whatever he had sensed in the painting studio earlier.

Regardless, it was an incredibly useful ability that would help him maximize his advantages and minimize risks.

Early the next morning, as soon as Kaios woke up, Housekeeper Pete hurried over. He reported that Dominic the Great Mage would likely visit today to examine his condition. Yesterday, the moment Kaios had awakened, the manor had immediately dispatched someone to rush to the Holy Protection Palace in Yulang City to inform Dominic the Great Mage and Chief Judge Pande.

During Dominic the Great Mage's previous visit to check on Kaios's condition, he had already sent an assessment report to the Holy City, recommending the stripping of all of Kaios's Soul Subordination Contracts through a special procedure.

Once the Elders and the Alliance Leader in the Holy City passed the resolution, Punishment Knights and Holy Protection Mages would arrive with the backup Soul Subordination Contracts kept in the Saintly Heart Hall to enforce the decision. That would be extremely troublesome.

Therefore, the sooner Dominic could re-examine him and send a revised assessment to the Holy City, the better. Old Pete's handling of the situation was naturally flawless.

Armed with the light rings to gauge goodwill, Kaios's guard against Old Pete dropped significantly after seeing that the old man's ring was predominantly yellow.

"I sent word last night to Manager Hu of our nearby Chengluo Factory, asking him to come over first thing this morning. He is a Level 11 High Tier Great Mage, so he can bolster our presence somewhat. In a moment, our Manor Guard Commander, Lu Hao, will also come to see you. He took up the post of Manor Guard Commander here four years ago and is currently a Level 10 High Tier Spiritual Energy Warrior," Pete explained.

While Kaios ate breakfast in the dining room, Old Pete stood closely by, softly outlining his schedule for the day and the people and events he would encounter. Taking Kaios's amnesia into account, he provided highly detailed backgrounds on these individuals.

In truth, Kaios had already learned of the Manor Guard Commander Lu Hao's existence from Harvey the night before. At the time, he had been quite puzzled. As the Guard Commander and currently the highest-tier Spiritual Energy Warrior in the manor, why hadn't Lu Hao rushed to see him the moment he woke up, like Pete had?

However, both Harvey and Sharvella had told him that this Guard Commander was not very important. Although Lu Hao was a Level 10 Spiritual Energy Warrior, he was already an elderly man of seventy-six, and his actual combat prowess was quite limited.

Moreover, in terms of ranking among the Contracted Servants, he was actually at the same tier as Harvey—a Chief Guard—which was one level lower than Sharvella's rank of Personal Guard.

Strictly speaking, within the guard hierarchy of the Li family's manor at this moment, Sharvella held the highest rank.

While browsing through family-related documents yesterday, he had come across the Li family's two promotion pathways for Contracted Servants. He wasn't sure if these applied to all nobles in the Holy Protection Alliance or if they were unique to the Li family.

One was the guard pathway, progressing from Light Armor Guard to Full Armor Guard, then Chief Guard, and finally Captain of the Guard, with Personal Guard being equivalent in rank to Captain of the Guard.

Generally, Contracted Servants dispatched as Commanders to lead elite squads in expanding territory or defending fortresses for the Li family would hold the title of Captain of the Guard. This title determined a Contracted Servant's status and their various benefits.

Aside from the guard pathway, there was also the housekeeper pathway, which progressed through the ranks of Servant, Servant, Chief Steward, and finally Housekeeper. Someone like Manager Juan, who was arriving today, held the title of Housekeeper and received the corresponding benefits.

Lu Hao serving as a Guard Commander while only holding the title of Chief Guard naturally had its reasons.

After finishing breakfast, Kaios met with the newly arrived Manager Juan, as well as the gray-haired Guard Commander Lu Hao, who came in together to pay their respects.

"Seeing you personally handling affairs with such vigor and spirit again, My Lord, fills this humble one with boundless joy and excitement! I sincerely hope you continue to take good care of your health in the future!" Juan was a middle-aged man in his thirties. Like Pete, he had features resembling the Latino descent of Kaios's previous life. Upon meeting, he acted extremely emotional, seemingly deeply concerned about Kaios's health and incomparably loyal.

However, not only did Kaios determine through Emotion Perception that Juan wasn't nearly as thrilled as he let on, but he could also see from the mostly purple and slightly gray ring of light behind his head that this guy actually harbored a deep disgust for him—or rather, for the original owner of this body. He didn't even hold an ounce of respect, let alone loyalty or trust.

In contrast, the elderly Spiritual Energy Warrior Lu Hao, who had merely offered a mild "My Lord" in greeting, had a ring of light that was half blue and half yellow. Among the people Kaios had met so far, Lu Hao's goodwill was second only to Sharvella and Harvey.

Nevertheless, Kaios didn't immediately show his likes, dislikes, or inclinations. In fact, he deliberately chatted with Juan a bit more.

Less than an hour after he met Juan and Lu Hao, Dominic the Great Mage arrived at the manor, escorted by twelve Punishment Knights.

Kaios led a group of guards and housekeepers out to welcome them. This had also been suggested by Old Pete. Although Dominic himself was merely a Contracted Servant, his Contracted Lord was Chief Judge Pande of the Holy Protection Palace in Yulang City, and Dominic was also one of the palace's advisors. As a Three-leaf Baron, it was necessary for Kaios to build a good relationship with him.

However, the moment he saw Dominic, Kaios nearly lost his composure. It wasn't because he sensed Dominic's displeasure tinged with a hint of curiosity, but because, at the exact moment he perceived those emotions, a ring of light materialized behind Dominic's head.

This meant that neither his Emotion Perception nor the goodwill light ring had anything to do with the Soul Subordination Contract!