*****
Arthur's face contorted with shock upon reading the skill's description.
There were two types of Passives in this world.
One was Fixed Passives, these passives were the ones whose effects were fixed and were not alterable.
Their effect would remain throughout the user's daily life and they could not change it any way so.
These passives were the common ones out of the two types.
Second was Alterable Passives, and as their name suggested these passive were the ones who effect could be altered.
The user could lessen or heighten their effects by inputting mana into the passives.
These type of passives were very rare as their value was a lot.
Because sometimes passives obtained were not always good in the long run if a user obtained them and soon they would regret their choice.
Alterable Passives were quite useful in this regard as a user could lessen their effect by taking mana away from the skill.
And Arthur's new skill, [Apathetic Sovereign] was not only a [Grandmaster++] skill but also an Alterable Passive!
The effects were great as well.
The enhancement of 10% of all skills permanently was great!
And although many effects were a lot lesser than before, the effects were permanent rather than for a specific time now!
Arthur finally understood why he was not even feeling a little bit of fear back then and why his demeanor and tone was so cold.
It was because of this skill and his lessened emotions were also acting right now.
Overall, the passive was great and its use in the future would be invaluable.
The labyrinth was totally worth the rewards he had got from it.
Breaking him out of his thoughts, was the knock on the door by a maid.
"Young master, the lunch is ready. Everyone is awaiting your arrival."
Arthur nodded and answered to affirm to the maid.
"Sure, I'll be there."
Pushing the rest of the thoughts, Arthur stood up and went out of the room towards the dining room.
*****
Right now, Arthur was sitting on the table having dinner with Hilston, Maria and Lilith.
"So you ended up in a labyrinth?" Hilston questioned to affirm what he had heard from Arthur.
Right now, Arthur had told them a false story that he was attempting a labyrinth when an incident occurred and the labyrinth portal was cut off from their end.
Incidents with labyrinths although not common, were not that rare as well.
The spatial fluctuations and the event horizon of the portal could undergo many problems when coming into contact with foreign things.
This was why the L.A was trying to understand the portals but they were completely unknown to the space element.
Well one person knew it inside out, but of course they were too prideful to ask for his help.
"Yes. The labyrinth was cut off from our side and it underwent a rank change making it considerably harder for me." Arthur answered his question to affirm his thoughts.
Although Hilston and Maria could sense that something was wrong, they didn't ask as they knew the Blades had their confidentiality promises.
Every house did for that matter.
The only person who was completely unbothered by what had transpired was Lilith, as she quietly ate her food and attentively listened to his story by looking at him time to time.
What she was bothered by was Arthur's strength and rank.
She wasn't one to not admit her defeat, he had beat her fair and square and there wasn't any wrong in that.
But she was bothered by was how his rank was so high at just a tender age of 10.
This was a world breaking history actually!
A [Novice++] at just the age of 10!
Only Hilston and Maria were not surprised by his rank as if they already knew the news even though they were very surprised when they heard it for the first time.
Arthur didn't know what the reason was why they knew, but the answer came soon after.
"Your father and Hilston here were best friends in CRATE during their whole tenure there. They were always competing in one way or another." Maria gestured towards Hilston and chuckled.
Arthur's eyebrow shot up a little in surprise cause this was new information to him. Taking note of his reaction, Hilston laughed and added.
"He hasn't told you has he? Makes sense, he was always ahead of me in every way I can remember even though I was rank 2 and he was rank 1. You father was a monster and he gets too embarrassed to recall those memories now."
Arthur nodded in approval, his father was a bad sucker of praise and would turn red whenever his mother praised him.
"Your mother, Natasha and I were best friends in the academy. We were always coupled with your father and Hilston which was why we had such a good relationship."
Arthur nodded and he understood the reason now.
The Blades and Blackhearts were in a much deeper and closer relationship than the Blades and Glades which was further proven by his parents telling the Blackhearts of his stigmata awakening while not Glades.
It was probably cause only his mother knew them but his father had a normal relationship with them.
And looking at look on Lilith's face, Arthur guessed that they hadn't told her about it as well.
Finally, still not understanding anything about his power, Lilith asked him.
"Why is your rank so high?"
Arthur looked at her and matched her crimson gaze with his sapphire one.
He understood her question and gaze.
She was not asking about his strength or how he had defeated her.
She wasn't even asking about how skills or the power he had displayed according to his rank.
She just wanted to ask how he had progressed so much in his rank within 5 years of his awakening.
It was as if she wanted to confirm something and Arthur could see it in her eyes although they were fully indifferent and held a sense of cold in them.
Unfortunately, for her Arthur wasn't going to answer this question in any way.
She wasn't close to him in any way like they had not even talked 2 sentences.
Even though his parents and her parents knew each other, that didn't mean Arthur would tell her his secrets.
Even though he was grateful she had saved his life and it was equal to a Sacra that was it.
If she needed his help anytime he would help because of that but that was it.
He was like he was, cold and indifferent to people he did not know and his new passive skill amplified those emotions even more.
So with a cold tone and glint in his eyes he replied to her question back.
"I just trained like hell, that's it."
With his reply, their gazes kept locked for a few seconds as if Lilith was processing his answer before she finally nodded and started eating again.
The rest of the dinner proceeded normally and nothing special happened before Arthur's departure portal was finally ready.
___________________
Thanks for reading!
I knew this chapter was kinda boring but believe me this was important to set up the future story that would be coming.
Also, what do you think about Lilith's question?
Do you think she had a hidden motive behind it?
Let me know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments and please don't hesitate to point out my mistakes.
That said, there are only a few chapters left in the first arc before our boy finally leaves on Blades Exodus. (Dw it will be explained what it is later.)
Thank you :) :>