Newcastle

Please keep in mind that it is difficult to write the existing personalities of other characters. Tell me if I'm doing it wrong.

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"System, will the effects of the {Strength Elixir} degrade after the first one?"

[Yes. You are only able to drink it one more time until you completely lose the effects of the {Strength Elixir}]

"So, after drinking this, I only have one more chance to easily improve my strength."

[Yes]

'Should I really take it, or should I just wait?'

'No! I must improve my strength. I need to get stronger to survive the forest.'

Before taking the potion, Arthur asked the system why the emperor was sending him to Newcastle to fight dangerous beasts.

[The system can't read people's thoughts but believes the emperor is sending you to gain experience.]

'So, the emperor isn't sending me to my death!'

Arthur looked at the elixir and quickly drank it. He waited for the pain that he normally read in novels when people drank potions, but it never came. Instead, a refreshing feeling came and surged through his whole body.

He felt that he was taking a perfectly tempered bath and felt great.

"So, this is what it feels like."

Arthur flexed and decided to test his strength when he was on his journey. Arthur decided to save the last elixir for emergency situations.

'Let's start my journey to Newcastle.'

However, Arthur wasn't the only person journeying toward Newcastle.

"I'm not lost right?"

Sirius checked the map again and sighed in relief.

"I don't think so, phew." He wiped off the imaginary sweat and continued walking but Sirius wasn't alone.

The blue thread of energy was with him!

Sirius wasn't alone but he wasn't exactly with someone. Though it didn't matter to him as the blue thread of energy is still a companion to him.

'Once I get to Newcastle, I will be closer to the capital, but I see that there is a dangerous beast forest there, so I am going to have to avoid that. Thankfully I don't have to go the long way since the forest is on the opposite side of where I am going.'

It has been 3 days since he set out and now Sirius was just a couple of hours to Newcastle. 'After so long I'm so close. I'm so tired.'

A couple of hours later Sirius arrived at the huge gate of Newcastle. The two guards looked at Sirius and the skinny one with full body armor asked, "Visit or stay?"

'They can't see the blue thread of energy?'

"I would like to stay for a couple of days," Sirius answered.

The skinny guard inspected Sirius including the supplies he held.

"I'll take all of the money as a reward for all the hard work I have been doing." The guard said with a smirk.

"What?" Sirius was momentarily shocked but then just sighed inside as he forgot that he was in the buffed version of Akame ga kill.

"You can go now." The guard said.

Sirius walked past them and entered the gate while ignoring the snickering sounds from behind.

The fortress had more soldiers inside than actual civilians.

Weapons everywhere, kids training, and women flattering or doing it with men outside.

'I should see if I can join or if I can join the training. Practice with swords is something I'm going to need.'

Thankfully Sirius didn't need to ask.

"Hey kid, you want to learn how to wield a sword?" A middle-aged man clad in armor shouted out to me.

'The hell? An NPC?'

"Um, yeah."

"Good good. I want you to punch someone for me."

"Punch someone?"

"Yes, I want you to punch that man over there that is having some fun with the lady. If you do that, then I will teach you the way of the sword." The middle-aged man said with a bright and kindly smile as if he was a saint walking the earth.

'You think you can scam me?'

"Of course, I'll be back in a minute?"

Sirius walked over toward the middle-aged man having some smooches with the woman on the table and laughing with his buddies while getting drunk.

"Hey sir," I said to the middle-aged man.

"Hm?"

All the laughing stopped, and silence prevailed over the whole table.

"The dude over there told me to punch you." Sirius pointed to the scammer.

The scammer saw that I pointed to him and the young man glaring at him started to panic and began to run away.

Seeing that he finished what he was supposed to do, Sirius started to walk away.

'So how am I going to find a way to train with a sword? I can be self-taught but that only goes so far.'

'Should I just---'

"Who are you boy?" The middle-aged man suddenly interrupted my thoughts and asked.

"Sirius. Who are you?"

One of the men on the table got angry at my question and snapped, "How dare you, boy! Dare ask the lea----"

SMACK! —

"Shut up. So damn noisy."

The man who snapped was sent flying by a cane the man held then he threw the van aside. "I don't even know why I'm holding such a thing"

"My name is Zero Partas."

"Oh ok." Sirius didn't exactly know how to respond.

'Partas, sounds familiar."

Zero suddenly thought of something and said, "I saw you earlier looking at the young soldiers training. Do you want to learn?"

"Why the offer?"

"I am bored. I am here guarding this fortress in case danger beasts infiltrate but right now there is nothing going on.

Sirius didn't believe that Zero would help him out of the kindness of his heart or even when he was bored, "What's the catch?"

"I'm glad you know there is one." He paused for a second before continuing, "I will train you for 2 weeks and after those two weeks, I want you to defeat all of those young soldiers that you see training."

'Two weeks? I was only planning on staying here for a couple of days before moving toward the capital.'

'No, wait. This is a good chance. The capital would definitely have higher skills there and with myself having no skills, I won't survive. Two weeks is nothing. The thing I am wondering is, what happens if I fail?'

"What happens if I fail?"

Zero smirked, "Then you die. There is no mercy for the weak."

Sirius frowned but nodded his head as a sign of agreement.

"Good, we start in two hours, get ready. Oh, and I'll have you know that you can't back out of my lessons, if you do, you die."