The Humble Schooling Of a Fake Fake Cultist: Fake Cultist, #2

By NrYet

Forced to leave his home, Sol now travels toward Schalion academy. On his way, he experiences sea travel for the first time and despite the circumstances, makes it ashore.
Academy life, a fake family, and new friends welcome him. Yet, can friends and a new life really make him forget what he left behind?

• Language: English
• Publisher: NrYet
• Release date: Apr 6, 2025
• ISBN: 9798230233756

NrYet

I mostly write fantasy and on webnovel.  If you enjoyed my writing, I'm glad for you. If you didn't, well that sucks. Regardless, thank you for reading, and I wish you a great day.

Book preview

Chapter 1: Hopefully

You had one job. One job! Mom slammed the exam papers on my desk.

Silence. I couldn’t look at her. No, not because I was ashamed, but rather... I couldn’t see her. I couldn’t see her face.

Mom kept screaming about how I was good for nothing. How I was only good for studying and how I was ruining my life by not doing that.

It’s all that boy’s fault. Never see him again. In fact, I’ll call his mother right away and—

Stop! My mouth opened. The words came out.

Familiar walls. The same vomit-green color—exhausting, nauseating. Yet, nostalgic. What was going on? Why was I back? Why? Was it all just a dream then? Everything... a dream?

What’s going on?

It was almost like I was watching a movie. A movie I wanted nothing to do with. A movie I wanted to forget and... move on.

Stop? You’re talking back to me? Mom stepped back and almost stumbled.

Yes. I don’t want to study like this. I don’t want to waste my life doing what you want me to do. I want to do what I want!

She paused for a few seconds before screaming once more. She screamed and hit me a couple of times. I didn’t know what she said. No, I didn’t care.

After all, afterward, I’d stolen Dad’s credit card and run away.

Ah, now it made sense. I really was dreaming... I hadn’t had that dream in a long time. Back when I first left home, I used to have this dream every night. I’d wake up in the middle of the night, all sweaty, all panicking. Yet... now I didn’t feel that panic. Perhaps I’d accepted the fact that I ran. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Maybe I should have stood up to her and talked things out like an adult. But I was hardly fifteen at the time. I didn’t know right from wrong.

No, that was an excuse. I didn’t want to talk with that woman. I didn’t want to be manipulated anymore. I just...

Yet, why?

Why did I feel so shitty? Why did I regret it? Could we really not have worked something out? Lately, I’d stopped having that dream, I’d stopped dreaming about that woman because of Lin. But—

I woke up in a carriage. The horse tugged onward on the muddy road. Grass and some trees in the distance—nothing else. My neck hurt... and there was an indent on my face from all the wood kissing.

There were seven other folks in here with us, Den included. Seats on either side. It wasn’t that crowded, but the seats were flat stools and not very comfortable.

How long will this last again? I asked.

Till evening, Den spoke in a matter-of-fact manner.

Sigh.

Well, at least something was happening. Despite the journey being boring as fuck so far... it was still an adventure. Boy, did I love adventure.

Or so I thought until the boring part got even more boring.

Sigh.

***

When I first went into the city, there were plenty of things that caught my eyes. Particularly the houses. Not typical cabins in the woods but actual houses made of stone or clay; the layout of the city was kind of hectic but mostly symmetrical. And people! Lots of people. Mostly just Southerners but I saw typical humans around too. The moment I recalled that none of those people had their balls attached though was also the moment I subconsciously hid my jewels and walked faster.

I thought we’d spend the night here, but Den quickly got us across the town and we boarded a carriage which had been waiting for us. I didn’t even get to taste the local cuisine!

Then again, I wasn’t hungry and just thinking about eating something was making me nauseous, so all good.

The carriage was underway and I’d fallen asleep. Maybe it would have been better if I was still asleep cause I was sighing like hell.

Judging by how the sun was still up and burning, we had at least a few hours before the sunset. I didn’t have much to do so I tried opening my bag to read a book, only to be stopped halfway by Den. We’re not looking to get robbed, he whispered.

I nodded and stayed put. Books were absurdly expensive. Granted, I hadn’t come across wicked people in this world so far, but I knew for a fact how greed could change a man.

I sighed and watched the greens. There weren’t that many houses around. The few that were, had people working in the fields.

Abundant fields surrounded us. Mostly just wheat. Golden wheat. Almost time for harvest.

In the past, I never really understood how people could live in the rural areas. How people could just live so far away from the city, in such villages and the countryside. I couldn’t. I couldn’t even live away from my phone for a minute, let alone months without internet. Yet, here I was without internet, without my phone, without any technology whatsoever.

Where are you going kid? A man asked.

Among the seven Southerners only one was human. And that human just spoke to me. Deep voice. Poking facial hair, and really long wavy hair. But he was built like a tank. Not big or muscular but... but something about him screamed ‘warrior.’

School, I said. What about you mister?

School.

What? Him? He looked at least thirty. Never too late to learn, I guess, I said.

He nodded, and looked away, disinterested.

Anyway, I wondered why Den was so quiet and realized, the man had been sleeping. He actually fell sleep quite fast. He was that tired.

You don’t look alike, the man said. He wore a rather rugged black leather armor that was full of scuffs and scratches. A large sword rested next to him. Though he spoke softly, his voice almost boomed.

A powerful presence.

For someone who clearly wasn’t interested, he was sure trying hard. I suppose he was kind of bored. Yes, I get that a lot.

Well spoken for such a young child.

Thank you. I get that a lot as well. I debated whether it was good to give him my name and eventually. I’m Sol.

Alustur.

With that our conversation died again. The other passengers often stared at me and the man but never spoke much.

Awkward didn’t even begin to explain the situation. I kept my eyes on the road, and the greens. Whenever I saw houses and people, particularly children playing, my heart warmed a little. But at the same time, I felt shit. I wondered what my own mother was doing now. She spoke about leaving once I was gone but I doubted she’d leave the woods. The woods was her home and... would she leave?

I didn’t know. But I wanted to believe, after ten years when I’d finally go back, when I’d finally come back home, she’d be there waiting for me. Maybe with her trademark soup ready on the table, and that big damn smile. I almost chuckled just thinking about her.

Hopefully.

But I knew... she probably won’t be there.

Chapter 2: Surreal

The carriage stopped. We’re there? I mumbled.

We were out in the middle of nowhere and the sun was more or less setting. Orange in the sky, some clouds. Birds going back home. There was nothing or no one for miles; just grass and some trees. So, the obvious answer was ‘no’. So why did the carriage stop?

The actual answer ‘bandits.’

About twenty or so. Half of them stood in the distance, hidden among the trees, with arrows drawn. The rest came towards us. One man leading. A robe on top, hair going everywhere. He looked similar to Alustur... wait- Alustur got up and slowly got out. He- he was a bandit!?

Leave all your belongings and we might just let you li- The leader stopped, as Alustur walked passed him without a word; his hand moved a bit and I could have sworn his moved a tad too but not enough.

A second later, the man’s head slid off his shoulder as a single smooth cut appeared out of nowhere.

No, it didn’t appear out of nowhere. Alustur cut him. But I hadn’t seen him move or draw his sword; in fact, it was still sheathed! That small movement was him taking it out and cleaving the fucking head off the bandit!

Alustur kept on walking, towards the other bandits who hadn’t yet processed what just happened.

Ru-run it’s the Severer- One of the archers yelled, stumbling while trying to run backwards.

The others instantly paled and turned tails. Alustur took his sword in one hand and sliced vertically, just a slice. None of the bandits were in range.

Yet... they were cleaved in half. Eighteen of them. Two managed to escape but he didn’t bother running after them.

Soundless.

What the fuck, I mumbled, unable to follow anything. My ears rung as the stuff around me became a tad green. Heart thumped yet I felt light... kind of nauseating.

How? How the hell had he done it? This is the level of talent that exists? I did find it odd how despite me being perfectly normal, the priest had said I was below par. I really did think it was odd. But now I understood. Their ‘normal’ was clearly different from my ‘normal’.

The driver and some of the passengers went over to gather the bodies and collect whatever valuables they had.

So, they’re stealing from the bandits just like the bandits would have stolen from them, I said, or rather the words poured out. The green didn’t go away and I could probably fall over any second now.

You don’t seem very scared, Alustur said.

I was. But my mind hadn’t yet caught up to the whole thing. It just felt so... surreal. Bandits coming to rob us, and then dying so fast. So easily.

Surreal.

Life and death... so damn casual.

I felt faint but not scared.

Huh? Den woke up. Wait, he’d been sleeping through all that?

I’ve... seen things, I mumbled. But instantly told myself, that was just a nightmare.

A second later my hands shook but I hid it.... I couldn’t focus anymore. I was really starting to get nauseas.

I see. He wiped his sword, and then put it away. It was big, it was clean, and it was way too shiny. I really would have loved to hold it once- Want to hold it?

You can read minds? No, he just saw it on my face. Yes, please.

He stood very close, obstructing my vision. Don’t unsheathe it, he said, giving me the sword.

WOAH! I almost got crushed. Damn thing weighed like twenty-something kilos!

50 freaking pounds!

A sword~!

Fuck!

He immediately lifted the sword and just held it in front of me. Th-thanks, I managed and enjoyed the engravings on the sheathe. He was probably trying to get me distracted while the adults were robbing the corpses. Quite the thoughtful guy; and it was working. It’s a beautiful sword, I said.

It is, he agreed, and boarded the stagecoach. He put the sword on his back and leaned on it.

The others also came back and a fire burned near the road. Reeks, I said.

I felt a lot calmer... a lot... better.

That’s how we deter others from going down this path, Den said. But I suppose, hunger triumphs over fear. He yawned. You okay?

I suppose... I’m fine Den.

We still had some journey left but the sun was more or less gone. I didn’t see any more birds. The driver knew these roads, so he didn’t bother lighting up a pyre.

I thought everyone onboard were passengers but that wasn’t quite true. The driver was the owner and Alustur was a mercenary. Apparently, he was known as the Severer because of how clean his cuts were. All the collected money would go to the owner while Alustur would keep the equipment.

What? Alustur said, noticing me.

Well, I find you interesting, I said.

Interested in working as a mercenary?

Not really.

The term mercenary in this world was analogous to Adventurer. They both worked for the same guild. While Mercenaries only took on escort and monster slaying jobs, Adventurers also picked up collection or fetch quests. And yes, there was a guild and it did feel very fantasy like. I’d seen one back in the town we’d started at.

However, I was sick of the whole clawing your way up as an adventure trope. Besides, I didn’t have any way to compete with these people anyway. Hence, I was not interested. Or rather I was forced not to be.

Hmm... most kids I meet want to be strong Adventurers or Mercenaries when they grow up.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to be strong but... but I don’t want to go on an adventure. I’d rather be home and live a peaceful life with my Mom, I said.

Yet, you’re on a journey now, on your way to school.

Well, I chuckled. We can’t have what we want.

Yet, we want what we can’t have, he smiled. A faint smile. Yet... it was a smile regardless.

Yeah, everyone had their own shit to worry about. Life wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t the same for everyone. Some had money, some had good looks, some had lots of talent, some had nothing. But every single darn person had things they worried about, things they didn’t like. And they wanted things they couldn’t have. I suppose that didn’t change no matter which world you were in.

But, honestly... I wanted some superpowers these days, so I could live peacefully.... Or was it because I wanted my life to be easier?

Yeah, I said, staring out the wilderness. Darkness. Stars glittering in the sky, hidden among the clouds.

A calm quiet night. Almost as though the earlier bloodbath wasn’t even real.

It felt so damn surreal, yet, real.

Chapter 3: Huh...

We reached Axel port just shy of midnight. Thick wooden walls had the whole city cradled, nothing fancy; they did have a footpath of sorts on top of the wall though. Some sort of checkpoint at the entrance, guards came out. Pyres were burning atop.

Business as usual, eh? One of the guards said.

Yeah, Den said.

You’re not dealing with children now, right? the guard joked.

I gave him a blank stare and so did Den. The guard kept laughing.  As usual, Den paid a fee and we were in the city.  

It was basically midnight, so I expected the city to be asleep. Yet, there were quite a lot of people out. Let’s go find a place to eat first, Den said.

Inns, restaurants, diners, and even just roadside stalls. This place was bustling with activity. Most wore at least some form of armor, while others wore garbs, fur coats, and stuff. A far cry from what I’d seen in the village where people had dressed so casually. Streetlights were mostly just magical lights like I’d seen back at Xena’s place. But not just that, they also had pyres lit up here and there. Since it was sort of winter, the fire felt good.

Den held my finger and pulled along.

Once you see me off at the academy, would you go back to Mom, Den?

A fresh salty smell permeated in the air, along with a familiar sloshing sound. The origins was still quite the ways off, and it was pretty dark to make out anything. The massive lighthouse kind of burned fiery bright but I still couldn’t see the ocean.

Yes, he said. But I will come back to check every now and then.

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