Refuge in Yggdrasil
With nowhere immediate to go, I headed straight for the Otherworld.
The spot where even ashes hadn't been left behind. The sorcerers who had reached out to me were erased cleanly, without a trace.
I lightly snapped my fingers toward that empty space.
A bit of casual recycling, and evidence disposal to boot.
Gathering the remnants of souls that had plummeted to the afterlife and the excess soul force scattered into the void, I completed the ritual.
Tzzzzziiik—
A rift tore open in the empty air, like a zipper unzipping.
Through the crack, glimpses of a mystical forest appeared, along with the familiar scent of fresh grass wafting out.
This scenery before me was the reward for sacrificing my sorcery through Binding, bearing all the risks.
My Unique Sorcery, Dimensional Arrival.
Unlike secret arts passed down through bloodlines.
The pinnacle that represented a sorcerer's uniqueness. Sorcery that belonged solely to me.
Western sorcerers sometimes called Binding "Geas."
A means of imposing restrictions on oneself and gaining equivalent compensation in return, reminiscent of equal exchange.
I had imposed on myself the restriction of being unable to use sorcery for ten years.
Ten years from me, who had been called a once-in-a-millennium prodigy.
One could imagine the extraordinary price it fetched, far beyond what ordinary folk could offer.
Thus, with ten years of Binding, the theory of spatial sorcery based on Void Resonance Art.
And with the unique trait of being a reincarnator added in, I had completed a Unique Sorcery that transcended dimensions.
"It activates fine even without a catalyst."
The effect of Dimensional Arrival was singular: round-trip dimensional travel.
Considering the rarity of Unique Sorceries, it was an effect so plain it was almost boring.
But the simpler and more unrestricted, the higher its utility.
The catalyst they hadn't noticed. What they called an artifact in that world.
The magical knowledge for things like Fireball, or the hack to convert soul force to mana.
All of it obtained from this fantasy Otherworld right before my eyes.
"Shall I go find Teacher first? Sticking around here just means dealing with pursuers nonstop."
I gazed at the scenery beyond the rift, calmly reviewing the situation.
Most paths to living comfortably in the present world had been blocked.
Exiled from Gongmyeongdang, and Hwaseong Group involved afterward.
I wasn't some saint who'd just take it lying down.
Once lives were on the line, we'd crossed an irreversible river.
"They could've just slapped on a seal and kicked me out. What the hell is this...?"
Gongmyeongdang, struggling in the mid-tier despite handling the higher concept of space, had reached a level where it could challenge noble houses—all thanks to me.
The family where I was all but set to become the next head before long.
I'd planned to bolster the family's power first since my sorcery was sealed for ten years, but who knew that would backfire.
The balance on the tightrope must've tipped.
When comparing a powerless but clever adopted son to the wastrel of a sorcery noble house, Gong Jin-cheol had sided with Choi Taeseong.
I never imagined the sorcerer ecosystem could be this filthy.
Shouldn't it have played out like, "Improving sorcery? Gong Siwoo, you're the best~!" or something?
In the end, this shitty present world was all about capital and power.
No dreams, no hope.
"...Whatever I do, rehabilitation comes first. The academy entrance ceremony was exactly two months from now, right?"
With the Binding released, the things I could do had exploded in number, so I needed time to sort it out.
I'd have to overhaul the style I'd relied on catalysts for entirely, and now I could dabble in sorceries and magic I hadn't tried before.
Without hesitation, I stepped through the dimensional rift.
Unlike the dead of night in the present world, warm sunlight poured down.
Half-blocking that sunlight was a single tree far grander than any skyscraper.
Thanks to the mana permeating the entire world, perhaps.
The fresh forest scent and pure sensation cleansed my body and mind.
This was the place I'd settled during my Otherworld adventures.
The forest where elves lived, Yggdrasil.
"You've arrived, Teacher. Quite the early return."
A familiar voice greeted me back.
Turning my gaze, I saw a woman perched on a tree root like a chair.
Long, pointed ears, pristine white hair without a speck of dirt, clear blue irises shining brightly.
My magic teacher and guardian of Yggdrasil.
The high elf Estella.
She smiled faintly, waving welcomingly.
"A ton's happened, Estella Teacher. My head still hurts."
"Heehee. If my teacher Siwoo is in trouble, I'll lend an ear for counseling?"
We had this odd relationship where we called each other teacher.
She taught magic, I taught sorcery.
Sharing otherworld knowledge for mutual benefit.
A huge step up from when I'd nearly been killed as a human intruder.
"More importantly, the seal's finally lifted? Your aura feels different from last time."
"...Good news on that front. Bad news too."
I plopped down beside her and immediately started venting.
The insane stress had loosened my tongue.
It wasn't something to hide anyway, and with dimensions apart, I just wanted someone to hear me out.
I'd suspected Gong Jin-cheol, but hadn't imagined the worst of the worst.
Still, after fifteen years under one roof, right?
Partly because I'd hidden my power, I'd naively figured it'd end at a seal and exile.
Too busy rummaging through sorcery books in my room to investigate the truth.
Sorcerers' lives were lighter than I'd thought.
"...Hmm."
"What? No, hands off my head."
"Stay still. Even if you act fine, Teacher, you're still too young. The wound must run deep...."
Estella had started gently stroking my head mid-sentence, as if comforting me.
The tenderness in her careful touch.
But was it my imagination that it felt subtly sticky?
"Exile.... That's a shame. Doesn't that mean breaking off your engagement too?"
"Why's that the part you focus on?"
"Even if I wanted to help, you'd refuse, right? More than that, I'm curious about my teacher's love life?"
After our not-so-short time together, she knew my tendencies well.
I definitely wouldn't drag her into personal revenge.
Still, focusing on my love life over my life being targeted felt oddly complicated.
"No thoughts on a new family? I could be your mommy instead? Heehee."
"I'm an adult now. New mom? No thanks."
"Oh come on, don't say that. I've gone this long without finding a husband, but I can at least be a mom."
Estella casually spouted nonsense and gently pulled my head down onto her lap.
The soft sensation enveloping my occiput. A faint floral scent mixed with her warm body heat, dizzying my mind.
Looking up at the sky, the world tree blocking the sunlight filled my view, just like her immense presence.
Her adjusting hand paused, and suddenly a troubled sigh tickled my ear.
"Hmm.... This makes it hard to see your face properly."
...How am I supposed to see a woman like this as a mom?
A high elf whose age I couldn't even guess.
Her looks were even more youthful than my apparent early twenties.
Yet her aura was cozy and serene.
She exuded a maternal vibe that clashed with her desire for a stepmom role.
To elves, twenty-something must feel like a newborn.
"No need to go back to that filthy world. Let's live here together, Teacher.... You planning to waste your short human life on revenge?"
Anxiety crept into her usually clear voice.
The hand combing my bangs stopped, and another pressed heavily on my chest.
Physically light pressure, but mentally, an immense emotion weighed down.
Images of shackles or collars flashed unbidden.
Not dark emotions, but restraint made purely of warmth.
Her invitation to stay together was so sweet it could rot my teeth—enough to make abandoning everything feel worthwhile.
"No."
"Ah...."
But I lightly brushed her hand away and stood up.
Slow life in the elf forest wasn't bad, but I had no intention of spending my hard-won second chance like a retired geezer.
No regrets about choices like crossing dimensions to meet Estella.
But for ten years—half this second life—I'd suppressed myself.
Hiding away like an escapee now would just breed regrets, I sensed.
"...Humans really are heartless. Especially at pivotal moments. I watched over you since you were shorter than me...."
"Quit grumbling and help with training, Teacher. Got nowhere else to go, so I'll crash here awhile."
Rejected, Estella cast her eyes down gloomily.
But her eyes lit up at my follow-up.
"Awhile? Not just the usual few days?"
"Probably a month or two?"
"First time for a long stay in this world! Heehee. Call me Mommy and I'll help?"
Beaming yet persistent, Estella clung to "mommy."
At this point, it felt less like a joke—more like she genuinely eyed the stepmom spot.
"...Why obsess over mommy?"
"I've contributed plenty to raising you from a kid! Come on, say it!"
Even ignoring her, Estella stuck doggedly.
After minutes of tussling, I gave in completely and muttered the word she wanted, barely audible.
Mommy.
A word I hadn't called anyone since reincarnating.
Not fitting for a mere teacher, it brought a strange shame.
"Kyaaa! So cute! Once more! Say it again!"
Her elven super-hearing caught it.
Ancient Estella squealed in childish bliss.
A grown man, and she calls it cute.
Telling her she seemed more woman than mom would've been tough.
After all, I was the one who'd drawn the line she couldn't cross.
March 2nd.
Academy entrance ceremony day.
From combat training to miscellaneous paperwork.
Preparations proceeded smoothly, without interference.
"...Looking back, our boy's grown so manly. Just a few years ago he was all cute, now I have to look up at him."
"First met at fourteen, right? Puberty hit hard. And don't sneak in 'son' like that, Estella Teacher."
"Yes, yes, Siwoo Teacher. So heartless."
Grumbling, Estella meticulously adjusted my necktie.
The academy resembled a university—no uniforms—but a certain dress code was expected.
With traditional lineage families, they obsessed over such pointless formalities.
Plus, I wanted to flaunt that I was alive and well.
Better than being dismissed in cheap rags.
Money was easy: melt Otherworld gold and sell.
"Otherworld fashion is so refined. Makes kingdom nobles look like upstarts."
Even she, from a different culture, was impressed—everything on me was luxury.
Tailored black suit, black necktie, black shoes.
Even the one-use artifacts turned accessories.
If the loser who should've crashed and burned was thriving carefree, what faces would Choi Taeseong or Gong Seoyul make?
"I'm off. No family watching now, so I'll visit often."
"...Music to my ears. I'll wait forever for you."
Leaving her send-off behind, I activated Dimensional Arrival.