The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The wine was strong, almost overwhelming, and I quickly realized that I wasn't going to get out of this celebration easily. The elves around me cheered, pulling me further into their revelry. The tall auburn-haired soldier kept her arm around me, her laughter infectious as she regaled me with tales of past battles, some of which I was certain had been exaggerated.

I tried to stay composed, but the warmth of the wine, the laughter of the soldiers, and the exhaustion from the battle began to take their toll. My hood slipped slightly, but the elves didn't seem to care anymore. They had seen my valor on the battlefield, and that was enough for them.

"Here!" The auburn-haired soldier thrust another goblet into my hand. "You fought well, Dravis. No one here doubts that."

I sighed, taking another sip of the wine. This wasn't how I had imagined the night would go. I had expected to be back in the real world by now, but instead, I was stuck in a royal banquet with drunken elves, their queen watching me with quiet curiosity, and Aurelia—well, she was clearly enjoying herself far more than I was.

I looked over at her again. She was sitting at the center of a long table, surrounded by soldiers who were hanging on her every word. Her laughter rang out across the clearing, and for the first time in a long while, I saw her genuinely happy. She caught my eye for a moment and raised her goblet in a silent toast, a smirk playing on her lips.

I returned the gesture, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. Why hadn't we returned yet? The quest was done. The rift was sealed. And yet, we were still here, in this world, surrounded by elves and laughter and wine.

Something was keeping us here. And I had no idea what it was.

As I stood there, surrounded by drunken soldiers and the warmth of the fire, I couldn't help but wonder: What if the battle wasn't truly over?

What if this was just the beginning of something far more dangerous?

And why did it feel like time itself had stopped moving forward?

I took another sip of the wine, feeling the weight of the night settle over me. Whatever was coming next, I would need to be ready. But for now, for this one moment, I allowed myself to breathe, to savor the victory we had fought so hard for.

Because deep down, I knew that the peace wouldn't last.

It never did.

Even back then when I was still Dravis Granger, not Draven.

As I stood there, contemplating the weight of our victory and the strange silence that followed, a firm push on my back sent me stumbling forward slightly. I barely caught myself before spilling the wine I had in hand. Turning around, I found myself face-to-face with Aurelia, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.

"What are you thinking about so seriously, Dravis?" she teased, her voice slurred slightly from the wine. Her cheeks were flushed, and her usual regal demeanor had melted away under the influence of the drink and the victory celebration.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to mask my surprise at her sudden intrusion into my thoughts. "Just… trying to figure out why we're still here," I replied, keeping my tone even.

Aurelia, or Queen Aurelia, as she was known in the real world, wasn't usually this carefree. In fact, back in the kingdom, she was all poise, grace, and responsibility. But here, in this strange realm with no prying eyes from the court, no burdens of leadership weighing her down, she seemed… free. Relaxed in a way that I'd rarely seen her.
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I could tell from her demeanor that this moment of reprieve was precious to her, a brief escape from the weight of her title.

"You worry too much," she said with a smirk, her eyes sparkling as she took another sip from her goblet. "Maybe we're meant to enjoy this for a while. After all, how often do you get to drink with elves after saving their kingdom?"

She playfully nudged me again, laughing lightly as if all her worries had disappeared for the night.

I studied her for a moment, watching how she moved among the elves, laughing, drinking, and enjoying herself. This must be a rare moment for her—a time when she could forget about the constant pressures of the kingdom, the politics, the endless responsibilities. Here, in this enchanted realm, she wasn't Queen Aurelia, ruler of a vast kingdom.

She was simply Aurelia, a warrior who had fought alongside her comrades and emerged victorious.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was what she longed for, deep down. The freedom to be herself, without the crown, without the expectations. She seemed to be taking full advantage of the situation, and I couldn't blame her for it. After all, who knew when we'd be pulled back into the real world, where her duties would once again take precedence over moments like these?

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. While Aurelia might be content to enjoy the festivities, I couldn't help but think that we were lingering here for a reason. Something wasn't finished yet.

Pushing aside my concerns for the moment, I turned my attention back to the conversation at hand. I needed to make better use of my time here, rather than dwell on uncertainties.

"Aurelia," I began, catching her attention again. "Do you know much about elven magic?"

She blinked, clearly not expecting the sudden change in topic. "Elven magic? Well… not really. I've fought alongside elves before, but their magic is… different. It's more connected to nature, to the ancient forces that shaped the world."

I nodded, my thoughts drifting to the queen of the elves, Elaitharis. Perhaps she would have more answers.

"If you're curious, why don't you ask their queen?" Aurelia said, as if reading my mind. She pointed across the clearing to where Queen Elaitharis sat, surrounded by a few of her trusted advisors, though she appeared just as relaxed as the rest of her people.

"That's the plan," I muttered under my breath, finishing the last of my wine.

As I made my way toward Elaitharis, I couldn't help but feel the faint stirring of magic within me. Something familiar yet distant, like a memory on the edge of my consciousness. It wasn't the dark magic I usually wielded, but something more fluid, more aligned with the natural world. My water magic pen, perhaps?

I hadn't felt its presence since our earlier battles, but now, it seemed to be responding to something nearby.

I approached Queen Elaitharis cautiously, making sure to keep my hood low. The elven queen had been watching me closely throughout the night, her curiosity evident, but she hadn't pressed me for answers. Now, as I approached, her golden eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made me feel as though she could see through my hood and directly into my thoughts.

"Dravis," she greeted me, her voice calm and composed despite the revelry around us. "You fought well today. We owe you much."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said with a respectful nod. "I have a question, though… about elven magic."

Her eyes flickered with interest. "Elven magic is ancient, tied to the very essence of the world itself. We do not wield it in the same way humans or other races do. It flows through us, as natural as breathing. What is it you wish to know?"

I hesitated for a moment, trying to formulate the question in a way that wouldn't reveal too much about myself or my suspicions. "I've noticed that elven magic seems to be… connected to time. Not just in the way your people live for centuries, but in the way it influences the world around you. Is there a particular logic or set of principles that governs it?"

Elaitharis smiled slightly, clearly intrigued by my question. "You are perceptive, Dravis. Indeed, our magic does touch upon time, though not in the way the time sorcerer wielded it. Our magic is less about control and more about harmony. We flow with time, rather than against it.

The runes you saw during the battle—those are ancient symbols that represent the threads of life, growth, decay, and renewal. Time is a part of that cycle."

I absorbed her words, feeling the stirrings of understanding begin to take root. Elven magic wasn't about bending time to their will—it was about existing within its flow, guiding it naturally. It was like water, moving with the current rather than trying to force it. The very antithesis of the chaos the time sorcerer had used.

As we spoke, I felt the stirring of magic within me grow stronger, more insistent. My water pen—it was reacting to something. Before I could fully process the sensation, the pen materialized in my hand, its cool energy thrumming with life.

Elaitharis's eyes widened slightly, her gaze shifting to the pen. "That… is not something I expected to see here."

The pen glowed faintly, and before I could say anything, the elven runes around us—carved into the stones, woven into the fabric of the realm itself—began to glow in response. The energy from the runes flowed toward the pen, like rivers converging into a single stream. The pen absorbed the magic eagerly, the blue glow intensifying as the runes around us dimmed.

"What… what is happening?" Elaitharis asked, her voice filled with awe and confusion.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, my eyes fixed on the glowing pen. "But it seems that your magic is being drawn to this."

The elven queen watched in silence as the pen continued to absorb the energy, her expression unreadable. The light from the runes grew fainter and fainter, until finally, the last of the magic was pulled into the pen. The glow around it faded, leaving only a soft, steady pulse of energy.

"It seems your magic has a connection to something older than even our own," Elaitharis said quietly, her gaze never leaving the pen. "Something tied to the very fabric of this world."

I stared at the pen in my hand, feeling the power thrumming within it. The runes, the elven magic—it was now a part of me, a part of this tool I had been granted.

So this is a tool, a weapon, worthy of being inside the king of heroes' treasury?

I guess this is a great discovery.