An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride

The only reservation I have about An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride is that it has the potential to turn into a harem show, but I'm hoping it won't. Other than that, I'm mostly charmed thus far, three episodes in.

We meet Zagan, the supposedly evil sorcerer when he saves the life of a girl (who happens to be a knight of the church, though he doesn't know that at the time) from a different evil sorcerer who wants to sacrifice her. Zagan, though, cleans up her clothes and teleports her somewhere safe. 

Another sorcerer, this one a sort-of friend (he's short on friends, apparently) called Barbatos tells him about the death of one of the Archdemons (which, in this world, just seems to mostly mean Uber sorcerers with lots of power) and that some of his things are being auctioned off.

They go, and in an Ancient Magus Bride kind of twist, Nephelia the elf girl is being auctioned off. Zagan, this supposedly tough guy who hates everyone immediately falls in love with her and buys her, spending basically his entire fortune to do so. And immediately says terrifying things when he really means nice things...which probably adds to his reputation.

Basically, he brings her home to his castle, which was previously owned by someone who had a taste for torture (and he's never bothered to get rid of the stuff) and they begin their very socially awkward cohabitation. She, of course, would just like to know how he intends to kill her.

We soon learn that Zagan had it tough -- he was an orphan child scrambling to live when a sorcerer tried to kill him and he managed to live. Since then, he's tried to make himself stronger and stronger to keep himself safe. He still eats like a half feral child, not knowing anything else, and seems to sleep in his chair. Nephy was known as a "cursed child" and actually has serious power (which she unleashes when the church knights return, thinking Zagan was behind a spate of recent kidnappings, and tries to kill him). 

I always love the stuff where the guys fall first and I like the socially awkward, misunderstood types. It's goofy but also terrifying in this world and I so just want Zagan and Nephy to succeed and find happiness in each other. 

I'm just hoping the lady knight doesn't get in the way (though I think she's already figured out that he's not your typical evil sorcerer). He hasn't become an Archdemon yet, but it's obvious he'll be the next one. Who knows whether he actually wants to be or not. I think he'd be perfectly happy if he could just hang out in his castle and eat Nephy's cooking.