I Raised the Demon Queen (Now She Won't Leave Me Alone)

Elias had learned two hard truths about raising a small demon queen in disguise.

One: you couldn't leave her unsupervised near cats, fire, or anything shiny.

Two: peace never lasted more than two and a half days.

This time, it was two days and a spoon.

Rhea had taken to pretending spoons were scepters. Which was harmless until she declared herself "Princess of Cutlery" and tried to knight the baker's son with a ladle.

Now the boy wouldn't stop barking, and Elias had to bake apology scones.

So naturally, that was when the cleric arrived.

He came wrapped in white and gold, staff in hand, eyes aglow with the Light's Judgement. His robes didn't touch the mud, and his expression didn't touch joy. A golden sun medallion hung from his neck, pulsing softly with divine magic.

Clerics of the Sacred Inquisition. Demon hunters.

And he was standing right outside Elias's cottage.

"Sir Elias, healer of Ashvale?" the cleric asked, tone neutral but sharp as a knife under silk.