Zagan's home life is going quite well. He is indeed an archdemon with ridiculous power. He does indeed possess a live-in partner, a powerful elf, who is horribly shy and whose cuteness is existentially fantastic. And he is also, indeed, the subject of much consternation among the locals. Zagan is a busy guy.
In ARCHDEMON'S DILEMMA #2, Sorcerer Slayer Zagan picks up where he left off: scrounging up tomes of research on how to further master his magical skills and doing his utmost to grow closer to his beloved Nephy. This light novel series' awkward cute-meet premise fades ever so slightly into the distance when Zagan welcomes a few additional strangers into the household. Perhaps no isekai tale would be complete without yet another attempt at forming a harem . . . but ARCHDEMON'S DILEMMA #2 does a fairly decent job of keeping away from that particular convention by story's end.
More baddies are headhunting Zagan, now that he's an archdemon, but it could also be said the young man's incredible magical knowledge and penchant for compassion, at the most inopportune times, means he has far fewer enemies than initially thought (not including Barbatos . . . of course). But trouble looms. Apparition Valefor, an archdemon candidate, comes knocking. Archangel Raphael Hyurandell, a rather nasty fellow who has felled nearly 500 sorcerers with his holy blade, enters the stage as well.
It's a bit of a bummer that this second volume feeds less into Zagan and Nephy's relationship than before. Indeed, their relationship isn't even the focus of the novel. The book instead trains its eye on the entrance of a little dragon girl, Foll, who clings to Zagan in her search for revenge against the Angelic Knights. Foll has a foul mouth and a fouler attitude but craves a father figure. Nephy welcomes the girl with open arms and Zagan sort of does the same. He helps out Foll because Nephy would be sad, otherwise, and "[i]t absolutely was not because a young girl who had no place to return to weighed on his mind" (p. 69).
The little sister/daughter construction is well-trodden but doesn't feel quite worn through. Interestingly, Zagan, while resistant to being relied upon by a child, welcomes the warmth that comes from having assembled a family. It sounds funny, but the author's contrivance of Zagan's unfamiliarity with mutual affection comes across as genuine. Rarely has the sorcerer felt the need to protect others, much less name the sentiment. And so, when Zagan battles with himself over whether little Foll is worthy of protection, he frequently assesses his own youth in comparison — What predicates await the life of a fatherless child whose only recourse is a quest for power?
ARCHDEMON'S DILEMMA #2 starts slow and gradually builds. The action in this volume isn't nearly as dominant as it was in the previous installment, but Zagan's cleverness and expertise prove intriguing, nonetheless. It's a fun, quick read and should prove a comfortable experience for fans of the first volume.
The author's overwriting creeps in, here and there, but it's mostly limited to moments that crawl. Examples include sappy breakfast scenes that are pages too long (e.g., "Even after he swallowed it, he could still feel that sensation in his saliva," p. 19) or fight scenes that feel directionless (e.g., "And because the jaw had many nerves which connected to the teeth, a blow to that spot jolted the brain greatly," p. 180). There are others, but all told, the impact is relatively minor. The novel remains a decent read.