“Is it your slave?”

“No.”

“Is it powerless now that you’ve beaten it?”

Anon shrugs.

“Do we have any guarantee that it won't hurt anybody?”

Anon shrugs.

“Then why would I even let a demon into the castle gates! How’d they even get into the city? I get you’re a hero but put yourself in my shoes. What if it hurts someone? You can’t honestly exp—”

A commotion is arising at the front gates. The yelling grows more frantic. You sigh as you pick your helmet up off the table. The cold metal tickles your facial scars as you place it upon your head. You strap your sword to your belt. Your muscles are old and weary. You kick the door of the guard house open. It hurts to do it, but as a captain you must portray exuberant power. The guard at the gates doesn’t turn from his argument. You spot it, standing tall above the guard. A demon. It’s complex eyes staring down at him as it hides behind a human. Your knees burn as you run.

“Stop! Let them in.”

The bewildered guard turns to you. “But chief, that's a demon.”

“And that’s Anon!” you yell. Throwing open the gate and ushering the two in. Once they are out of earshot you slap the guard on the back of the helmet.

“Boy, there are some people you let do what they want.”

“But sir–”

“Shut up. Go tell the other guards that the demon is with Anon. Outside of killing a royal. A ROYAL, not a noble. They can do whatever they want.”

Anon waves off the bug demon. “Go play, I have an important meeting with the king.”

“When did you set that up?”

“I didn’t.” Anon says and kicks open the throne room door. He steps in then kicks it closed behind him. Leaving Queenie standing outside, alone. She looks at the guards that flank the entrance to the throne room. They stand like suits of armor, unmoving and rigid. After a few seconds they relax. “Gods dammit, that guy.”

“Shh.” the other commands and points his chin at Queen.

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“You think it’s in cahoots with Anon?”

“Or he’s in cahoots with it.”

The first guard laughs.

Queen grows angry at being talked about like she isn’t there.

“Excuse you.” She tells of the guards.

“Holy gods! You can talk.” the first guard chimes. “We thought you were like a pet or something.” the second guard chimes in. A sad look befalls Queen's face and she looks away from the duo.

“Are you?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know what I am. He took everything away from me then offered that I follow him. I thought he liked me at first, some perverse taste of a hero from another world, why else would he beat the sin of lust at its own game instead of killing me. I was the weakest combat wise of the sins.. After the first time we did it he grew bored of me, when he offered for me to follow him I thought maybe he did like me. After being with him for a while I realized that at most I’m just something to get a rise out of others ”

The guards flip up their visors and share a look. “I can keep watch, show her to the tea hall.”

“Shame you’re not human or we could do more for you.” the guard staying guard says as Queen is led away.

—----

In the throne room.

“I want a reward! I conquered a Deadly Sin, you said when a hero does that they get a reward!”

“That’s for the regular heroes!”

“Am I not regular?”

“No! You are a blight on this nation.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere Mr. King.”

The king grips the edges of his throne hard enough that the gold plating begins to chip revealing the wood underneath. With a large breath in and out he tells Anon. “I gave the hero that defeated Wrath a free pick of anything in the kingdom's treasury? Do you want that?”

“Nah I can just steal those if I wanted them.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose the king goes into deep thought. Anon demands a reward, he has done something worth rewarding if it was any other hero he would gladly give them anything they request. The problem is he can’t write Anon a blank check. The lunatic in front of him would ask for something completely unreasonable, or worse something so completely benign that the king would worry infinitely about what the special circumstance of that normal item is. He'll ask for the kings spoon, then two months later the prime minister of the holy nation will be found with that spoon in his skull, leading to a war.

The king hangs his head. Something powerless but something that will satisfy Anon.

“You want a marriage? I have a lovely sixth daughter.”

“Is she human?”

The king nods. Anon pulls out a notebook from his inventory. He flips through it mindlessly.

“Nope, already have married a human, and married royalty.”

“Who?”

“Elizebeth nolastname, and Foxlady from the fox tribe.”

The king sweats, what fox tribe royal did Anon marry? What secrets is he conducting in the shadows that spell imminent threats for the kingdom?

“What was the fox lady's name?”

Anon shrugs. “I call her Foxlady.”

Chunks of wood give way under the king’s nails.