What If the Overlord Wasn't Evil?

Zaiden Ma'al is an overlord - a powerful magic user who commands an infernal army, decorates his castle with the skulls of his enemies, and wears a mask carved of bone. But he's also a cynical teenage boy who's done with being pushed around. Though he may look it, he's not evil, and the monsters he fights are far worse than he could ever be.

But the rest of the world doesn't know that. All they see is an evil encroaching on their lands. Already, they've sent a knight to slay him. She may not be strong or powerful, but we all know how stories like this end - with the villain dead at the hero's feet.

Can the overlord escape the governments that hunt for his head? Defeat the threat that's crawling its way from the depths of hell? Defy the narrative that the hero always wins?

Zaiden doesn't know, but he's certainly going to try.