In a village located at the Kingdom of Fraxiania's side of the Fraxania-Ethyne border Ancient Wetlands:

Outside a tent, four children were standing on guard in a tent which is surrounded by corpse of guards.

Inside, a child who was just eight years old, was holding a short-sword which is pointed on the neck of an old man. He started to interrogate the old man.

“Hey, Seer. What do you see?”

“The King, Queen, and Knight of Chalices are developing together. The present Queen of Chalices is being protected by Two and Eight of Chalices. At this rate, the Queen might achieve the seat of the High Priestess. The King was a candidate of Death, Tower, and Strength. The Knight’s only seat available for him is the Fool.”

“Hmm.. to think the Group of Chalices has this potential.”

“Of course, but you’re already ahead of them, the one who is seated on the throne of the Devil.”

The boy laughed sarcastically as he looked at the seer with sharp eyes.

“Hahaha! You’re too sharp, Seer.”

“The child who killed his subordinates except the Queen, the Knight, the Valet, and the Ace. The Mad King of Swords!”

The child who was called the Mad King of Swords, starts to place the tip of his short-sword on the neck of the old man. Traces of blood starts to flow on his blade.

“Mad? That word is a little bit off… I only killed the untrustworthy ones. I also don’t need pawns like them. My present Group of Swords is enough.”

“That’s why you’re called mad! For a child like you to acquire the throne of the Devil at such young age! I can’t imagine how twisted your life had become to be like this!”

Before the child could speak, a loud sound of advancing troops can be heard outside the tent.

A man started to speak.

“Release our Seer!”

When the troops saw their opponent, they couldn't help but gasp because they couldn't believe their eyes on what they're seeing.

“What is this!?”

“Aren’t they just a bunch of children?! How did the Seer’s guards got defeated by them?!”

“Don’t underestimate them! Kill all of them and save our Seer!”

The man who first spoke warned the others immediately, acting like he's the leader of the troops. 

A fight started between the children and the knights.

A boy who was six or seven years old entered the tent.

“G-Gladius! We’re being pushed back! Please help us!”

The boy called on his comrade who is pointing his short-sword on the seer.

It was Gladius, the Evil God named after his Demon Sword Gladius.

At present, he's not yet capable of obtaining his sword, so he’s using an ordinary short-sword.

The boy was staring at Gladius as if he’s a God.

He was Gladius’ childhood friend.

He saw Gladius’ achievement so he idolizes him to the point of being fanatical.

“Sigh. Dwain, call Aimee, Hughes, and Sarge inside and guard the Seer. I’ll deal with those guys.”

“Yes!”

After a few seconds, Dwain and the other three kids entered the room.

The two boys, Sarge and Hughes had bloodstains all over their body, while Aimee is still clean. The two boys were arguing with Aimee, who’s looked annoyed because of the two.

“I said, we should finish those damned Knights! They’re no match with us!”

Sarge spoke while holding his blood-covered mace.

“Yeah! They’re too weak!”

Hughes arrogantly agreed with Sarge, making Aimee more infuriated.

“Both of you are idiots. What you’re gonna do is entice more troops to pursue us. We’re here just to know our next objective, not to incite war.”

“Please, the three of you.. stop arguing…”

Dwain starts to break up the fight.

"“You shut up, useless Dwain! Ah..”"

Both of them realized they made a mistake.

They angered Dwain, who was the second most powerful member of their Group.

Dwain lets out his bow and loaded it with two arrows.

He pointed it upwards and released it. He cast a spell on the bows and he controlled it with his index finger.

He pointed his index finger towards both Sarge and Hughes, who was running for their lives towards Gladius.

“Stop this nonsense, Dwain. I shall ask all of you again, what is your purpose in following me?”

The homing arrows pierced the ground.

The four of them knelt towards Gladius.

“I am Dwain the Ace, who upholds my King’s decisions.”

“I am Aimee the Queen, who gives knowledge for my King’s objectives.” 

Stolen novel; please report.

“I am Sarge the Valet, who eliminate my King’s enemies.”

“I am Hughes the Knight, who defend’s my King’s allies.”

After that, Gladius starts to speak.

“Then I am Gladius the King, who shall use my sword to make a world for my subject.”

The five of them were war orphans, children who had their parents taken because of war.

Because of that, they believed that Gladius’ so called ‘World’ would give them a place where they belong.

After hearing their proclamation, the Seer started to speak.

“For you to be accepted like that by your subordinates. What kind of sweet words did you utter to them to behave like -?”

Before he could finish his words, the arrows that were struck on the ground was already pointing on the Seer’s throat.

“One more word of disrespect, and these arrows will pierce your throat.”

Dwain looks at him coldly.

“Stop. Dwain and you lot, guard the Seer, and I’ll deal with those outside.”

"“Yes, our King.”"

Gladius starts to walk outside the tent.

There, he saw a pile of corpses lying around the tent’s entrance.

“Those four really don’t know how to clean their own mess…”

He looks around disappointingly.

The Knights noticed him and started to inquire.

“Are you the leader of those kids? What did you do to our Seer?!”

“We just want to ask him something, but we weren’t permitted, so we killed those guards.”

Gladius said it with a ‘matter-of-fact’ manner.

“Of course! Nobody can ask our Seer since he’s can only use his Seer abilities for our nation, not for some bunch of children! Release our Seer!”

”You’re too selfish. What if I say no?”

“Then you’ll die!!”

All the knights in the area charged towards Gladius.

Gladius, on the other hand, didn’t move from his position.

He pointed the short-sword which is held by his right hand towards his left side.. and swing it towards his right side, like an arc.

A strong shock wave emerged and some of the unaware knights got sliced in half.

Those who are lucky to have their shields, only had their shields slashed into two.

“Wha-?! A monster!!”

All the knights in the area got frightened with the skill Gladius just used.

In one move, he killed almost half of the knights.

The remaining knights ran in panic, afraid that they’ll gonna die on Gladius’ blade.

“How weak. They didn’t notice I used a skill. Sigh.. Pathetic knights..”

After that, he started loftily returned inside the tent.

There, he saw his comrades kneeling before the old man.

He was standing as if he defeated all of Gladius’ comrades.

“You sneaked an attack against me before, but now I’m prepared, you can’t defeat me, Mad King brat! See what a High Professor of Light Magic could do!”

The Seer concentrated all of his gathered mana towards his cane.

After gathering, he pointed his staff towards Gladius, making a Light attack.

“Is this what you call Light magic?”

When the Light reached Gladius, he blocked it with his left palm and clenched it, the Light disappeared as if it broke into pieces.

“W-what?!”

“For the sake of your life, tell me, where are the other Kings?!”

Gladius dashed towards the frightened Seer.

Just in a few seconds, his short-sword reached the neck of the Seer which the short-sword was previously pointing at.

“I-I don’t know about the C-chalices and the W-wands, but I know the P-pentacle’s location!”

“Where is it?”

“Even if you would know it, you won’t even have a chance to reach him.”

The Seer started to smile, angering Gladius.

He pointed the sword inward, making more blood to flow.

“Please s-stop! It’s on the Kingdom’s Royal Capital! The present Hero’s the King of Pentacles!”

The Seer announced the present King of the Pentacles’ location because of fear of having his life taken, but..

“I see.. Hmm.. Well, Thank You for your service-”

He beheaded the Seer and starts scold his Group.

“You guys.. I told you to guard him, not to be overpowered by him!”

""“We’re sorry..”""

“Sigh.. Let us go. We shall train first before we proceed towards our next objective. It would be too hard for us to approach the King of Pentacles with our present condition.”

Sarge and Hughes removed their bloodstained clothes and took some fabric placed behind the Seer’s tent.

They used it like a thawb*

Five of them started to cover their heads and exits from the main entrance when they saw no one’s around the tent.

“Looks like I received a hint to locate you.. My co-otherworlder.”

He smiles while looking towards the sky and blends with the crowd.

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* Arabian clothing for men.

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