King was perched on top of a large rock twirling his purple feather around his thumb. He watched the sea of lepers walked on the beach, avoiding the fat noble. It was a surreal scene to watch. After being confined in a cell as deformed lepers watch through the bars, equally trapped in the ship's suffocating body, he would have never thought there so many of them. And the peace they have found from this island seemed too unreal for King.

Society saw them as lesser than trash. They were cursed to walk the earth as their body continue to rot, with their flesh and limbs falling off. Blisters covered their body, and the deformities it brought made them hideous. King detests their faces. He was no different than the rest of the world. But on this island, it was different. The church did not see them as a disease that must be shunned away but as people needing a cure.

At least, that's what the lepers believe in. King could see it, the games the church plays. He was once part of it, after all. Another noble appeared at the beach. He reeks of a familiar smell that he cannot recall. It was only when the Pontiff, sitting next to him as a leper, identified the new arrival. "That one, over there. His name is Corin Ren. Part of the house of Dover."

"House of Dover. Weren't they part of a civil war in Iric? I think they supported that idiot that tried to charge at me. What his name again?"

"I also don't remember. I tend to forget names of people I seldom talk to."

"More like you forget the names of your pawns once they've met their purpose."

"Was that meant to hurt me?" The Pontiff said in a sarcastic tone. "If it was, then I guess you've succeeded. Unfortunately, only words can pierce my soul."

"You don't have to remind me." King stood on his feet. The waves crashed against the rocks. The water gently rained on them. "What is he doing here? I don't remember the House of Dover owning any land after I destroyed most of their army."

"Impressive," The Pontiff clapped his hands, "But their land and army are not their only source of power. They are schemers, influencing the inner politics in Iric to suit their desire. But that doesn't mean they just do as they wish from instinct or primal lust. They seduce and plot to their heart's content, but the recent war has left them a little dry in their coffers."

"They have nothing in their country now." King clenched their fist, "And they're desperate."

Corin teleports above the leper colony. "Not really."

"What do you mean?"

"Look over there, at the fat one." The Pontiff pointed at Borvo, running towards the lepers. "He has a heart of gold, and that is enough for that family to control. He doesn't need to be an imbecile. Just innocent enough to sway to their court. This is why we have made a deal with the house. We don't want him to become King of Iric."

A commotion suddenly appeared in the middle of the colony, where Borvo and Corin were in, "Say no more," King leaped off the rock and teleported in the middle of the leper colony. Then he punched Corin across the beach and onto the arms of an angel. He removed his hood and revealed to the leper colony his clean face. Not a single blemish or scar on his face. And a regal purple crown growing on his head. The feathers danced in the wind.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

King gave an eery smile that annoyed the angel. He gently placed Corin's unconscious body on the beach and placed his hand on his sword's hilt. The angel wore an orange collar around his neck, which contrasted well with his blue garment. The orange collar meant that he was a newly appointed clergy member pulled from a pool of isolated monks. "Who are you?" He asked King. "Are you a spy?"

King laughed while he charged his mana for an attack. Nearly everyone on the beach was unaware of King's true identity. It made King feel like a joke despite his numerous accomplishments as a Golden Condottiero. Now he was treated as a spy by a rookie. "I was just defending these poor girls from him. I didn't think he was that weak though, hahaha!" After he stopped laughing, King poured out his mana to his hand when suddenly his chest began to ache and squeeze.

The pain from his chest grew unbearable dangerously quickly, and he fell to his knees. King activated his Isiptali and saw an invisible tentacle wrapping around his abdomen. The tentacle was made of mana and was a type of Astral technique. And this was an extremely difficult Astral technique.

King turned his head and followed the tentacle's arm. It merged in the leper colony. He followed it to the source and saw the Pontiff hiding under his cowl. The Pontiff smiled pushed King's mana back to King's body. The angel looked at King as his body ache. He lacked any knowledge of leprosy and assumed the pain King was experiencing was from this disease.

He carried Corin over his shoulder, but before he left, he turned to Borvo and Cirona. Borvo's right cheek had bruises on it. "What happened to your cheek?" The angel asked, "Was it because of this troublemaker?" He pointed at Corin.

Before Borvo could answer, the redhead girl stepped in, "He got grazed by mister's punch."

"I see," The angel extended his wings and flew off. But this did not mean his suspicion was gone. He still found it strange that a poor leper was able to knock Corin out. Regardless, investigating the leper will have to be done later, as Corin's case was a higher priority.

The Pontiff released King from his death grip once the angel was gone. King took a deep breath and laid on his back. "Fucking bastard," He whispered. "Too bad I knocked him out before you can disqualify him."

Borvo, Cirona, and lepered girls gathered around King thanking him for protecting them, and praising his strength. The compliments made King blush just a bit. Borvo also wanted to ask about his racial features and what combination did he get such a unique look yet so similar to his friend Sun, but he felt it to be outplaced. The two girls also apologized to Borvo and handed him the Rainbow Stone. "Thank you," Borvo said.

The white girl nodded, "They told us to only give it to someone that is a good person."

"Really, who told you that?"

"The Church."