this infinite world

Lothric City, at the top.

As a figure leaped out from the clouds below and landed as lightly as a feather on the solid stone bricks, Yang Yun, who had landed steadily, raised his head and fixed his gaze on the towering castle atop the clouds, clearly the building where the most distinguished people in the city could reside.

"This is it." After confirming that it was the right place, Yang Yun nodded slightly: "The residence of the two princes."

Since he had obtained all the memories he needed from the soul of the Dragon Slayer Armor, Yang Yun did not enter the "Great Archives" behind it, which was said to contain all the wisdom of the Kingdom of Lothric since its founding and was no less than the "Duke's Archives" built by the white dragon Seath in Anor Londo.

Firstly, Yang Yun was not a scholar who immersed himself in books; secondly, he had little interest in those ancient, sealed-away knowledge. Rather than dealing with endless monsters in those labyrinthine bookshelves that blocked out the sky, it was better to choose the most direct approach.

From the outside of the Great Archives, take a step up.

What? You mean the Dragon Hunter Armor that helped Yang Yun so much is now located?
Since Yang Yun's body was ultimately an embodiment of the Light of the Mind, he couldn't simply pack it up and take it into his inner universe as usual. He had no choice but to let it go, leaving it where it was… Of course, before leaving, Yang Yun didn't forget to cover it with an invisible layer of protection, similar to a "mind barrier." Otherwise, this large creature, which had finally been freed from the grasp of those "Pilgrimage Butterflies," would probably become a puppet controlled by others again.

Surprisingly, this residence, which should have been the heart of the Kingdom of Lothric, was shrouded in an eerie silence. There were no guards patrolling, no servants whispering, and even the gilded gate, a symbol of royal majesty, was wide open, as if welcoming thieves into an empty house.

Yang Yun frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. But he didn't hesitate; he simply strode forward, confidently stepping into the open shadows. However, the instant he entered the hall, he witnessed an utterly astonishing sight—

The two princes of Lothric, Lorian and Lothric, who should have been seated on their thrones, were instead kneeling on the crimson carpet. They were staring intently at the entrance, as if they had been waiting there for him for a long time.

--what's the situation?
No matter how knowledgeable Yang Yun was, he had never seen anything like this before... How could someone kneel down before even meeting them? Yang Yun wondered why he didn't have any Lothric blood, and wasn't someone from the other person's ancestors.
"Please, sir, save me."

Meeting Yang Yun's questioning gaze, Prince Lothric lowered his head and bowed deeply to Yang Yun. The sincerity in his words was utterly genuine.

Save? Save what?
Yang Yun's gaze swept over the two men. He could tell at a glance that the eldest prince, Lorian, was crippled in both legs, blind, and mute, while the young prince, Lothric, was extremely weak, almost skin and bones... Combining the memories he had gained from the Dragon Hunter Armor, Yang Yun instantly understood what they meant.

"I see." Yang Yun suddenly spoke up: "So, you saw what I did to the Dragon Hunter Armor just now?"

“Within Lothric City, the vast majority of situations are under the control of my brother and me.” Prince Lothric lowered his head even further and answered truthfully, “And all the soldiers within the city can serve as our eyes and ears.”

Hearing their words, Yang Yun nodded... It seemed his guess was right. The two men before him had witnessed his actions in stabilizing the soul fire of the Dragon Hunter Armor and were now seeking medical help, which was perfectly normal. After all, one was disabled and the other was sickly, so they couldn't often appear in public. If they didn't have some means, they would probably have been "isolated from the public eye" by their subordinates and completely sidelined.

However, the princes' current behavior is quite different from the information I gleaned from the memories of the Dragon Slayer Armor...

Yang Yun recalled the history of the Kingdom of Lothric. In the past, as the First Flame gradually dimmed, Anor Londo, ruled by the Sun Gods, also felt increasingly powerless. However, the act of linking the First Flame was related to the survival of the world and could not be lost. Gwyndolin, the then God-King, ultimately made the choice to entrust this important task of continuing the world to the Kingdom of Lothric, which was at its zenith at the time.

From a political perspective, this was tantamount to a sacred "abdication." Gwyndolin relinquished not only responsibility, but also the legitimacy and legal foundation for ruling the world. The Lothric royal family reciprocated, regarding the "linking of the fire" as the highest honor, even personally selecting successors from the royal bloodline to bear this destiny generation after generation… —Of course, all of this was merely a high-sounding pretext.

To put it more grandly, he is "the Lord of Cinder, who bears the mission of passing on the fire"; but if you peel back that gorgeous cloak, he is nothing more than a sacrifice chosen from the moment of his birth, destined to throw his flesh and soul as kindling into the gradually cooling First Flame, exchanging his own existence for the world's lingering existence.

However, since Lothric has always acted in this way, and the country takes pride in linking the fire, including the education of the royal bloodline from childhood, there has not been any major trouble over the thousands of years... However, in this generation, the situation is different.

Unlike other Lothric people who regard linking the fire as the highest honor, this prince, who has been burdened with a curse since birth, feels no pride whatsoever. On the contrary, he deeply abhors the act of linking the fire and does not hesitate to promote the angelic faith in his kingdom, plunging this vast country into unprecedented civil war...

So, you want to live.

Having figured all this out, Yang Yun also understood the attitude of the Prince of Lothric in front of him. He first spoke to the other prince, then turned to Prince Lorian on the other side and said in a firm tone, "At the same time, you want him to live even more."

"As you can see."

Seeing that Yang Yun had hit the nail on the head, Prince Lothric nodded slightly, no longer concealing his true feelings.

"The skill you have displayed is truly breathtaking. To read a soul without harming its essence is already a divine skill; and your subsequent exquisite handling of the soul... even my teacher himself would probably find it difficult to match even a fraction of that."

As he spoke, Lothric completely lowered his head and prostrated himself before Yang Yun, saying, "Please, Your Excellency, do not hesitate to lend a helping hand."

Meanwhile, sensing his younger brother's actions and hearing the sound of his forehead hitting the floor, Prince Lorian, as the elder brother, did the same without hesitation—the meaning of which is self-evident.

"……interesting."

Seeing the other party's humble attitude, and adhering to the principle of not slapping a smiling face, Yang Yun listened to everything they said. However, he didn't immediately respond. Instead, he casually crossed his arms, a playful smile on his face, and uttered that classic line—

"So, what price are you willing to pay for this?"

"everything."

Prince Lothric answered without hesitation. (End of Chapter)