Derrun.
A region without light. It was home to countless unemployed people and was also a region that the King never touched, due to the high crime rate, resulting in the royal army never going there.
The place also became a den for bandits who had their own groups, yet it was still designated as one of the kingdom's fire regions, albeit considered the kingdom's dark region.
The darkness there is endless because no one can afford the magic lamps that are usually sold for 500 silver coins, and even ordinary candles are sold for 100 silver coins.
As a result, the Derrun region has very little light. Most of the residents there choose to live by the light of candles at night.
Illegal drugs, prostitution, kidnapping, and even human trafficking are always present in that area. To the point where they have become routine occurrences there.
A city without light.
A city without hope.
A city abandoned by its own ruler.
That is the Dark Region, Derrun. If someone is born in that region, most people would rather sell everything they can to escape from the Dark Region.
However, for Princess Rullicia, the Derrun region will play a significant role in her next discovery, a light that doesn't rely on magical power will surely be useful in that dark region.
But...
As she reads all the information about the Derrun region, for some reason, she begins want to abandon her plans.
"Seriously... that place is terrifying..."
Princess Rullicia closed the thick book containing all the information about the Derrun region, she had read all the terrifying details, taking over three hours to do so.
"If the situation is this bad, I'm sure Aririn won't let me go there, right?" Rullicia said angrily.
Rullicia threw the book about the Derrun area in front of her. However, the book did not fall to the floor, but floated in the air, and then flew away at lightning speed, returning to the bookshelf of the infinite knowledge library.
Once again, Rullicia took a book containing all the information about the residents living in the Derrun area. The book stated that there were around 128 people living in that dark, squalid place.
"I still can't believe this... but it turns out there are still some people who can live in such a dark place..."
Suddenly, her eyes widened at one of the names in the book.
"Huh? Impossible!? Arsen's residence is in Derrun!?"
Princess Rullicia shouted in disbelief when she saw a very familiar name listed in the book. Previously, Princess Rullicia had never asked where Arsen's lived, and when she found out, it made her feel a little sad.
That desperate boy actually lived in a very dark slum, an area so dark that there were no streetlights at night.
"..."
Princess Rullicia was silent for a moment. She remembered the incident when she met Arsen after she returned from the Lutos toy store. Arsen's face looked desperate as he held a small knife, even though he seemed to be threatening Rullicia to give him all her gold, but Princess Rullicia could still see Arsen's trembling hands.
"I never imagined Arsen would be living there..." said Rullicia in a low voice.
The magic-less lamp created by Princess Rullicia required three main ingredients: an empty magic crystal, Nyxweed, and Solfern Root. It would certainly take a considerable amount of time to create such a magic-less lamp.
Moreover, she had to dry the Nyxweed for three full days. This naturally led her to think about finding someone she could trust.
"Give me a list of names of people living in Derrun who can be trusted with the job."
The book containing the list of residents living in Derrun suddenly faded, with the original 128 names dwindling down to just 4 names.
"Hmm... only four people... well... Kartia, Cassius, Arsen, and Lily?"
Princess Rullicia immediately verified the complete profiles of the four people listed in the book.
"So they are Arsen's family? Cassius is his father, Kartia is his mother, and Lily is his younger sister?"
Princess Rullicia then smiled slightly. Without her realizing it, someone she had helped before would later play a very important role in the area.
It all started by making Arsen her eyes and ears. Now it seemed his family could also help her in this discovery.
"Alright, I've decided. This time, Arsen's family will help me. And now I need to find a reason to go to the Derrun region."
Princess Rullicia threw the book, causing it to fly through the air and then return to its bookshelf.
"Ahem... give me information about strong reasons so that Aririn will allow me to go to the Derrun region."
Instantly, all the bookshelves in the boundless room vanished, and Rullicia found only one book that seemed to give her an idea to make her Maid Arin allow her to go there.
"List of Gods and Goddesses in This World"
When reading the title of the book, for some reason Princess Rullicia was puzzled, as what appeared was a book containing a list of the names of the gods and goddesses in her world.
"What does that mean?"
As she read it, she discovered that there was a goddess who governed all the knowledge in the world, and that goddess was named Solenne Archivienna, a goddess who possessed all the knowledge in the world, and it was she who sometimes imparted her knowledge to humankind.
Suddenly, a wild idea popped into Rullicia's head. She then laughed widely, revealing her small teeth.
"Hehe... It seems I've found a reason for Aririn to let me go to the Derrun region."
With that wide smile, Princess Rullicia closed her library of knowledge, and that afternoon she would instruct her Maid Arin to accompany her to the Derrun region, of course mentioning a reason that her maid could never refuse.
***
That afternoon, as Princess Rullicia had planned, she asked her Maid Arin for permission to take her to the Derrun region to make her new discovery.
"Derrun... Princess, you want to go to Derrun!?"
Arin's eyes suddenly widened at Princess Rullicia, who had previously asked if she could go to the Derrun area today. However, as she had expected, her maid Arin would never allow her to go to an area prone to kidnappings and also a hotbed for criminals.
"Y-Yes... Actually, there's something I want to do after this, but all the materials are there... so—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Arin suddenly grabbed Rullicia's hands. Arin's hands trembled with fear and felt cold.
"Aririn?" Rullicia said with a confused expression.
This was the first time she had seen Arin's face look so terrified.
"No! That place is too dangerous for you, Princess Rullicia!"
Arin's hands were still trembling. Rullicia looked at Arin's hands, which were still tightly gripping hers, so tightly that it caused a slight pain on her skin.
"Aririn...?" Rullicia called out cautiously.
Arin shook her head, her small lips still trembling slightly.
"Princess Rullicia, do you know that Derrun is a very dangerous place? Even the royal fire army doesn't dare to go there."
Arin's breathing was still rapid. She held Rullicia's hand even tighter, as if afraid that Princess Rullicia would disappear if she let go even a little.
"There... are many kidnappings, human trafficking, bandits, illegal drugs, and they don't care who they hurt. Princess Rullicia... if they find out your identity, you might become their target..."
Rullicia was silent for a moment as she listened to Arin, who looked frightened. Her expression, filled with fear, made Rullicia's daughter realize that this place was a dark city full of crime.
Seeing Arin, her loyal maid, looking scared of losing her, Rullicia immediately felt a warm sensation piercing her chest, a feeling she shouldn't be feeling right now. Because it made her lie this time feel even heavier.
But her goal must continue no matter what happens. Rullicia also remembered one strong reason why she had to go there. Because in the plot of the novel, the Derrun region would be one of the areas that would have the highest death rate, causing the residents there to consider the king incompetent in managing his territory, and begin planning to kill Princess Rullicia in the future.
She still remembered it clearly. When Princess Rullicia was exiled from her dilapidated palace, only a few residents of the Derrun region welcomed her.
They did not see her as Princess Rullicia. They only saw her as a fellow human being who shared the same bitter fate.
Although some of the Derrun residents still tried to kill her, there were many others who tried to protect her.
That was why he wanted to go to that area. To give them a new light of hope, and at least change the attitude of its residents that there was still hope for tomorrow, even though they were born in the shantytown of Derrun.
They are not evil people.
They are simply starving.
Desperate.
The world refuses to give them a chance.
And that is why she has many reasons why she must go to the Derrun area. She must help Derrun before the place falls completely into the abyss of darkness.
She must bring them light, and from that light will come new job opportunities for all of them.
She must give them light, both literally and in the form of hope.
If she succeeds in making a lamp without magic...
If she succeeds in illuminating Derrun… Then the future could change. They wouldn't have to hate her. They wouldn't have to die in vain.
And maybe… just maybe… She could change their grim fate. And her own grim fate.
This isn't just an invention project. It's an effort to save many fates, including my own.
Princess Rullicia took a deep breath, a breath that sounded too mature for such a small body, then slowly lifted her chin. The daylight streaming through the window gently reflected off her purple hair, making her expression look much more determined than usual.
She then touched Arin's hand, which was still tightly clutching hers, and with a careful movement, slowly released it from Arin's grip.
"Arin... calm down first."
Her voice was soft, but there was a subtle firmness that made Arin reflexively hold her breath for a moment.
"Listen to me."
At this moment, Princess Rullicia did not know the reason why her maid Arin was suddenly frightened when she heard Derrun's name. She felt that it might have something to do with Arin's past, but Princess Rullicia felt that she should not ask Arin about it this time.
Rullicia closed her eyes, gathering the courage to carry out the biggest lie she had ever told. She knew it would hurt Arin if she ever found out the truth... but Derrun couldn't wait any longer.
"Arin... last night, I received a sign."
When she heard Princess Rullicia's words, Arin gasped as if she had just remembered something important. Because earlier, when Princess Rullicia fell from the apple tree and lost her memory.
After that, Princess Rullicia's childish nature had changed to become a little more mature, and also when Princess Rullicia tried to make an object she had never seen in her entire life.
She had also overheard a conversation between Melda and Kallia, other maids working in this dilapidated palace.
They said...
Could it be that Princess Rullicia had received enlightenment from the goddess of knowledge, who was often mentioned in the legend books we used to read when we were in magic academy? Could the loss of Princess Rullicia's memory be the price she had to pay for the knowledge that the goddess had given her?
Her entire face paled instantly, her legs even wavered halfway, and Princess Rullicia's words this time sounded like what she had heard from Melda and Kallia.
"A sign...? From whom?"
Arin's voice broke with confusion.
Princess Rullicia bowed her head slightly, wearing an expression of doubt and fear, then spoke softly as if revealing an important secret to Arin.
"From the Goddess of Knowledge, Goddesses Solenne Archivienna."
The name of the goddess was not something to be spoken lightly. She was the highest entity that she believed had taken Princess Rullicia's memory and replaced it with a small piece of knowledge that the goddess had given to Princess Rullicia.
She was the Great Goddess who governed all knowledge in the world, who only intervened when the world needed major changes.
"G-Goddess Solenne...?"
Arin's voice was barely audible. Princess Rullicia nodded slowly, as if each movement carried an invisible weight.
"The goddess... showed me a dark place," she whispered. "A place without light. A place waiting for bright light."
Arin covered her mouth with her hand. Her breathing quickened, she recognized the description of the area. Anyone in the kingdom of fire would know the only place that fit that description.
"De-Derrun...?"
Princess Rullicia put on her best innocent face. But there was a small flash of cleverness, just a glimpse that Arin failed to fully understand.
"I have to go there, Arin," she said calmly, but with subtle pressure.
"If it's an order from the Goddess of Knowledge, Solenne... then I can't refuse, can I?"
Arin looked as if she were about to cry. She clutched her chest, holding back something—whether a prayer, fear, or a plea.
"..I-I..."
She swallowed, her voice still trembling.
"If that... is truly from the Goddess Solenne, then I... have no right to forbid Princess Rullicia from going there..."
Rullicia smiled in relief, a little too quickly. Arin immediately looked slightly suspicious. The maid's eyes narrowed sharply, like a cat sensing a trap.
"…Princess Rullicia."
Her tone changed, more mature than before, more filled with suspicion.
"Are you… truly receiving a sign from the Goddess Solenne?"
Princess Rullicia's smile froze.
Oh no… Arin is still suspicious of me!?
She muttered, startled. Princess Rullicia then corrected her expression and began acting again.
Rullicia slowly touched the tip of her tiny index finger to Arin's lips.
Not to silence her... but to distract Arin's logic with a childish manner that always succeeded in weakening her resolve.
"Arin…" she said softly, her eyes pleading with a sincerity that was half genuine, half manipulative.
"Trust Rulli, okay?"
Arin froze. Her cheeks flushed slightly, as she couldn't resist when her daughter acted so sweetly. Finally, she took a deep breath. A very deep one.
Until her shoulders dropped slowly, fully surrendering to what Rullicia's wanted.
"…Alright."
Her voice was weak, overwhelmed by her own sincerity.
"But… Kallia and I will accompany you. But I won't let you go a single step alone."
Rullicia smiled widely, but this time it was purely sincere and filled with joy.
"Yay! I knew I could count on Aririn!"
Arin covered her face with one hand, frustration and affection mingling together.
"…My name is Arin, Your Highness. A-rin."
Her tone was resigned.
Rullicia ran toward the door, her little skirt fluttering cutely.
"Hehe~ But Aririn is still Aririn~!"
Arin stared at the ceiling for a moment, letting her thoughts drift far back to the past that had never truly faded from her memory. The image of Queen Seraphina, the gentle woman she had once so admired, suddenly appeared, as if summoned by a situation she had never wanted.
My Queen Seraphina…
It seems your son truly has the same heart as you. He wants to fix Derrun... the place that once swallowed your hopes alive.
Arin lowered her gaze.
In front of her, Princess Rullicia looked so excited. The little girl was bustling about, enthusiastically putting books, papers, small bottles, thread, and some tools into her tiny bag. Every time she found something she thought was important, her eyes sparkled with joy like a child going on a picnic, not to the darkest and most dangerous area in the kingdom.
Arin smiled at her.
But that smile… was bitter.
Very bitter.
Queen Seraphina… I still haven't forgotten what the people of Derrun did to you. That place… it's not just dark because there's no light. It's dark because it's filled with desperate people who once took everything from you, even your life.
Arin clenched her hands tightly, holding back something in her chest that felt suffocating.
She looked back at the little girl, a child who knew nothing about her mother's tragedy, a child who didn't know how the place she wanted to help had once destroyed the greatest light in her life.
But… she also saw something that was truly reminiscent of Queen Seraphina in the little girl.
Courage.
Innocence.
A desire to help, even as the world rejected her.
Arin took a slow breath.
My Queen Seraphina…
Please save your daughter from that realm. Protect her from all the evils in Derrun.
She wants to bring light there… may that light not fade like yours did.
Arin then gently wiped her face, then forced a smile when Rullicia called her from the door.
Arin prepared to follow, though her heart was filled with prayers, hopes, and fears she had never shown before her daughter.
All of that must continue. Just as it was the will of Queen Seraphina in the past.