It was already late afternoon. Earlier, Princess Rullicia had promised Arsen that she would pay him according to her means today.
Princess Rullicia herself did not expect that Arsen would be able to spread the rumor even further, especially among children, and then spread even further within the fire kingdom.
Rumors about the spinning top also reached the main palace of the fire kingdom, causing the knights and servants there to discuss the object known as the spinning top.
The grass swayed gently in the breeze, and among the lush bushes, Princess Rullicia and Arsen sat on a simple wooden bench.
Princess Rullicia took out a bag containing five hundred gold coins. As she had promised earlier, Arsen would be given five gold coins.
"As Rulli promised," said Princess Rullicia as she lowered the small pouch from her lap.
The sound of clinking metal could be heard as she untied the knot, and Princess Rullicia then took out five shiny gold coins.
"This is for you, Arsen. You've worked hard these past few days."
Arsen stared at the coins with wide eyes. He did not expect Princess Rullicia to actually give him that much money. Five gold coins was a lot for Arsen, because for a boy like him who worked everywhere, the highest wage he had ever earned from his previous jobs was only two hundred silver coins.
To earn one gold coin, Arsen would need to work for about fifteen months.
But today, Princess Rullicia had easily given him five gold coins.
"Princess Rullicia... are you serious about giving me these five gold coins?"
Arsen asked the same question as when Princess Rullicia first gave him the order and then paid him five gold coins.
"Of course. Rulli never breaks her promises."
Princess Rullicia gave Arsen a small smile. For her, controlling information was paramount at this moment, which is why Princess Rullicia valued every piece of information Arsen had spread previously.
Especially since the rumor had spread throughout the entire Fire Kingdom.
"I-I mean, it's not because of that, but isn't this too much?"
Arsen shook his head and still felt unworthy of receiving that much money.
"There's no such thing as too much for someone who's done a good job, is there?"
Princess Rullicia then took Arsen's hand. She opened his fingers one by one and placed the five gold coins in his hand.
"A promise is a promise. Rulli will still pay that much." Princess Rullicia said.
Arin, the servant who had been standing beside Princess Rullicia all along, felt inexplicably happy. One event today also made Arin feel that Princess Rullicia now had the demeanor of a good queen.
She kept her promise... Princess Rullicia... when did you grow up so quickly...
Arin also felt that Princess Rullicia's growth was accelerating, and it was almost making her unsure of how to react. What was clear was that Princess Rullicia had once again displayed a demeanor that left her in awe.
"Alright then, if that is the princess's wish."
Arsen then accepted the five gold coins. He immediately put them into his slightly dirty shirt pocket. Princess Rullicia remembered their previous agreement that Arsen would also bring her some other rumors, and of course, Princess Rullicia would pay him according to the value of the information.
"Well... now, as promised a few days ago. Rulli wants to hear the news from Arsen's eyes and ears. Is there any interesting information from the main market in Berlun?"
Arsen was still sitting on the rickety wooden bench with Princess Rullicia beside him. He tried to recall some of the things he had heard earlier, and when he remembered, Arsen stood up immediately.
"Oh yes... I think this information is quite important for Princess Rullicia."
Seeing Arsen as someone who had remembered vital information, Princess Rullicia leaned forward slightly. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves made their conversation feel like a secret that no one else should hear.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice calm, but her eyes sharply monitoring Arsen's every move.
Arsen swallowed before continuing.
"Lately, there have been two strange people hanging around the Lutos toy store. They seem to be looking for someone."
Princess Rullicia's forehead suddenly wrinkled. Someone was looking for her, and she herself didn't know who they were. To her knowledge, the spinning top she made had no secret mechanism or anything like that. It was nothing special and only used a law of cause and effect that ultimately made the object spin.
"Two people?"
Arsen nodded quickly, then glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.
"One person has white, slightly long hair, and speaks like a noble. The other has green hair, always carries a notebook, and wears glasses. From the way they examined the items in the store... they looked like researchers."
Listening to Arsen's description, Princess Rullicia paused for a moment, wondering why she felt like she knew those two people? She then closed her eyes and instantly found herself inside the library of knowledge within her mind.
Ettoo... the list of residents in the Fire Kingdom
In that vast library, the millions of books that had been there vanished instantly, and ninety-six bookcases appeared, containing the names of all the inhabitants of the Fire Kingdom.
Compile the search results; provide data on residents with white hair and green hair.
Instantly, the ninety-six bookshelves vanished. Then, one book appeared, which might hold the answer to who the two of them really were. Princess Rullicia took the book and read the first page.
Prince Albert Fortellis De Luciana and Lucen Deur Letca.
BLAAK!
Princess Rullicia slammed the book shut, causing an echo to reverberate throughout the boundless library of knowledge.
Albert's brother!? And his magical research assistant, Lucen!? Why are they looking for me!?
Arin and Arsen exchanged confused glances as Princess Rullicia remained silent with her eyes tightly closed for several minutes, looking like a living statue.
Arin gently shook her shoulder.
"Princess Rullicia? Are you okay?"
Arsen also felt concerned when he saw Princess Rullicia suddenly go silent and turn into a statue.
"Has Princess Rullicia ever been like this before?" Arsen asked in astonishment.
"I don't know what happened either. When I heard your information, Princess Rullicia suddenly became like this..."
Suddenly, Princess Rullicia took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Her gaze was blank for a moment but quickly refocused. She then looked at her servant Arin, whose hand had been on her shoulder the whole time.
"Princess Rullicia? Why has the princess been silent all this time?"
"Rulli... Rulli is fine." She said quickly, giving a faint smile to calm both of them down.
However, cold sweat still trickled down her temples. Princess Rullicia hadn't expected her brother Albert to be searching for her, and even bringing along the mad sorcerer researcher Lucen Deur Letca.
"I'm sorry, Arsen, it seems we need to go home right away."
Princess Rullicia stood tall. She didn't know what her brother Albert was looking for from her, but it was clear that the situation was rather dire. Because she couldn't meet him any sooner, and it could trigger an unexpected event.
Especially in the novel she had read in her past life. Albert was a cruel character who had tortured Princess Rullicia, simply because she herself couldn't use magic.
The person who suggested Albert conduct research on the magic vein was Lucen, and the research began on Princess Rullicia's body, all done to find out why Rullicia didn't have the magic vein, even though her entire family were magic experts.
"If you want to know the true origin of magic, examine your sister's blood and body, Rullicia."
Princess Rullicia still remembers that dialogue to this day. One of the dialogues that once made her shiver with fear when reading the novel, as her brother had gone mad and conducted that research on his own sister.
After that incident... everything turned into an eternal hell for Princess Rullicia.
She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. Her eyes turned toward Arin and Arsen, who were still confused by the gloomy expression clearly visible on her face.
"Arin, let's go home now." She said quickly.
Arin straightened her body, realizing there was a change in the princess's tone—this time, her voice trembled slightly, and there was fear behind it.
"Alright, Princess Rullicia."
Before Princess Rullicia left the place, she reached into her gold pouch and took out about ten gold coins.
She gave the ten gold coins to Arsen, who remained silent and was somewhat surprised to see Princess Rullicia suddenly looking like someone who was afraid.
"Arsen. Thank you for that important information. This is an additional payment for it."
Princess Rullicia handed the ten gold coins directly into Arsen's palm.
"E-Eh!? Ten gold coins!? A-Ano, Princess Rullicia, that's too much!"
"Take it! Rulli thinks it's worth the important information!"
Princess Rullicia took her servant Arin's hand. Arin could still feel that Princess Rullicia's hand was trembling and felt cold and piercing.
"Arsen! Remember this, don't try to find out more about that information, understand!?"
Princess Rullicia also had to warn Arsen first. Because if Arsen investigated it further, there was a possibility that Arsen would be locked up and imprisoned in the kingdom's underground dungeon.
"Al-Alright... Princess Rullicia..."
Princess Rullicia then left with her servant Arin. The two of them quickly entered the secret door and hurried back to their dilapidated palace.
***
At a time when the moon never shone again. Princess Rullicia lamented her fate, which was full of suffering. She knew that she would never find happiness in the world of witches.
Her body lacked the pulse of a witch. This made her even more of a curse spreader and a defective princess.
Rullicia Fortellis De Luciana was born from the womb of her mother, Seraphina Fortellis De Luciana, the queen who possessed the greatest magical power in the kingdom.
A kind-hearted queen with an elegant and dignified smile. She brought prosperity to the kingdom and shared half of the knowledge she had learned with her people.
Meanwhile, her husband was a king named Ignantius Fortellis De Luciana. A king of fire who burned everything for power, he possessed the strongest magic in controlling the element of fire.
King Ignantius was often considered a king with a cruel but gentle face. Ignantius was considered very wise in matters of the kingdom, but he seemed a little foolish when he was with his beloved wife Seraphina.
His wisdom crumbled when his wife Seraphina chose to give birth to their child Rullicia instead of aborting her.
Even though the king had hugged her many times while crying, unwilling to see his wife die and leave him, he said those cruel words to his own wife.
Just abort the baby, I don't care about the baby in your womb! I just want you to be safe!!! Please, Seraphina... Listen to me....
Hearing those words made Seraphina feel her heart was torn apart and shattered. She never expected her husband Ignantius to want her to abort the baby she loved so dearly.
The king and queen didn't speak for several months. Until one day, Seraphina delivered her final message to the king, to her husband who had once fought alongside her to build the kingdom of fire from the ground up.
Until it reached the prosperity it enjoys today.
For the sake of my love for you, I beg you to take care of this child, even if you hate her... she will still be your only daughter. Love her, cherish her, just as I have loved you until now...
It was then that Rullicia was born into the world. A world filled with magical power, while she possessed none. She continued to walk a path filled with mud and insults.
Exiled by her own father, and even believing in her brother's cruel research, which claimed he could make Rullicia use magic through his experiments.
Tempted by that offer, Rullicia followed her brother's proposal and endured various torturous experiments.
However... it yielded no results. After ten years, the research was halted. It was then, at the age of eleven, that the king expelled Princess Rullicia from his dilapidated palace.
Princess Rullicia then lived as a commoner for years alongside her servant Arin.
Rinia, who knew all about Princess Rullicia's fate, certainly did not want that to happen again this time. Now that she was in Princess Rullicia's body, she was determined not to let the same thing happen as in the novel she had read.
But she never expected that just by making that spinning top, Prince Albert would search for her.
"My knowledge, which was originally meant to fill my boredom in this world, has instead become a boomerang or a fishing hook that attracts a crocodile... oh dear..."
Rullicia continued to gaze at the night sky through her bedroom window. Everything she had known up until now was indeed one of the weapons she could use.
Predictions of the future, disaster mitigation, and various other things could be answered within her limitless library.
But because of that power, which was so strong to her, she had forgotten that Rullicia was also just a human being who wanted to be loved, and also a weak child.
Princess Rullicia could die under any circumstances, she should have known that. But... before that, she herself was not wise and did not think about what would happen in the future.
"If it's come to this, should I postpone my ambitions for now?"
She stared at her reflection in the window, a young face with eyes full of burning determination. Red eyes with purple hair currently tied in a ponytail.
She then recalled one of her favorite sayings from long ago.
'Finish what you've started.'
Princess Rullicia had started all of this with one leap forward, her first work, a spinning top, a toy with a concept without magic, and that had been her first step in changing the concept of this world.
"No! If I back down now, when else will I be able to save my shabby palace? My loyal servants are also pinning their hopes on me!"
Princess Rullicia's hands quickly slapped both sides of her cheeks simultaneously. The pain she had read about in the novel did make her afraid, but if she couldn't conquer that fear, then she had failed from the start.
"If I don't act now, who will? This world won't change if I just wait for my father's mercy… or anyone else's."
Rullicia clutched the pendant on her chest tightly, the last symbol of her late mother.
"Rulli will finish everything… before the world has a chance to cast Rulli aside someday."
The night breeze blew gently, and for a moment, it seemed as though the stars were gazing at the young princess who had just affirmed her own destiny.
That night was dark, so dark that even Rullicia's eyes couldn't see anything. The cities still seemed to use magic lamps, which of course required a wizard to light them.
Rullicia was currently writing a draft of an object she wanted to create in the future. She had seen many people struggling to find work, because almost all jobs were controlled by someone with magical abilities.
This made it difficult for many people from the Derrun region, located west of the main market of Berlun, to find work. The unlimited library said that the Derrun region had a high poverty rate, and there were also many people doing odd jobs without clear pay.
This time, Rullicia wanted to create something that would also be beneficial for everyone there. But not a single idea came to mind.
"Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh... what else can I make!? I don't even have a single idea!?"
Suddenly, the door to Princess Rullicia's room opened slowly, making a slightly loud creaking sound. Her servant, Arin, then entered her room carrying a large box filled with many black crystals.
"Princess Rullicia, I'm sorry to disturb you, but may I put the box of magic crystals in your room? The storage room is already full of these things..."
"Yes, yes... just put it here, but arrange it neatly, Aririn."
"Um... Princess Rullicia... my name is Arin..."
Without turning her head even slightly, Rullicia's eyes remained focused on her plan to create something useful for her kingdom, and this time at least she could get her citizens to participate in its creation.
Meanwhile, Arin entered her room. She placed several large boxes filled with used magic crystals and then neatly arranged all the boxes in an empty space.
Slowly, Arin opened the lid of the box. Inside were dozens of jet-black crystals, some cracked, some dusty.
Princess Rullicia's eyes suddenly turned toward the dozens of used magic crystals.
"What are these crystals?" asked Princess Rullicia.
Her hand held one of the jet-black magic crystals. Her red eyes stared closely at the jet-black crystal in her hand.
"These are used magic crystals, objects used as a source of light in lamps, usually discarded after their magical energy is depleted."
She just remembered that her world also had magic crystals. To her knowledge, these magic crystals would only be useful if activated using 'Mana'. But she had also read that there was a way to activate magic crystals without a flow of 'Mana', namely by writing 'Runes'.
At the moment, she still didn't understand how to use 'Runes' on magical crystal objects, so it seemed that for now, she couldn't make use of the used magical crystals.
"I'm sorry, Princess Rullicia, for placing so many boxes in your room." Arin bowed her head slightly.
"It's okay, Arin. Is the warehouse already that full?"
Arin shook her head quickly, still bowing politely.
"It's not full, princess. It's just that... because it's already quite late, the lighting in the warehouse is very dim. My eyes can't see clearly in the dark room," said Arin with a small smile.
Arin tapped the side of the large wooden box now leaning against the wall of the room.
"So I thought it would be better to put it in your room for now. Tomorrow morning, after the sun rises, I will move it back to the warehouse."
Rullicia raised her eyebrows slowly. The candlelight on her desk flickered softly, illuminating Arin's tired face, the dark circles under her eyes clearly visible.
"Then let it stay here tonight. Arin looks exhausted, Arin should rest first."
Arin was about to object, but the gentle look in the princess's eyes made her change her mind. She finally bowed her head deeply and replied softly,
"Alright, Princess. In that case, I will take leave. Don't stay up too late, okay?"
Rullicia merely smiled slightly.
"No, Rulli promises, Rulli will try to sleep earlier," she replied lightly.
Arin looked at her for a moment, a little worried. Arin then turned and left the room. The door closed slowly, leaving Rullicia alone with the large box full of used magic crystals that now glowed faintly under the candlelight.
She stared at the box for a few seconds, her lips curving into a small smile.
"Unused magic crystals, huh..." she murmured softly.
Upon examining it more closely, Rullicia's eyes detected no magical energy within the crystals, meaning the objects were now like empty stones devoid of any energy source.
"Is it really like that?"
Rullicia then took another magic crystal, and this time she held two magic crystals in each hand. She remembered that an object containing energy usually still sparked a little flame, though small, it seemed usable for other purposes.
Taak Taak
Princess Rullicia gently tapped the two used magic crystals against each other. The collision produced nothing except a loud taak...taak sound.
"Hmm... no reaction at all?"
If only the object could produce a small spark of fire through the friction between the magic crystals, she might be able to use it as a source of energy to ignite fire without magic.
However, there was no reaction whatsoever when the crystals rubbed against each other.
"Oh, really? What if I mix it with water? What will happen then?"
Rullicia grew increasingly curious about the empty magic crystal stone. She took her drinking water and then placed the empty magic crystal stone into the glass.
"Wow!"
Rullicia's eyes were filled with amazement at what she saw. The empty magic crystal, when placed in water, produced a faint light reaction.
"When it comes into contact with water, it glows, albeit faintly and not very brightly. It seems like this thing can still be used? But what for?"
Rullicia suddenly remembered what Arin had said earlier. She then ran to her bedroom window and slowly opened it. Rullicia's room was on the second floor, so she could still see the night scene of the Berlun market from a distance.
"Dark... and not very appealing..."
In her world, even though night had fallen, the surroundings were still brightly lit. There was no darkness that made everyone afraid, and many people still carried out their activities at night.
Meanwhile, in her current world, darkness still enveloped them. Rullicia was sure that most people in the kingdom were reluctant to open their shops at night because of the darkness and the possibility of thieves entering their shops.
"A world that remains brightly lit even after nightfall... that's the idea I must create!"
Rullicia then ran toward her small desk. She wrote down something that might just solve three problems at once within the kingdom.
A bright world even in the dark of night. No more discarded magic crystals, and creating job opportunities in the Derrun region.
"Fufufu... I am indeed a genius! My ambition must not be crushed until I get more money, and then leave this stupid place!"
Rullicia began writing down many plans on several sheets of paper on her desk. This time, she came up with the idea of using a concept she knew from her world back then.
Creating light from a chemical reaction. Rullicia had practiced this before, and it worked similarly to a glow stick. Two different liquids were combined and produced light due to an exothermic chemical reaction.
"Now… I just need to find an object that, when mixed with an empty magic crystal, can produce a larger light reaction."
Rullicia then closed her eyes. Now she just needed to find an object that, when mixed with the empty magic crystal, would create a larger reaction to the light produced.
The sound of her small footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor. She looked at the neatly arranged rows of books, then whispered softly,
"The name and type of stone that can produce a chemiluminescence reaction."
Instantly, the entire shelf trembled, and… vanished completely. Only a swirl of light dust remained, spinning before disappearing into the air.
Rullicia furrowed her brow.
"No results… does that mean there are no stones in this world that can trigger that reaction?"
She looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment.
"If not stones, maybe… living creatures?"
"The name and type of animal that can produce the Chemiluminescence reaction!"
But the result was the same. The large room remained empty, with only the echo of her own voice responding.
Rullicia sighed deeply, sitting on the library floor made of light.
"Hmm… I forgot. This world has its own names for every object, right? Maybe the concept of chemiluminescence isn't known here."
She bit her fingernail, staring at the floor that reflected her small face, deep in thought.
"In that case, I need to adjust my search to use this world's terms…"
Her eyes sparkled briefly, then she stood up again.
"Search… for all plants or minerals that produce natural light without magic. Whether due to heat, vibration, or air reactions."
This time, the air in the library began to pulse. One by one, the bookcases reappeared. Not as many as before, but enough to make Rullicia's heart race.
"Success!" she whispered softly.
She ran to the nearest shelf and pulled out a book with a dark green cover. On the cover it read.
Flora & Minerals That Produce Natural Light Without Magic Thanks to Heat, Vibration, or Air Reactions.
Rullicia opened the first page with sparkling eyes.
"So… there are also materials that can produce light without magic in this world."
Her smile slowly grew.
"Alright, let's see… maybe… I can make my first lamp tonight."
Rullicia still stood in the middle of the library, the light from the old green bookshelves in front of her softly reflecting off her ruby-red eyes. She flipped through the pages of the book she had just found. Ancient golden text appeared one by one in the air, dancing like stardust before settling onto the pages.
"...The natural light of Lume Moss, a bioluminescent plant that only grows in damp soil and gentle breezes…."
She continued reading slowly, her fingers tracing each word.
"...can be found in the northern regions… beyond the borders of the Fire Kingdom."
Rullicia's head tensed immediately.
She flipped to the next page quickly, ensuring there were no other locations. But what was written there only made her heart ache more.
Natural growth area: Elgarde Outer Forest — former war border, under the supervision of the Wind Kingdom.
Rullicia stared at the page for a long time, then slammed the book shut with a loud THAP.
"Seriously… outside the kingdom?" she muttered softly, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance.
"I can't even freely leave the palace, and now the materials I need are growing in another kingdom?"
She kicked the empty air in front of the shelf, but what she kicked was a scattering of light fragments like silver dust.
"Why is everything interesting always out of my reach, huh?"
Her tone sounded like a child throwing a tantrum, but beneath it lay genuine frustration. She reopened her book, hoping for an alternative note.
However, under the location notes section, there was only one small sentence that felt like a mockery.
'No similar species found in your region.'
Rullicia sighed heavily and stared at the high ceiling of her library.
"Amazing… unlimited knowledge, but my feet are still limited. How ironic!!!"
She then plopped down onto the glowing floor.
The book was still open on her lap, while her mind began to race for a solution.
"So, that means… I need a substitute material," she muttered.
"If Lume Moss can glow due to moisture and soft air… then I just need to create similar conditions inside my lamp. Something that… glows due to vibration, not magic."
Rullicia stared again at the faintly glowing bookshelf. She felt unsatisfied. Everything she was looking for was outside her kingdom, and for someone who still had the body of a seven-year-old child, it was impossible for her to obtain it.
"If Lume Moss is too far away… there must be a substitute," she murmured softly, closing her eyes for a moment. "A plant that produces the same reaction around the dilapidated palace of the fire kingdom."
The library trembled slightly. The rows of shelves on the left slowly reappeared, the books rubbing against each other like soft whispers. One book floated out, its cover brown with small silver letters on the spine.
List of Chemiluminescent Plants – Southwest Region of Derrun
Rullicia immediately opened the book, flipping through the pages one by one.
Some strange names were listed there, some she didn't recognize, others sounding like local species often mentioned by the servants at the market.
However, her attention was drawn to one name that made her eyes sparkle.
Nyxweed plant fibers — a grayish swamp plant containing low levels of natural phosphorus.
She read further, her lips murmuring along with each sentence.
"If dried and ground into a fine powder, then mixed with empty magic crystal particles, it can produce a luminous reaction when subjected to friction or strong impact."
"Ha!" Rullicia exclaimed, her index finger tapping the page enthusiastically. "That's it!"
However, after reading the rest of the paragraph, her smile faded slightly.
"But… the process is very complicated. Nyxweed must be dried for at least three full days at a warm temperature, must not be exposed to water, and must be ground until it is as fine as sand. Otherwise, the reaction will fail or produce thick smoke."
Rullicia stared at the page for a long time, then sighed deeply.
"Three full days… and ground into sand? This isn't a simple experiment anymore," she muttered, gazing at the endless ceiling of the library.
But her red eyes slowly began to shine again.
"But if I succeed, Derrun could have an affordable light source without magic… and I could sell it. At the same time, helping those who can't afford royal candles and magic lamp."
She smiled slightly, a smile more sincere than usual.
"It seems the next discovery begins with the filthy swamp plants that hardly anyone uses, huh?"
She continued reading the book until her eyes landed on a small note beneath it, written in dark red ink.
"The duration of the light reaction is twelve or sixteen hours, depending on the amount of powder used."
Rullicia tilted her head, then sighed softly.
"Sixteen hours? So from night until morning, the light will be completely off… not enough for all-night lighting in Derrun."
She tapped her lips with her fingertip, deep in thought.
"If that's the case… there must be an additional ingredient that can slow down the chemical reaction."
She quickly closed the book and clearly uttered the new keyword.
"Plants native to Derrun that can slow down natural light reactions."
Instantly, the vast library trembled gently.
The bookshelf on the right side formed, leaving only one small book with a moss-green cover. The book floated gently into his hand, light yet warm, as if it contained energy within.
She opened the first page and read it.
"Solfern Root, a small blue-tinged root that grows beneath the shade of damp trees. It contains natural stabilizing compounds capable of slowing the rate of phosphoric reactions in luminous materials."
Rullicia smiled faintly.
"Solfern Root… the small blue root that was once often mistaken for useless weeds in the Derrun forest. So it turns out it has great benefits too, huh?"
She read the bottom of the page, her eyes narrowing slightly as she found the important part.
"If Solfern Root powder is mixed in a one-to-five ratio with Nyxweed powder, the light reaction time can be extended up to twenty hours without a significant decrease in light intensity."
Rullicia's voice echoed softly between the endless white walls of the library.
Silence. There was no other sound except the soft rustling of magical air flowing through the bookshelves around her. The pale blue light from the floating text in front of her eyes trembled slightly, dancing like dust particles in the moonlight.
A few seconds passed before a smile slowly formed on her lips.
"Twenty full hours…" she murmured, both amazed and satisfied.
Her gaze shifted to the air in front of her, as if imagining the small lamps hanging in Derrun Alley, glowing softly without the aid of magic.
She lowered the book in her hand, the golden light from the open pages illuminating her face, filled with enthusiasm.
"That's enough to illuminate an entire night and even until the sun is high. With this combination, I can create a natural light source without magic, even more economical than royal candles or magical lamps."
Rullicia closed her book with a wide smile.
The library around her slowly faded away, leaving a single line of glowing text in the air before she returned to the real world.
"Long-lasting light isn't the domain of magic… but of those who are willing to think."
Rullicia chuckled. "Nice words. I think I know the main ingredient for the next Rulli lamp."
She opened her eyes again, this time Rullicia was back in her own room.
"With this combination," she whispered, "I can create a natural light source without magic, even more economical than royal candles and the magic lamps."
That satisfied smile finally bloomed fully.
In the eternal silence of her small room, Princess Rullicia had just discovered a new glimmer of light, not only for herself, but also for the poor people living in darkness in the Derrun region.