Published: August 10, 2026
Lionel――Lionel Ildanaf Dilz. The first prince of the Dirts Kingdom.
About two years ago, he deceived the king and placed him under house arrest, then acted as if he himself were the king. He harmed the Granado Family, with whom the kingdom had originally intended to deepen ties, and as a result, he damaged the national interest.
After a great deal of trouble, he was finally condemned, and his position as crown prince was stripped away. I had heard that he had been exiled under the pretense of studying abroad in some faraway country, but I did not know the details.
"What happened to him after that?"
When Lord Cyrus asked, the two family members exchanged glances and again made bitter faces.
He was the king's own son, and his eldest, whom he had once expected to become his heir. With a deep sigh, he said as if forcing the words out.
"...Nothing, really. He was exiled to Shaina under the pretense of studying abroad. We paid a certain noble house to keep him confined for life. ...Sunbathing is done through a window. Even for walks, he is never allowed to leave his room."
"Then he's practically in prison..."
"But to dismiss this as mere coincidence would be far too optimistic."
Lord Richard continued.
"The second names of us princes are foreign place names. They are bestowed as a kind of contract, or mutual understanding, that the land will bring some benefit to the royal family and that we will maintain friendly relations in the future."
"...I know. I just recently went to the Sandalqia Region, which has ties to Ruifeng."
"My Nielsen comes from Lucia's scenic spots, and Reimia's from the holy city of Seymour in Flaria. Lionel's――this one, Ildanaf."
As he said that, Lord Richard dug his nail into the center of the map.
Lord Cyrus also grimaced.
"Then does this land have some connection to Lionel? I've never heard that the Dilz Royal Family had any ties to Oracle territory."
"I don't know either."
The king said it firmly while stroking his beard. He looked a little sad as he did so.
"I'm sure Lionel was supposed to have established a tie with some completely different land when he was just born. But before anyone knew it, he seems to have canceled it on his own... honestly, what a pain."
"I've never heard of it either. He started calling himself that from his teens onward, but when I asked why, he wouldn't tell me. He only said, 'I made a small connection.'..."
"Would that man really incorporate something into his own name over a 'small connection'? He must have expected some kind of practical benefit. And for reasons he wanted to hide even from His Majesty, and from his younger siblings."
"...Could there be something special on this island? Something that would yield gold from this mine, perhaps?"
When I offered my guess, Lord Richard smiled wryly.
"No. From the terrain of this island, no gold or silver comes out. At best, iron."
"Even iron can be worth a fortune if you can get it in quantity. For Dilz, which lacks resources, that would still be valuable enough."
Lord Cyrus objected, but Lord Richard still shook his head.
"The quality of the mine is poor. There's too much useless dirt mixed in with the iron. It would turn a profit, sure, but I can't imagine my brother being especially obsessed with it."
"...Indeed. If it were truly a good mine, there's no way I wouldn't have heard about it as a trader. I've never seen Oracle iron ore in the trading market..."
With his arms crossed, Lord Cyrus nodded. Everyone groaned and racked their brains.
No idea... Why had Lionel formed ties with this Ildanaf Island? What possible benefit could there have been?
What on earth was hidden on this island――?
Everyone fell silent. It was Lord Richard who broke the silence. Suddenly, he asked his father, who was seated beside him.
"Your Majesty, are there any diplomatic records with this island as a matter of state? This was before I began assisting my brother."
"No, I've never heard of any..."
His Majesty King Roy drooped his thick eyebrows and let out a troubled sigh.
"From when he was a child, he had the bearing of a crown prince, you know. He used to travel all over the place on official visits, meeting directly with royalty and nobility from various countries. Since he was working for the country, I allowed it. But after I scolded him and told him to at least report things after the fact, he stopped doing it altogether... though in truth, he was doing whatever he wanted behind my back even more than before..."