Magic Industrial Age

Because the camp was not set up, the only private space was inside the carriage.

Fortunately, the Raymond family's carriage was a luxurious noble standard, with a large interior space and various mechanisms for storing items.

Lilia brewed a pot of black tea, poured a cup for everyone with a delicate silver pot, and placed some snacks on the round table in the middle.

Estelle seemed forthright, drinking it all in one gulp, then holding the silver pot herself to add more water.

She drank three cups in a row before stopping, clearly very thirsty after rushing all the way here.

Of course, she wouldn't care much about noble etiquette to do such a thing.

And the pretty girl, Ava, was the epitome of nobility. Although her clothes were not gorgeous, she still straightened her back, and every move seemed calm and confident.

She elegantly picked up the silver cup, took a sip, and then answered Loy's question in an orderly manner: "If you're talking about being out of control, the entire duchy hasn't been peaceful for many years.

However, you can trust the Duchess's ability; she will maintain the situation."

After a pause, she asked, "Did Viscount Wild Boar tell you something?"

Loy didn't hesitate: "He said he needed me to be a puppet, and the Norman family needs Raymond's support!"

"Hehe, how can a shortsighted person understand the Duchess's vision?"

Ava sneered, but then restrained her expression and said, "However, the situation in the duchy is indeed a bit unstable.

Especially after the Raymond family's main line was destroyed."

"Then tell me in detail; I want to know the specifics!"

"Alright!"

The pretty girl responded, picked up the teacup again, took a sip, organized her words, and then slowly explained.

Loy listened carefully, and Deep Blue started simultaneously, sorting out various information and summarizing it piece by piece.

From time to time, Loy would ask questions, all of which were tricky, and Estelle would occasionally interject with a word or two to give a detailed explanation.

Thus, in this carriage, after the war, Loy finally had an overall understanding of the situation in the Norman Duchy, no longer completely ignorant.

In fact, Duchess Aphra left Ava behind for this very moment.

The Norman Duchy belongs to the standard old aristocratic rule model, a typical small-scale peasant economy where farmers are trapped on the land, belonging to the private property of the noble lords.

And the people standing at the peak of power in the entire duchy can be summarized as one duchess, four marquises, and one earl.

That's right, that earl refers to the Raymond family!

As a thousand-year heritage, the Raymond family has existed for much longer than the Norman Duchy.

They have been the masters of the Flower Territory for almost generations, regardless of which kingdom, duchy, or empire they belonged to, they have never changed.

The reason why they only hold the position of an earl is more because they only wanted this position.

The Sacred Art [Lion King's Title] gave the Raymond family the confidence to rise, but it is also a standard double-edged sword. I don't know how many of their descendants have died because of it.

Therefore, the earldom is the best base. If a descendant cultivates [Lion King's Title] and achieves a fourth-tier Calamity, or even a Legend, then naturally there is an opportunity to go further.

But if not, the earldom's base can still be defended!

Based on this wisdom, ups and downs, for so many years, no matter how the outside world changes, the Raymond family remains as stable as Mount Tai.

Therefore, although it is an earl title, no one only regards him as an earl. The highest seats in the Norman Duchy have never lacked a place for the Raymond family.

In comparison, the four marquises, and even the Norman Duchess, can only be regarded as latecomers.

The four marquis families are the Castro family, the Floyd family, the Carlisle family, and the McKinley family.

They own the most land in the duchy, the strongest knight orders, barns filled with grain, and intricate networks of contacts.

Even some families are branches of other families, such as the Carlisle family, which also has a branch in the Bonaparte Empire, with a duke title and strong strength.

The reason why there is also a branch here is largely because the family inherited a exclave, as well as internal strife, and a lineage was separated.

Among the four marquis families, Carlisle is the weakest, with the smallest territory and the fewest knights,

However, given him time, no one knows how many knights, mages, or Calamity powerhouses he can pull out.

The Castro family is the richest family in the Norman Duchy, the best at business, lending, and scraping up every gold shield.

This is an extremely shrewd family, known as every member of the Castro family is born with the ability to calculate and trade.

And being rich often represents strength.

Because you don't know how many strong people they can hire with money.

Then there is the McKinley family, whose strength on the surface is only slightly stronger than the Carlisle family, but it is also limited.

However, the women of their family are known for their good upbringing and ability to bear children. Through marriage, they are almost related to 70% of the nobles in the duchy.

This does not include children married to other countries, and the vast network of relationships built on this.

Therefore, the McKinley family's information network is the most well-informed, and no news can escape his ears.

Any thing that is detrimental to the McKinley family will be opposed by most of the members of the noble council.

And the last marquis family, Floyd, is known for producing geniuses!

As long as they are of the family's bloodline, they either have great talent in war professions and can become powerful knights, or they have great attainments in magic, and their strength is amazing.

Of course, geniuses may be a bit stubborn and hate worldly social interactions.

Therefore, although this family's territory is not small, they are not good at development and accumulation, and most of the gold shields they harvest are used to buy cultivation items.

However, the lifespan of the strong is longer than that of mortals, and no one knows what old monsters are hidden in this family.

Under normal circumstances, anyone with a brain wouldn't provoke them.

As for the strongest family, it is the Norman family. Being able to become a grand duke represents that there is at least a living legend within the family.

Just this point alone makes Duchess Aphra the one with the worst temper and the toughest actions.

As for the current situation in the Norman Duchy, to put it bluntly, it is a struggle between two factions.

One side is the noble alliance led by the Carlisle family, united with the Castro family and the McKinley family.

The other side is the ducal front led by the Norman family, combined with the Floyd family and the Raymond family.

Theoretically, the struggles of the nobles are basically you calculating me, I calculating you, and you have to hide it under layers of inside stories.

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Even in the end, it is difficult to say exactly who did it!

Before, the Norman Duke was basically the one who was the bookmaker, allowing the families in the duchy to maintain a relatively balanced state,

In this way, the duchy is stable.

For many years, the Norman family has operated in this way, and has done a good job.

And Duchess Aphra is not a person lacking in wisdom.

But this time, it has developed into a confrontation between two powerful forces, and the conflicts between each other are almost impossible to curb, naturally there are more profound reasons.

That is the great power game!

The reason why the Norman Duchy exists, and the reason why its current position is becoming more and more prominent, is because it is located at the border of two major empires.

The southeast side of the Norman Duchy borders the old empire of the Old Continent, the Bonaparte Empire, which is already an 'old player' on this poker table.

And the west side of the Norman Duchy is the emerging capitalist country, the pioneer of magic energy industrialization, the unfathomable Habsburg Empire.

Therefore, rather than the internal struggle of the Norman Duchy, it is actually an extension of the game between two major powers.

The noble alliance of Carlisle, Castro, and McKinley families is naturally close to the Bonaparte Empire.

It can be said that they are the representatives of the Bonaparte Empire in this land.

The Bonaparte Empire has always been uneasy about the rapid development of the Habsburg Empire, so it is almost inevitable to curb it through various means.

As for the ducal front composed of the Norman family, the Floyd family, and the Raymond family, it is nice to say that they are close to the Habsburg Empire, but to put it bluntly, they have to respond.

If they don't maintain the balance as much as possible, then the Norman Duchy will definitely become a victim of the great power game.

At that time, I am afraid that the war between the two sides will break out in the Norman Duchy.

Before, the strength of both sides was actually relatively balanced.

Three against three, each has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is difficult to say who can overwhelm who!

But when the Raymond family was destroyed, the death of Earl Karl, was almost a fatal blow to the ducal front.

The reason why Duchess Aphra ran all the way to Oakland City is because she now urgently needs someone to take over the Raymond family.

Moreover, this new Earl Raymond must stand behind the Norman family without any hesitation.

With such calculations, Loy, this illegitimate son of Earl Karl Raymond, and also the Duchess's child, is the most suitable candidate.

There is no other!

This conversation ended when it was completely dark. Campfires were lit again in the camp, and the aroma of food wafted, whetting people's appetites.

Old mercenaries acted as bards, playing harps, and hoarse, sad singing voices sounded.

In this place where the bloody smell has not completely dissipated, there is a bit more unrestrained meaning.

At this moment, Loy finally walked out of the carriage.

After stretching himself, he tilted his head slightly, looked at the pretty girl who was getting out of the car, and said, "There are some things I still want to say in advance."

"Young Master, please speak?"

"I am not a character to be manipulated, so if I inherit the earldom, it is impossible to listen to Duchess Aphra in everything.

You can help me convey this sentence!"

The pretty girl's face did not change at all. She just asked, "Do you acknowledge your mother?"

"Of course!"

"That's enough!"

The pretty girl Ava said confidently: "You sit on the position of Earl Raymond, you will inevitably stand behind the Duchess.

This is certain!"

"You are really confident, I hope it is so."

Second update is here! Continue to work hard for more updates…