Chapter 179: Two Powers Confronted, Great Power Game (Please Subscribe, Please Subscribe)

Since the tents were not set up, the only relatively private space was inside the carriage.

Fortunately, the Raymond family's carriage can be regarded as a luxury that is standard for aristocrats. Not only is the space inside large enough, it even has various mechanisms to store a lot of items.

Lilia brewed a pot of black tea here, poured a cup for each person with an exquisite silver pot, and then took some snacks and placed them on the round table in the middle.

Estelle seemed generous and drank it all in one gulp, then continued to add water with the silver pot.

He drank three cups in a row before stopping. It was obvious that this man who had come all the way to help was really thirsty.

Of course, to be able to do such a thing, she really doesn't care much about aristocratic etiquette.

The pretty girl Eva is the epitome of aristocracy. Although her clothes are not gorgeous, she still stands straight and appears calm and confident in every move.

She gracefully picked up the silver cup, took a sip, and then answered Luo Yi's question in an orderly manner: "If you say it's out of control, the entire principality has not been peaceful for many years.

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

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

Luo Yi said without hesitation: "He said that he needed me to be a puppet, and the Norman family also needed Raymond's support!"

"Haha, how can such a short-sighted person understand the master's vision?"

Eva sneered, but then restrained her expression and said, “However, the situation in the principality is indeed a bit unstable.

Especially after the destruction of the main branch of the Raymond family."

"Then tell me in detail, I want to know the details!"

"good!"

The pretty girl responded, raised her teacup again, took a sip, organized her words, and then began to tell the story.

Luo Yi listened carefully, and Deep Blue also started up simultaneously, sorting out various information and summarizing them one by one.

From time to time, Roy would ask some tricky questions, and Estelle would sometimes interrupt and say a word or two, giving detailed explanations.

Thus, in this carriage, after the war, Loy finally had an overall understanding of the situation in the Duchy of Normandy and was no longer completely in the dark.

In fact, Archduchess Aphra left Eva behind for this very moment.

The Norman Duchy was a standard old aristocratic ruling model with a typical small peasant economy. The farmers were trapped on the land, which belonged to the private property of the noble lords.

To sum up, those who stand at the pinnacle of power in the entire principality are actually a grand duke, four marquises, and one earl.

That’s right, the earl is referring to the Raymond family!

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

They have been the masters of the Flower Territory for almost generations, and no matter which kingdom, duchy, or empire they belong to, they have never changed.

The reason why they just hold on to the title of earl is more because they only want this position.

The sacred skill [Lion King] gave the Raymond family the confidence to rise, but it was also a typical double-edged sword. Countless descendants died because of it.

Therefore, the Earldom is the best base. If a descendant in any generation cultivates into a [Lion King], achieves a fourth-level natural disaster, or even becomes a legend, then there will naturally be opportunities for further advancement.

But even if not, the Earldom’s base can still be maintained!

It is also based on this wisdom that the Raymond family has remained as stable as a rock over the years, no matter how the outside world changes.

Therefore, although it is the title of earl, no one regards him as just an earl. There has always been a place for the Raymond family in the highest seat in the Norman Duchy.

In fact, the four marquises and even the Grand Duke of Normandy can only be regarded as latecomers.

The four great marquises are the Castro family, the Floyd family, the Carlyle family and the McKinley family.

They possessed the most land in the principality, the strongest knightly order, granaries full of grain, and a complex network of contacts.

In fact, some families are branches of other families, such as the Carlyle family, which also has a branch in the Bonaparte Empire, with the title of duke and strong power.

The reason why there is a branch here is largely because the family inherited an enclave and split off due to internal fighting.

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

However, if he is given time, no one knows how many knights, mages, and powerful Scourge warriors he can mobilize.

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

This is an extremely shrewd family, and it is said that every member of the Castro family is born with the ability to calculate accounts and make deals.

And having money often means strength.

Because you don’t know how many powerful people they can hire with money.

Then there is the McKinley family. Their apparent strength is only slightly stronger than that of the Carlisle family, but it is also limited.

But the women in their family were famous for their good upbringing and fertility. Through marriage, they had indirect relatives with almost 70% of the nobles in the principality.

And that’s not even counting the children who married into other countries and the huge network of relationships built as a result.

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

Anything that was detrimental to the McKinley family would be opposed by most of the House of Lords.

The last Marquis family, the Freuds, is known for producing many geniuses!

All the bloodlines of their family are either extremely talented in combat and can become powerful knights, or are extremely accomplished in magic and have astonishing strength.

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

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

However, the lifespan of the strong is longer than that of ordinary people, and no one knows what kind of old monster is hidden in this family.

Under normal circumstances, as long as you are not crazy, you will not provoke them.

As for the strongest family, it must be the Norman family. Being able to become a Grand Duke means that there is at least a living legend within the family.

For this reason alone, Grand Duchess Aphra is the one with the worst temper and the toughest behavior.

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

On one side was an aristocratic alliance led by the Carlyle family, which united with the Castro family and the McKinley family.

On the other side, there is the Duke Front, headed by the Norman family, which joined the Floyd family and the Raymond family.

Theoretically speaking, the struggle among the nobles is basically you scheming against me and I scheming against you, and it has to be covered up by many inside stories.

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

Before, the Grand Duke of Normandy was basically the one who controlled the situation, allowing the various families in the duchy to maintain a relatively balanced state.

In this way, the principality will be stable.

For many years, the Norman family has been doing this and has done a good job.

And Grand Duchess Aphra is not a person who lacks wisdom.

But this time, it has developed into a confrontation between two strong powers, and the contradictions between them are almost uncontrollable. Naturally, there are deeper reasons.

That is the game between great powers!

The reason why the Duchy of Normandy exists and its status is becoming increasingly prominent is because it is located at the junction of the two empires.

To the southeast of the Norman Duchy, it borders the old empire of the Old World, the Bonaparte Empire, which is already an "old player" at this table.

To the west of the Norman Duchy is the emerging capitalist country, the pioneer of magical industrialization, and the unfathomable Habsburg Empire.

Therefore, rather than being an internal struggle within the Norman Duchy, it was actually an extension of the game between the two great powers.

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

It can be said that they are the spokespersons 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 contain it through various means.

As for the Duke Front composed of the Norman family, the Freud family and the Raymond family, to put it nicely, they are close to the Habsburg Empire, but to put it bluntly, they have to fight back.

If the balance is not maintained as much as possible, the Duchy of Normandy will definitely become a victim of the game between major powers.

By then, I'm afraid a war between the two sides will break out in the Norman Duchy.

Before, the strength of both sides was relatively balanced.

Three against three, each has its own strengths and weaknesses, it is hard to say who will overwhelm whom!

But the demise of the Raymond family and the death of Count Karl were almost fatal blows to the Duke's front.

The reason why Grand Duchess Aphra traveled all the way to Auckland was because she urgently needed someone to take over the Raymond family.

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

With this in mind, Loy, the illegitimate son of Count Karl Raymond and the child of the Grand Duchess, is the most suitable candidate.

No doubt about it!

When this conversation ended, it was already completely dark. The bonfire was lit again in the camp, and the aroma of food wafted in the air, whetting people's appetites.

Another old mercenary acted as a bard, playing the harp and singing in a hoarse and sad voice.

In this place where the smell of blood has not completely dissipated, there is a sense of freedom and ease.

At this moment, Luo Yi finally walked out of the carriage.

After he stretched out his body, he tilted his head slightly, looked at the pretty girl who had just gotten off the bus, and said, "There are some things I want to say in advance."

"Master, what do you say?"

“I’m not someone who lets others manipulate me, so if I inherit the earldom, I can’t obey Grand Duke Aphra in everything.

You can help me convey this message!"

The pretty girl's expression didn't change at all. She simply asked, "Do you acknowledge your mother?"

"Of course!"

"That's enough!"

The pretty girl Eva said confidently: “If you take the position of Count Raymond, you will definitely stand behind the Grand Duke.

That’s for sure!”

"You're really confident. I hope so too."

Second update! Keep working hard to add more...

(End of this chapter)