Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 519, Section 517: Territorial Expansion (Please Subscribe)
The town of Podgray is named after Podgray McKinley, the first ancestor of the McKinley family and a legendary figure.

It is said that he was once the lowest of stable boys, yet he possessed a face so handsome it could drive women mad, and a strong physique.
With this innate advantage, he captivated women, and countless noblewomen vied for his affections, even fighting over him.

The ultimate winner was a baroness who could be described as mad.

Looking back from a later perspective, the baroness's mad acts for her lover included, but were not limited to, poisoning her husband, strangling her own children, framing her rival, and personally killing the maid who was flirting with her lover.
And, they renamed the city 'Bodegre' in memory of their love.

Of course, the most outrageous thing was that she married her lover as a noblewoman and made this lowly stable boy inherit the title of noble baron.

Military merit was a traditional way for nobles to be ennobled, but this man took a different path and became a noble baron through marriage.

This alone set a precedent, causing countless nobles to despise it and countless noble sons to envy it.

Most incredibly, from then on, the McKinley family had the gene for 'beauty'.

The men are handsome and dashing, and the women are alluring and beautiful. Even in their later years, they possess enough elegance and charm to be the dream of countless people.

While appearance doesn't represent personality, ability, or talent for cultivation, you can't deny that nobility values ​​looks.

Especially for men and women in love, appearance is the first hurdle.

If you can't even stand looking at someone's face, then you can forget about a happy and harmonious marriage.

Most importantly, the McKinley family is not just about looks; they place great importance on education.

Within the family, both men and women are required to study arithmetic, trade and commerce, and aristocratic etiquette during their upbringing.

The children raised will either be good at managing a household, good at socializing, have a wide network of connections, or know the intricacies of aristocratic life.

It's unclear when exactly, but the McKinley family went from being universally despised to being sought after by many.

Because they discovered that a marriage alliance with the McKinley family would be entirely beneficial to them.

The McKinley family, relying on marriage alliances and inheritance, gradually rose through the ranks until they inherited a vast marquessland, becoming one of the most powerful noble families in Normandy.

This story of how they made their fortune is absolutely legendary.

However, when the network of relationships brought about by the marriage proved useless, and when greater power pressed down, the various kinship ties that the McKinley family had once been so proud of could no longer save them.

In particular, the McKinley family had allied themselves with the Kingdom of Sardinia, and these pirates were notorious troublemakers.

Their defining characteristic is that they can ruin things that seem certain to succeed, but if you actually let them do things on their own, the result is often a complete mess.

The Ottoman Empire was like this, and so was the Flower Territory.

In terms of the three legions dispatched by the three leaders of the coalition, both the Slavs' fanaticism and bloodshed and Bonaparte's step-by-step advance can be described as remarkable.

Only the Sardinian Legion truly embodies the nature of pirates, skilled in burning, killing, and looting; otherwise, they are nothing!
Getting back to the main point, Podgrey, the core territory of the McKinley family, is not a fortified city; in fact, it doesn't even have city walls.

That's because, in the view of the successive heads of the McKinley family, if they needed to use force to protect themselves, having an extra wall wouldn't be of any use.

In a sense, what he said was actually not wrong.

Because, in the history of the Marquisate of McKinley, no war has ever reached the city of Podgrey.

Even the most intense aristocratic wars were ultimately extinguished by the McKinley family's powerful network of connections and pressure from all sides.

However, this ability to "save face" can sometimes fail. For example, this time, Luo Yi didn't care about any messy aristocratic relationships.

The Royal Guard, obeying only Roy's orders, advanced triumphantly all the way to the city of Podgre.

This city, without walls, was even more vulnerable under the onslaught of the magic tanks.

boom!
With a single shot, a large crater was blasted into a building directly in front, and the flying debris and rubble caused considerable damage.

Countless soldiers were blown to pieces, their blood and flesh flying everywhere.

It should be said that in this core area, the McKinley family's centuries of management have won them the hearts of the people, and the resistance here is particularly resolute.

Even though the battle was fierce and the disparity in strength was enormous, many people still tried to fight back.

Arrows shot from the corner, boulders dropped from a height, bullets fired from afar, magic emerging from the ground...

They used every means at their disposal, and occasionally achieved some results, but overall, their attacks on the tank armor did not have much effect.

The magic tank surged forward with a thunderous roar, its main cannon shattering all obstacles in its path, and the crisscrossing bullet trajectories swept away all remaining enemies.

The infantry soldiers following behind, carrying state-of-the-art magic-powered machine guns and semi-automatic rifles, gave the illusion that their heroic skills were being wasted.

All they can do is clean up the mess left on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, in the city center, at the McKinley family estate,

Marquis Ricardo McKinley, looking at the message that had just arrived in his hand, was already in despair.

The McKinley family had allied themselves with the Sardinian royal family, and at this critical moment, Ricardo naturally hadn't forgotten the Queen's promise and had already sought help countless times.

The empress's answer was always the same: the person seeking help was already on their way.

However, the information he had indicated that the Sardinian royal family had not mobilized any powerful figures, nor had it signed any documents concerning the McKinley family.

In other words, the McKinley family was no longer useful, and he was abandoned.

"Run! Run! All of you, run!"

"Each one who manages to escape should not come back, and should not use the surname 'McKinley' anymore. Just leave."

The marquis drove away all his family members, including the steward, servants, knights, and young girls.

Then, he set the entire manor on fire.

The raging fire, mixed with a magical creation called 'Wildfire,' transformed the manor into a sea of ​​flames in the shortest possible time, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Within the flames, one could almost hear the venomous curse of Marquis Ricardo McKinley. With that, Marquis Ricardo McKinley perished in self-immolation, his venomous curse echoing through the night, carried on the wind.

On this same day, the entire Marquisate of McKinley fell to the enemy.

……

Castro Territory, far west, on the shore of the Silver Sea, Crab Island Fish Harbor.

"I won't leave, I won't leave, I will fight my legion to the last moment!"

"I cannot abandon my warriors; I would rather die with them."

General Fak Wood was lifted up by two Imperial Eagle Knights and dragged toward the warship, despite his shouting and yelling.

If we were to say which of the three marquesses is the most difficult to defeat, it would undoubtedly be the Castro Territory!

It wasn't because Marquis Castro was so great, it was simply because the newly formed 13th Division of the Bonaparte Empire was too tenacious.

Under General Falk Wood's leadership, they suffered repeated defeats but also put up a strong resistance, using trenches and magic cannons to severely slow down the advance of the Royal Guard.

Until here, on the shore of the Silver Sea, it finally could not be stopped.

In the distance, the roar of artillery fire remained intense, and the sound seemed to be getting closer and closer.

However, the warships from the Empire finally arrived.

The remaining Imperial Eagle Knights and wounded warriors were eligible to retreat first, but Fak Wood refused to leave.

Two deep furrows were dug into the ground, all the way to the warship. With bloodshot eyes, Falk Wood suddenly exerted his strength and actually broke free from the grip of the two extraordinary knights.

Judging from his posture as if he were about to charge back to the battlefield.

But at that very moment, an aged voice rang out: "General Fak Wood!"

Fak Wood's expression froze for a moment, then he slowly turned his head to look, and saw an old man with a slightly fat figure and swollen eyes looking at him on the ship.

"Xia, Marshal Xiafei, what are you doing here?"

"Of course, we've come to take the heroes of the Bonaparte Empire home!"

"Go home? I'm too ashamed to go home!"
Marshal, the legion you entrusted to me, a full ten thousand of the most elite warriors, has been completely wiped out. I am truly ashamed of your trust and the empire's nurturing.

I, I…

By the end, Fak Wood was sobbing uncontrollably and collapsed to his knees.

All around him, whether on or off the ship, whether Imperial Eagle Knights or wounded soldiers, were all in tears.

At this moment, even those who harbored resentment towards him vanished without a trace.

Marshal Xiafei paused for a moment, then said, "That's precisely why you can't die so easily."

Because only you have experience facing magic tanks, only you know how to stop the charge of such steel monsters.

"The 13th Division you lead, with its knowledge and experience gained by countless lives, what right do you have to speak lightly of death?"

"This, this, this..."

"Come on up, come on up quickly. Our operation isn't exactly secretive. If the Lion Fleet or the Habs Navy spots us, we'll be in big trouble."

"I can't let my old bones rest here."

At this point, General Falkwood finally stopped talking and, with a solemn air, boarded the warship.

But at that very moment, another sound came.

"I won't leave, I won't leave, I will live and die with my territory."

“I cannot betray my family; I would rather die on this land.”

In the distance, you could see Marquis Sain Castro being carried by two knights as they approached the fleet.

Two long furrows were plowed into the ground.

At that moment, an awkward atmosphere inexplicably filled the air.

……

Half an hour later, the defensive line was finally breached, and the tank roared to a stop as its tracks rolled across the ground.

The fleet in the port, disregarding everything else, hoisted its sails and hurriedly departed.

Until the magic tanks arrived, they captured a group of people who had failed to escape and seized a large amount of wealth.

Across the silver sea, a line of tanks opened fire, and amidst the booming sounds, splashes of water erupted on the distant sea.

It looked like a demonstration, but it also looked like a celebration.

The celebratory war among the nobles of the Duchy of Normandy has now come to an end.

From this day forward, the era of the six great families ruling this land was over, and only three families remained, forming a stable triangle.

At this very moment, the Raymond family's territory experienced an exaggerated increase, now accounting for nearly half of the Duchy of Normandy, five times its previous size.

In other words, the area that was originally 3,000 square kilometers has now grown to more than 15,000 square kilometers.

At this point, it's clear that the title of Earl of Loy is no longer quite right for him.

PS: Second update today!

(End of this chapter)