Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Thud, thud, thud.

In the forest, the sound of hurried footsteps and intermittent roars echoed.

Rhett paused his actions, sensing the source of the sound. A smile appeared on his face.

It turned out that Whiteclaw was carrying Rayleigh, rushing toward him.

At that moment, a dry branch above Rhett's head, perhaps weakened by the harsh winter, couldn't hold out until spring. The small branch, as thick as a finger, developed a crack in the middle.

Little Fireclaw was standing on it, curiously looking around, completely unaware of the branch's fragile state beneath its feet.

A few seconds later, with a roar, Whiteclaw shattered a small thorny bush obstructing its path and leaped high, landing right in front of Rhett.

The immense force caused it to skid to a halt, its limbs leaving long tracks in the ground.

The sudden, fierce momentum startled Fireclaw, making it tremble nervously on the branch.

Suddenly,

Crack!

The brittle branch couldn't bear the weight and snapped at the crack.

Losing its support, Fireclaw panicked, chirping frantically as it plummeted. Mid-fall, it instinctively flapped its wings, but having only been born three days ago, it still lacked feathers and hadn't yet mastered flying.

Its frantic flapping only slightly slowed its descent.

Just as it was about to hit the ground, a gust of wind element gently caught it, slowly lowering it into Rhett's palm.

Chirp?

Chirp.

Fireclaw looked confused at first, then calmed down, standing on Rhett's hand and blinking as it stared at him.

Rhett smiled and reached out to stroke it. Instead of resisting, Fireclaw closed its eyes contentedly.

When Rhett withdrew his hand, Fireclaw nuzzled his wrist affectionately with its head.

In just three days, Fireclaw had grown significantly, now the size of Rhett's entire palm. Sparse red feathers covered its body, though patches of bare skin were still visible.

"Father, while I was away, your Firefeather Hawk actually hatched! I thought it wouldn't hatch until next spring, and I even came up with a name for it," Rayleigh exclaimed as he dismounted Whiteclaw and walked over to Rhett with bright eyes.

Rhett gently patted Fireclaw's little head and smiled.

"What name did you come up with?"

"Oinsieg," Rayleigh said, looking up. "It's the name of the god of spring in a folk tale. The story says that every spring, he sends a mighty eagle soaring across the sky, calling out in a unique cry to announce the arrival of spring. The eagle's call sounds something like 'Oin,' and in the story, it was born on a mountain named Sieg. During my trip, I thought of this story and thought the name would be perfect."

"Hmm, a nice meaning." Rhett rubbed his chin, then regretfully shook his head. "If you had come back a few days earlier, I would have let you name it. But I've already named it Fireclaw."

"Uh… Fireclaw, huh? Simple and catchy," Rayleigh said with a shrug.

Roar! Roar!

Whiteclaw followed Rayleigh's steps, circling to stand directly in front of Rhett. Suddenly, it reared up on its hind legs, towering over them. Its large eyes stared curiously at the "little thing" in Rhett's hand.

Chirp, chirp!

Fireclaw was startled and flapped its wings in panic, but despite its efforts, it remained motionless.

"Whiteclaw, you're scaring your little brother!" Rayleigh scolded, smacking Whiteclaw on the head.

Roar, roar.

Whiteclaw seemed to understand, leaping to the side and circling Rhett on all fours.

Rhett carefully placed Fireclaw on his shoulder, then turned to Rayleigh with a smile. "So, tell me about this business trip."

"Alright!" Rayleigh nodded. "According to your plan, I focused on acquiring more ore. Last time, I went to the Doron family. This time, I went to Red Valley Town, which is part of the Fabre family's territory. I managed to buy up all their stockpile—nearly half a ton of ore—for 2,136 gold coins."

"Oh? You've already bought out the Fabre family's ore?" Rhett frowned slightly, then asked, "What about the Doron family?"

"The Doron family still has ore left. Last time, I only bought 100 kilograms. According to Boneyff, their warehouse still has over 600 kilograms of Lightcrystal ore. But Lightcrystal ore is naturally more expensive than Bluestone ore—about 50% more. With our territory's current finances, we can't afford to buy it all." Rayleigh replied smoothly.

Rhett fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, "During my trip to Twilight City, I won another grand prize at the Adventurer's Cavern, including a seventh-tier wind magic crystal. After selling the spoils from the Darkstripe Hawk hunt and deducting the cost of the Aurora Potions and Sandwolf Howl spellbook, I still have more than 1,700 gold coins left! Take these coins and buy the rest of the Doron family's Lightcrystal ore!"

"What? You won another seventh-tier magic crystal?" Rayleigh's eyes widened, his voice rising in shock. After taking a deep breath, he sighed with a bitter smile, "Well, this certainly boosts our territory's finances, but it's still not enough to buy all of the Doron family's stock. At the current price, we can only afford about 160 kilograms of Lightcrystal ore."

"Only 160 kilograms?" Rhett muttered, shaking his head. "That's not enough. We need to buy all of the Doron family's Lightcrystal ore."

"But we don't have enough gold," Rayleigh said, pressing his lips together.

"Then take out a loan, or negotiate delayed payment—sign a contract with a 10% interest rate for a six-month extension!" Rhett said firmly, narrowing his eyes.

He recalled that there were only three months left before the war would escalate on the front lines, leading to a massive demand for ore.

To maximize profits, he needed to buy as much ore as possible from within the Breen territory before then.

Rayleigh hesitated for a moment. Although he had full faith in his father's decisions, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Are you sure… Father?"

"Yes, follow my instructions. I'll take full responsibility for any consequences!" Rhett's voice was decisive, his confidence unshaken.

As the head of the family, he needed to be confident in every decision he made! If the decision-maker doubted himself, how could those under him carry out the plans with confidence?

"Alright!" Rayleigh took a deep breath, his eyes reflecting determination. "I understand, Father. I'll depart for Cedar Town as soon as possible!"

"Good. I'll ask McCoffe to accompany you, and I'll send Shilin to escort you as well," Rhett added, deciding to increase security for Rayleigh.

"McCoffe?" Rayleigh asked, puzzled. Then, after a moment, he remembered. "Oh, I recall you mentioning McCoffe before—he's your closest friend! Has he joined our territory?"

"Not officially, but he'll be living with us from now on."

"I see…" Rayleigh nodded thoughtfully, then added, "Father, your mention of the Adventurer's Cavern reminded me of something I heard during my trip."

Rhett's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm. "What did you hear?"

"Count Nilo's third daughter, Jolia, discovered a spy from the Kinn family among her subordinates," Rayleigh said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I even heard that Count Nilo, upon learning this, has gone to confront the Kinn family! It seems the spy must have acquired some sensitive information from Count Nilo's household."

"Hmm, that's possible," Rhett replied with feigned surprise, following the conversation's lead. "This incident, along with Zoran's appearance, should serve as a warning to us—we must ensure the loyalty of our people and not allow any spies to infiltrate our ranks."

"Don't worry, Father," Rayleigh replied with a smile. "Our castle isn't too crowded. The servants were carefully selected by Svetta and me from the town. We know everything about them, and most have never even left Eagle Town."

"Hmm." Rhett nodded but still added, "Complacency leads to danger. We can't rely on past stability to assume the future will always be secure."

Rayleigh pondered this for a moment before nodding seriously, "Understood."

...

Two days later.

That day, Rhett decided not to go to the Thorn Forest to practice Sandwolf Howl. Instead, he stayed at the training ground, honing his skills in Earth Spike and Quicksand spells.

In the last days of winter, the harsh cold had quieted, leaving only the biting wind, as if unwilling to depart.

Svetta approached from outside the training ground, holding onto his hat as a pleased expression spread across his face.

Behind him were two nervous young men.

One had short brown hair, the other brown curls. They appeared to be around the same height and age.

Rhett sensed their approach but pretended not to notice, releasing an Earth Spike spell. With a casual flick, the spell shot like a yellow comet, striking a large boulder 100 meters away with a loud explosion.

The two young men looked on in awe, their fear evident as they gazed at Rhett with newfound respect.

"Master's magic is extraordinary!" Svetta exclaimed as he approached within ten meters of Rhett, waiting for his response.

Rhett slowly turned around, seemingly indifferent, and asked, "Svetta, who are the two men following you?"

"They claim to be former adventurers whose village was destroyed by evil alchemists, forcing them into a life of wandering. After hearing of your heroic deeds, they were filled with gratitude and admiration, and now wish to join you!" Svetta replied, clearly proud of his master's reputation.

Rhett raised an eyebrow. "What are your names?"

"Lord, my name is Shacas Meade," said the young man with short brown hair.

"I am Jonatan Maes," added the young man with curly brown hair.

"You wish to join my territory?"

"Yes, I am willing to follow you and protect you from all who would defile your honor!" Shacas declared, placing a hand over his chest in respect.

"I am willing to become your sword and cut down any obstacles in your path!" Jonatan added with determination.

"Good!" Rhett smiled, easing Shacas and Jonatan's anxious hearts.

Then, with a plan already in mind, Rhett said, "I trust in your resolve and strength. You must have noticed that my town is in desperate need of patrol members, so I want you to join them and become a strong defense for the town."

"Leave it to us!" Jonatan and Shacas replied in unison.

"Serve the Eagle well, and the Eagle will be with you," Rhett said seriously, then turned to Svetta. "Please take them to the auxiliary castle and arrange for their accommodations."

"Understood!" Svetta bowed, then turned to the two men. "Gentlemen, please follow me."

Shacas and Jonatan smiled and quickly followed him.

As Rhett watched the three leave the training ground, a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

His territory was now entering a period of rapid development, and its defense forces were starting to fill out!

While the trainees at the training ground had yet to mature, the addition of two experienced first-tier knights would help fill the gap in the patrol team.

In the past, when the population was smaller, the patrol team was less critical. But as the town grew in size and population, security had become a top priority.

Those who do not plan for the entire situation cannot manage a single area well.

The development of a territory is a comprehensive and systematic matter, with each aspect directly or indirectly connected.

Rhett's ultimate goal was to ensure the stable development of his territory, gradually increasing the population to reap the benefits of a population boom!

As the population base grows, so too will the number of talented individuals.

This was a long-term plan, one that wouldn't yield immediate results despite short-term investments.

But if a power seeks to grow strong, the population is always the foundation and the most crucial part!

A faint smile played on Rhett's lips.

His thoughts wandered, and he remembered the bandits expected to arrive in five days.

His smile gradually faded, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. "They dare target me? Hmph, they've come at the right time.

They'll just be more points for my Fate system…"

Time flew by, and soon, five days had passed.

In the southeastern part of Eagle Town, one kilometer away, a small forest stood.

A short figure, moving at high speed, darted through the trees, heading from Eagle Town to the dense woods.

"Wind Rat, what's the situation? How are the defenses in Eagle Town?" A tall man leaped down from a tree, startling a few night birds, and slapped the short man on the shoulder.