Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

"Take it, it's my personal reward," Riley said nonchalantly.

"Thank you, Master Riley!" George grinned widely as he swiftly pocketed the silver coins. In his mind, he was already imagining celebrating with friends at the Nightingale Tavern once it opened.

He respectfully said, "With Heger's bloodline, her offspring will be ready for riding in about half a year. Congratulations, Master Riley!"

Riley noticed that the three foals had the same black coat as Heger, with no apparent sign of inheriting her unique coloring.

"I wonder how much of her strength they inherited," Riley thought to himself. He hoped they would have the same robust physique as Heger, but only time would tell.

On his way back to the castle, Riley passed by the training grounds. He saw his father practicing magic, using Earth Spikes to strike boulders.

Suddenly, Riley felt a strong urge to make up for the days he hadn't trained. After dropping Kalina off at the castle, he returned alone to the training grounds.

"Father, I want to train in magic!" Riley approached Rhett with enthusiasm.

Rhett was slightly surprised by his son's sudden desire but was pleased by his eagerness.

"Excellence comes from diligence, not laziness," Rhett thought. Hardworking individuals always earn respect.

He led Riley to the southeast corner, where they had a pile of stones prepared specifically for practicing the Water Arrow spell. Rhett picked up one of the stones and said, "The usual drill—hit the center of the moving target. Ready, Riley?"

Riley took a deep breath, recalling the many times he'd been frustrated by the practice. His expression grew serious. "I'm ready, Father!"

Rhett tossed the stone high into the air. A Water Arrow shot out from Riley's hand, leaving a blue streak as it shattered the stone into pieces.

"Close, but keep going!" Rhett encouraged as he threw another stone.

Riley, calm and focused, quickly got into the rhythm. He kept his eyes on the constantly moving target, finding his groove.

Another stone shattered under his magic, but Riley remained unfazed. After many failures, he was no longer affected by setbacks. Instead, he quickly identified his mistakes and worked to correct them.

He felt himself entering a strange state of flow, where nothing else mattered, and his training seemed to become more efficient.

Over an hour passed.

A stone soared into the sky, and Riley, as usual, cast a Water Arrow.

Whoosh

The arrow shot like a meteor, perfectly on course until it faded away after expending its energy.

Rhett, who had been about to bend down to pick up another stone, suddenly froze and straightened up, his eyes gleaming with pride.

Thud, thud

The stone fell to the ground with a heavy thump, rolling a few times but remaining intact.

Riley stood still, staring at the rolling stone in disbelief until it finally stopped.

"I... succeeded?" he murmured.

"Indeed, you did!" Rhett approached, smiling. "Riley, you've done it!"

He picked up the stone and shook it gently. "Once you've done it once, you can do it countless more times. I look forward to the day when you can practice endlessly with just one stone. Keep the momentum going and solidify your success!"

"Yes!" Riley, filled with joy, nodded eagerly. "Let's continue, Father!"

As the next stone was tossed into the air, Riley focused entirely on the target. However, this time his Water Arrow wasn't as successful, shattering the stone again.

But Riley wasn't discouraged—he knew that his first success had been partly due to luck. His goal now was to turn that luck into skill through practice.

The father and son spent the entire afternoon training. Later, a squire took over Rhett's role in tossing the stones.

As evening approached, the sunset painted the sky with gold and crimson hues, as if celebrating Riley's achievement.

After finishing their training, the two leaned against the wall, quietly watching the sunset.

In the distance, students who had just finished archery practice left the training grounds, laughing and chatting. As they passed by Rhett and Riley, they quickly fell silent out of respect, quietly continuing on their way.

"Father, I plan to organize the trade caravan in the next few days and begin purchasing ore as soon as possible," Riley suddenly remembered and mentioned.

"Yes, but remember to avoid Windmill Town," Rhett advised.

When the eldest son of Windmill Town had come to discuss the marriage alliance, it had been a private conversation between the two of them. Rhett hadn't shared the details with his sons, fearing it might cause someone to act impulsively given the family's difficult circumstances at the time.

"Windmill Town?" Riley recalled that Windmill Town had a small Windstone mine. Although he didn't know why his father wanted him to avoid dealing with them, he still replied, "Understood, Father."

"That leaves only the Doronto and Fabre families in the Brain Region with small mines," Riley mused. "I'll set out in early August then."

"That sounds good."

A week later, Deputy Commander Ambiru and Count Nilo's entourage arrived in the late afternoon, passing by Sun Lake. The sight of the clear waters lifted Ambiru's spirits.

Having spent so long at the canyon defense line, where the rivers were often murky with blood, Ambiru found the sight of the lake refreshing.

"A fine Sun Lake and a fine Sir Rhett!" Ambiru said sincerely.

As several red-scaled fish leaped from the water, Ambiru and Count Nilo's eyes lit up with interest.

"Hmm? Aquatic magic beasts," Count Nilo remarked in surprise. "I hadn't heard that Sir Rhett was raising them in his territory."

Count Nilo knew that most aquatic magic beasts in the southwestern borderlands came from the Eastern Blue Coast, where they were more affordable. But recent events there had caused a downturn in the magic beast trade in Twilight City.

He studied the lake's size, estimating that it could only hold a limited number of magic beasts, and his interest waned.

Meanwhile, Shirin, who had been patrolling the lake, was startled by the arrival of the large group. Upon seeing the gold and red flags of the canyon defense line, she realized their origin and stepped forward to inquire about their purpose.

Count Nilo, having already noticed her, opened the carriage window and called out, "I remember you. You're one of Sir Rhett's knights, aren't you?"

Recognizing Count Nilo, Shirin was surprised. "Count Nilo? Are you here to visit my lord?"

"I have some good news for Sir Rhett," Count Nilo smiled, pointing east. "If I remember correctly, Eagle Town is in that direction?"

"Yes, it's about ten kilometers east of here," Shirin replied, curious about the good news but aware that it wasn't her place to ask. She simply pointed the way.

"Thank you!" Count Nilo pulled his head back inside the carriage.

The group soon arrived at the gray stone road leading to the estate. Twenty knights in shining silver armor lined up beside the carriages, forming a passage.

Ambiru adjusted his dark yellow mustache, tidied his wavy dark yellow hair, and stepped out of the carriage. As the cool autumn breeze ruffled his crimson cloak, he adjusted the two-meter-long deep blue sword at his waist and made his way forward.

At the entrance to Deep Rock Fortress, Sveta, who had been sweeping up the fallen leaves along the gray stone road, stood in shock.

As a noble's steward, Sveta recognized the battle flag of the canyon defense line and knew that something significant was happening. The distinguished figure before him was clearly important, and Sveta dared not delay. He bowed slightly and said, "Honored guests from the canyon defense line, I am the steward of Deep Rock Fortress. Please wait a moment while I inform my lord."

When Sveta brought the news to Rhett, he feigned surprise, hurriedly making his way to the entrance.

Seeing Ambiru's familiar face, Rhett's expression became a mix of surprise and excitement. "Lord Ambiru, it's really you!" Rhett placed a hand over his heart. "I thought I'd never see you again after leaving the front lines!"

"I'll never forget how you led us into battle with such bravery, nor the time we submerged ourselves in the river, lying in ambush for the orcs..." Rhett continued, flattering the deputy commander.

"Ah, Sir Rhett, there's no need for all that," Ambiru said, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. "Many soldiers have retired from the canyon defense line, but you left a strong impression. You aided the royal bloodline on the front lines and rooted out the evil alchemists at home. You've done well!"

With that, Ambiru pulled out a scroll from his coat and said, "His Majesty the King was impressed by your deeds. In recognition of your achievements, you are hereby granted the title of Viscount. This is the royal decree."

This time, Rhett was genuinely shocked—though still partly acting. Without his foresight, he wouldn't have known the full extent of the alchemists' crimes and wouldn't have expected to be promoted to Viscount.

Once the initial shock passed, a smile crept onto Rhett's face.

Seeing his reaction, Count Nilo chuckled and said, "Sir Rhett, you may not realize the full extent of that organization's crimes."

Clearing his throat, Nilo adopted a more serious tone. "After investigating, we discovered that over the past few years, that group has conducted evil alchemical experiments, killing 142 magicians and knights and over 10,000 innocent civilians. You've done a great service!"

Rhett's smile faded as his expression darkened. "Those damned scum!"

Ambiru's face showed similar disgust. He despised those who caused internal strife while he fought on the front lines.

"Let's proceed with the ennoblement ceremony and decide on your fief," Ambiru said. "The situation at the canyon defense line is tense, and I need to return quickly."

"Of course!" Rhett's concern showed as he asked, "Lord Ambiru, are the orcs reinforcing their troops again?"

Ambiru's brow furrowed. "It seems so. While their numbers haven't increased much, they've become more ferocious and relentless in their attacks, causing heavy casualties among my soldiers."

Rhett's expression grew somber. "Those damned orcs!"

"They certainly deserve it!" Count Nilo agreed.

The ennoblement ceremony commenced. Since this wasn't Rhett's first title, the oath of loyalty was shorter, and the ceremony concluded within minutes.

In the Kingdom of Kinlunn, the ceremonies for baron and viscount titles were relatively simple, with only earldom ceremonies being slightly more elaborate. Marquis and duke titles required a ceremony at the royal palace, personally conducted by the king.

"Sveta, fetch my horse, Heger. Lord Ambiru and I will select the new fief!" Rhett called to his steward.

"Yes, my lord!" Sveta, who had just witnessed the entire ceremony, was brimming with excitement as he rushed to the stables.

On his way, Sveta's face flushed with joy. "My lord has done something incredible! He wiped out an evil alchemist organization and was promoted to Viscount!

From now on, my lord is a Viscount, and I... am a Viscount's steward!"