Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

As he recalled the upcoming outdoor barbecue, Tyles' eyes sparkled with excitement. He jumped out of bed and stood by the window, overlooking the manor grounds. In front of the castle, three long tables, dozens of chairs, benches, barbecue grills, stands, seasonings, and all sorts of ingredients were already set up, nearly ready for the evening festivities.

Servants, male and female, chatted happily below, while knights and squires engaged in arm-wrestling matches on the tables, creating a lively atmosphere.

Knock, knock, knock.

A series of knocks on the door interrupted Tyles' thoughts. Still groggy from sleep, he asked, "Who is it?"

"Master Tyles, it's me. The outdoor barbecue will begin in about half an hour. Please don't forget to join us."

Recognizing the butler's voice, Tyles cleared his throat. "I understand, Mr. Sveta! I'll be right down."

However, instead of immediately heading downstairs, Tyles stretched and breathed in the fresh air coming through the window. He recalled the long journey back earlier that day, how he had crawled into bed as soon as they arrived at Deep Rock Castle, and then slept until now. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he was indeed quite hungry.

At that moment, Rhett was also coming downstairs and happened to bump into Tyles in the hallway. He glanced at his son and remarked, "It looks like you just woke up."

"How did you know, Father?" Tyles asked, surprised.

"Well, if you had looked in the mirror, you wouldn't be asking that question," Rhett replied, pointing to Tyles' hair.

Tyles was startled and quickly pulled out a small mirror from his pocket. Seeing that his hair was flattened on one side, he let out a frustrated groan.

Just then, Reilly came down the stairs and noticed Tyles' disheveled appearance. "My dear brother, your hair is a mess. Do you need me to wash it for you?"

Tyles beamed with joy. "Reilly, that would be great! I could use your help."

Under Rhett's watchful eye, Reilly, a water magic user, demonstrated his hair-washing skills. A ball of water floated above Tyles' head, quickly soaking his hair. The water moved across his head, cleaning it thoroughly. In less than a minute, the now murky water dissipated, leaving Tyles' hair clean and only slightly damp but neatly styled.

Rhett then summoned a gentle breeze to dry Tyles' hair completely.

"Thank you, Father, and thank you, brother!" Tyles said with a satisfied smile, feeling much more awake after the small ordeal.

When the three of them reached the ground floor, they found Tuck and Vanessa already seated near the grill. Tuck waved to them enthusiastically. "Father, we're over here!"

In Vanessa's arms, young Dick blinked his big eyes, watching a servant light a pile of dry wood with a strange tool. The magical sight made him babble excitedly.

"Oh, there's my grandson!" Rhett said with a broad smile as he approached.

He also noticed that Vanessa's figure had returned to its shapely form within just three months after giving birth. It was no surprise, considering her foundation as a knight.

"Father, Dick has missed you a lot," Vanessa said with a warm smile. Since having a child, she had mellowed significantly, partly due to the presence of the family's patriarch, who kept things in order at Deep Rock Castle.

"Oh, I believe that! I've missed Dick terribly too. Let me hold my grandson!" Rhett's smile widened as he cradled Dick in his arms. He noted that Dick's skin resembled Vanessa's, but his eyes were just like Tuck's.

"He looks so much like Tuck did as a baby. I hope he doesn't grow up to be as reckless," Rhett thought to himself, deciding that when Dick was older, he would have Reilly spend more time with him to balance out Tuck's influence.

"Father, there's something I need your help with," Vanessa suddenly said.

"Oh?" Rhett raised an eyebrow, glancing at Vanessa and then at Tuck. Tuck, realizing he had forgotten to mention it, slapped his thigh and quickly explained, "It's about Vanessa's younger sister, Ellie. She just turned twelve this year and wants to test whether she has the potential to become a knight."

Vanessa looked slightly nervous and avoided making direct eye contact with Rhett.

"Ellie is twelve now? Well, that's no problem at all," Rhett said lightly. "If she has the potential to become a knight, it will benefit both her and the territory."

"Tomorrow, she can come to the knight training ground. Tuck, you'll personally teach her how to perform the breathing exercises," Rhett instructed.

Testing someone's talent wasn't difficult. By giving them the breathing or meditation techniques to try, it was easy to determine if they had the potential. There were also more advanced alchemical tools for this purpose, but those were mainly used to prevent the leakage of techniques. When training family members, such methods weren't necessary.

Vanessa's face lit up with a smile, and she bowed. "Thank you so much, Father. Ellie will be thrilled when she hears the news tomorrow!"

Rhett waved her gratitude away. "We're all family. There's no need to be so formal. I hope Ellie performs well tomorrow."

After handing Dick back to Vanessa, Rhett walked over to the grill, his mind turning to the matter of testing the talent of the territory's population. It was something he would prioritize after being promoted to viscount and when the population had grown sufficiently.

"The population is too small right now, and there aren't any young children of the right age," Rhett mused. He recalled Reilly mentioning that last year, only one person with the potential for combat energy had been found. This year, it seemed there weren't any eligible youths at all, meaning they would have to wait until next year for the next round of testing.

Rhett remembered that once the evil alchemy organization was dealt with, Falcon Town would experience rapid population growth, making it much easier to find and nurture talent.

Just then, Sveta approached Rhett. "Master, everyone has arrived, and the food and drinks are ready. The outdoor barbecue can begin whenever you wish."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Rhett shrugged. "Make sure everyone relaxes, Sveta. An outdoor barbecue shouldn't be a formal event. I want everyone to enjoy this dinner with a happy heart."