Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

If it were someone else in Rhett's position—an esteemed lord—upon hearing the pleas and offers of allegiance from this group, they might hesitate for a moment. But through his simulations, Rhett knew the extent of their crimes and the countless innocent lives they had taken. He never considered sparing these people.

Although they were mages who had mastered evil alchemy, their strength was at most at the Tier-2 level. To him, advancing in rank was far more important than recruiting these vile alchemists.

With a bright future ahead, Rhett understood the importance of protecting his reputation. He searched the castle and found ropes made from the sinew of Tier-2 magical beasts—extremely durable. Using these ropes, he tied up the seven captives by their hands and feet, securing them in the castle's main hall.

Afterward, the two of them—Rhett and Blackstar—proceeded with their pre-arranged plan, splitting up. Blackstar headed to the cellar behind the manor to search for blood source beads, while Rhett went upstairs to the castle's upper rooms.

Based on the earlier confessions, Rhett already knew where the alchemy books were hidden. He immediately made his way to the second-floor study.

Bookshelves occupied half the wall. Rhett quickly found what he was looking for—saving him a lot of time.

Within minutes, Rhett had filled a small chest with books. Among them were only a few that contained alchemical knowledge. However, he also found logs of alchemical experiments and notes on experimental techniques, which he thought might be useful, so he took them as well.

The rest of the books were related to dark alchemy—a vast majority of the books on the shelves. These, Rhett wouldn't dare touch! After all, he intended to use the merits of this mission to be promoted to Viscount. He still needed to deliver the captives to Twilight City for trial and punishment.

So, he dared not keep any of the dark alchemy books. If, later on, the upper echelons matched the confessions with the books and found that he had secretly kept any, it would implicate him as well.

Rhett wasn't about to risk his future over something so foolish. Moreover, he had no interest in dark alchemy. Mass slaughter to sustain oneself had already crossed his moral line. And with the simulation system at his disposal, he had no need for alchemy that came with significant side effects to boost his power.

Building strong foundations slowly and steadily was his approach.

Looking out the window, Rhett noticed Blackstar still wandering around the manor's back area, so he continued to search the castle's rooms, gathering useful loot along the way. The items he found were not overly complex but still valuable to him.

He collected a few lower-tier combat techniques, a lower-tier meditation method, and magic books for wind, fire, and dark elements ranging from levels 1 to 3. He also found over a thousand gold coins and several dark alchemical potions.

Sorting through these items, Rhett thought, "Just like with the books, I have to hand over all the dark alchemical potions unless I want to forfeit the merit of this mission. It wouldn't be worth it!"

"But these combat techniques and magic books can enhance the family's resources. Someone will need them in the future, saving us the expense of buying them later." Rhett's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he looked at the red, black, and green books stacked together.

Finally, his gaze fell upon a large, open wooden crate in the corner of the room. It was filled with various devices and instruments—metal tools of different shapes, crystal containers made from magical crystals, and bottles and jars made from gemstones and crystals, all marked with measurements.

These were undoubtedly the prized possessions of the evil alchemists—their alchemy instruments.

While he couldn't keep the books and potions, these alchemical instruments were neutral tools. Rhett could take them for himself!

"Perfect timing! I had planned to start the family's alchemy practice this year. These instruments will save me a lot of trouble," Rhett mused. He also recalled that a Tier-2 alchemist would be joining the family later this year. Coupled with the books he had obtained from this long-established alchemy organization, they would lay a solid foundation for the family's alchemy business!

When he returned to the castle's main hall, Blackstar entered, holding a black box. They avoided the prisoners and entered a quiet room.

"I found seven blood source beads in the cellar. Since you did most of the work, you take four, and I'll take three. How about that?" Blackstar had already divided the beads, offering Rhett the larger share with an outstretched hand.

Rhett didn't immediately accept the beads. Instead, he hesitated and said, "If you're so interested in the blood source beads, you can take all of them. But I'd like to keep all the alchemy instruments." His eyes fixed on Blackstar.

To Rhett, a fully charged blood source bead was enough for his simulation-based training. As for his family and territory members, he had no intention of giving them such harmful items.

Besides, the blood source beads from the cellar were in an empty state, requiring charging before use. They were of no use to him.

Charging these beads would require a significant number of lives, something Rhett wasn't willing to pursue. And hunting down evil mages or knights individually would be too time-consuming.

So, Rhett decided to abandon the beads in exchange for other loot, maximizing his benefits.

Unexpectedly, Blackstar waved his hand indifferently, excitedly saying, "Really? I don't care about anything else. If you're willing to give me the remaining blood source beads, I'll forgo the other spoils!"

After all, while the beads might not be particularly useful to Rhett, they were highly valuable to others—especially to Blackstar, who recognized their worth at a glance.

With a mutual agreement, they quickly settled on how to split the loot.

In a good mood, Rhett asked, "By the way, we're about to part ways. I still don't know your name."

"I can only tell you... I'm from an organization, and my code name is Blackstar. That's all I can say," Blackstar replied, looking up at Rhett, who towered over him. "You can call me Blackstar from now on."

"Blackstar, huh? Not a bad name!" Rhett nodded and didn't press further about the organization. Instead, he curiously said, "Tonight, I saw you use Corrosive Missile and Death Wave. If I'm not mistaken, you've taken a bloodline potion?"

He hadn't forgotten that Blackstar possessed a bloodline potion that could benefit his son, Telles. Rhett was very interested in securing it.

"That's right!" Blackstar readily admitted. He then added, "I also noticed that you used Earth Spike, so you must have taken an earth-type bloodline potion to learn it."

"Yes, I stumbled upon two bottles of Earth Lizard bloodline potions, which allowed me to master Earth Spike." Rhett took out one of the potions, gently shaking it in his hand as he continued, "Do you have any other bloodline potions? I'd like to trade this one with you."

"Trade potions? No problem!" Blackstar was momentarily surprised but quickly agreed, even sounding a bit delighted. However, he hesitated and added, "The potion isn't with me at the moment. I'll need a month before we can make the trade."

A smile spread across Rhett's face as he replied cheerfully, "That's not an issue. My territory is Eagle Town. You can find me there in a month!"

Blackstar's eyes lit up, and he nodded, "It's a deal!"

Rhett then went to the castle's stables, where he found several carts and horses. He loaded the loot into the carts and herded the seven captives onto one of them.

At the gates of the Clear Springs Manor, Rhett leaned casually against the cart's window frame, one foot crossed over the other, and smiled at Blackstar, "So, where are you headed next?"

"To find strong evildoers and defeat them!" Blackstar's cool voice replied.

"Well then... I wish you success in becoming the world's most powerful evildoer!" Rhett grinned.

"I will!" Blackstar turned and began to walk away, leaving Rhett with only his retreating figure. "I'll see you in a month!"

Against the night wind, Blackstar's figure grew smaller until it vanished entirely.

Rhett smiled faintly. "Until next time!"

Turning around, Rhett's gaze grew cold as he looked at the seven captives tied back-to-back in the cart.

"Don't do anything foolish. You know what will happen if you disobey me!" Seeing that the prisoners remained obedient and considering their broken legs, Rhett wasn't worried about them escaping.

He then looked at a nearby coachman, a man in his thirties who stood trembling.

"Drive us to Twilight City. There will be a reward for you when we arrive," Rhett said calmly.

As a lord, Rhett couldn't be expected to drive the cart himself, especially with a large haul of goods that required care. He called upon a few coachmen from Clear Springs Town to help.

In addition, after some inquiries, Rhett gathered skilled individuals—blacksmiths, tailors, and other craftsmen—from the town to take with him to Eagle Town. His territory was in desperate need of skilled workers and more people, so he seized the opportunity.

Of course, Rhett didn't force anyone to leave. He explained that their former lord was a member of an evil alchemy organization and had already been killed by him. He even showed them the hidden rooms in the castle, where horrific experiments had been conducted.

After witnessing the blood-stained remains and hearing the captives confess to their crimes, the townsfolk had no choice but to accept the truth. Although it was hard to believe, the evidence was undeniable.

With Rhett displaying his power as a Tier-3 mage, most of the skilled workers expressed their willingness to leave with him.

A few, for various reasons, chose to stay, and Rhett didn't force them.

As for the remaining civilians in Clear Springs, the distance to Eagle Town was too great. Slowing his journey to bring a thousand people back wasn't practical. Instead, Rhett spread the word that Eagle Town was willing to take in new residents, leaving it to fate to see how many would choose to come.

All in all, Rhett had gained immensely from this trip to Clear Springs Town.

Before he knew it, the night had passed, and the sky began to lighten.

Looking back, Rhett saw the fifty-plus people in the group, their faces showing a mix of loss and longing, but with a hint of hope in their eyes.

The wheels of the carts rolled, the horses' hooves clattered, and the procession gradually left Clear Springs Town, heading toward the dawn.

...

Upon arriving in Twilight City, Rhett first arranged for the people he had brought from Clear Springs Town to stay in an inn. Then, he escorted the seven captives with broken legs through the central street of Twilight City, heading toward the southern gate.

Twilight Castle was not within the city but two kilometers to the south.

The streets were bustling with people, and the coachman didn't dare to drive too fast. As they passed by the Dalton Auction House, their pace slowed even further due to the increasing crowd.

Rhett was surprised to see a line stretching over ten meters long outside the auction house. Standing up, he noticed the sign still announcing the release of the third volume of the bestselling series.

Those who queued up soon emerged from the auction house, smiling as they carried thick books.

"Incredible! It's been over ten days, and people are still so eager to buy. If authors from my past life saw this, they'd be green with envy," Rhett marveled.

Amid the crowd, Rhett didn't notice a woman who had just exited the auction house. She glanced toward the carts and prisoners and then froze, her gaze locking onto one of the captives.

Her expression shifted to disbelief, and her body trembled—not with joy, but with fury.

She quickly ran to the side of the procession, staring intently at one prisoner's face. After confirming her suspicions, her fingers shook as she pointed at him, her voice filled with madness, "It's you! It really is you! The murderer who slaughtered my entire family! I'll never forget that hateful face!"

The fat man on the cart met her gaze, pausing in thought before shaking his head. "Which family's survivor are you? I've killed so many; I don't remember."

After weeks of captivity, these prisoners had resigned themselves to their fate. They knew they were doomed, so they no longer held back.

Facing death, what did they care about words?

His indifferent tone, uttering the cruelest words, was like a merciless hand tearing open old wounds.

The short-haired orange-haired woman's chest heaved with rage, tears streaming down her face.

...