Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Colton's expression became thoughtful as he paused before saying, "Perhaps. In any case, it's rare for powerful figures of the Kingdom of Kinlon to join forces to hunt down a magical beast above the seventh rank. The situation on the Eastern Blue Coast is indeed unusual..." He then shook his head. "However, these matters are far removed from us. Whether we know about them or not doesn't make much difference."

"True..." Rhett raised an eyebrow, deciding not to dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Colton, now that our transaction is complete and it's nearly noon, how about joining me for lunch at Deep Rock Fortress?"

Colton politely declined, "No need! I appreciate the offer, but there are many matters at the trading company that require my attention. If you ever have further needs, don't hesitate to contact me at the Dalton Trading Company!"

"Alright, safe travels!"

"Thank you, Sir Rhett. Until we meet again!" Colton tipped his black-rimmed hat, covering his bald head, and waved before mounting his horse. In no time, the Dalton Trading Company's convoy, under the protection of knights, disappeared into the distance.

Rhett then returned to Eagle Town, heading once again to the central square. By now, more than half a month had passed, and Coudine had completed the construction tasks. The townsfolk from Clear Spring Town had all settled in, and the town's tavern, aptly named the Nightingale Tavern, was also completed.

However, the tavern wasn't immediately operational. Brewing requires raw materials, and the brewing process takes time. Since they had missed the summer harvest season for grapes and agave, and the hops harvest was still a while off, the tavern's brewer found himself short on supplies. As a result, Rhett had personally donated a large amount of brewing materials last week to help the Nightingale Tavern open sooner, allowing the townspeople to enjoy the tavern experience.

Rhett then visited the blacksmith shop to check on things. He found that Tru, Willow, and Brisso were adapting well to their blacksmithing training. In fact, Andre and Leonid praised them highly, which reassured Rhett.

Initially, Rhett had been surprised to hear that Willow had volunteered for the blacksmith apprenticeship. He had expected that only the less talented knight apprentices from the training grounds would switch to blacksmithing, such as Tru and Brisso. But Willow was different—he had advanced to a knight apprentice only a year after Lawrence, which showed promise. Yet, he was willing to become a blacksmith. Rhett was pleasantly surprised by this and felt gratified.

He believed that development should be progressive, though often not without setbacks. Rapidly advancing the blacksmithing industry in his territory could only be achieved by either extraordinary luck—finding a master blacksmith—or through steady, incremental progress. Each generation's efforts would lay a better foundation for the next, ultimately leading to a brighter future.

Time flew by, and soon it was July 1st.

That afternoon, under the bright sun, Rhett, as usual, sprinkled a thin layer of fire essence over the egg of the Firefeather Eagle. In the sunlight, the crystalline eggshell seemed to flicker with faint flames, gradually absorbing the fiery granules.

Rhett murmured, "Little one, hurry and hatch. There's a colorful world waiting for you!"

Flying under one's own power was impossible for anyone but wind-type Grand Magisters. He fantasized that once the Firefeather Eagle hatched and grew large enough, it might one day carry him through the skies...

At that moment, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from outside, followed by a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock...

Standing outside the door, Sveta's voice was tinged with excitement. "Master, George just sent word that Heger has given birth to triplets!"

Rhett raised an eyebrow, pleased that he hadn't forgotten about this matter. He placed the Firefeather Eagle egg by the window to bask in the sunlight.

"One moment, Sveta!" he called out as he adjusted his collar and smoothed out the creases in his clothes before stepping outside.

Seeing Sveta in a thick leather coat, Rhett remarked as they walked toward the hall, "Sveta, you seem to be in good spirits lately. It appears you've been resting well!"

Sveta looked surprised. "Master, your observations are sharp. The recent cool weather has improved my sleep quality significantly. Every morning, I wake up feeling refreshed! For us ordinary folk, spring and autumn are the best seasons—comfortable temperatures and good nights' sleep!"

As they made their way through the hallway, Rhett, walking ahead, said, "Sveta, it seems my prediction was correct. Heger really did give birth to triplets. You should've seen George's expression when he told me the news—he was completely stunned!"

"No, 'prediction' isn't the right word," Rhett interrupted with a slight frown. "At the time, I merely made a deduction based on the facts. Sveta, in the future, avoid using the word 'prediction' when discussing me with others. After all, even a Grand Magister can't foresee the future. How could a mere magician like myself manage such a feat?"

Sveta paused momentarily before responding in a low voice, "Understood, Master."

"Good. Now fetch ten silver coins from the treasury and reward George. He deserves the most credit for Heger's pregnancy. Also, give each of the other four grooms one silver coin to reward their hard work."

"Of course, Master. I'm sure they'll be grateful for your generosity."

Upon leaving Deep Rock Fortress, Rhett initially planned to head to the training grounds for some magic practice. However, on the gray stone road ahead, he spotted a striking figure—Shirin—with short orange hair swaying gently in the breeze, walking toward him.

Rhett recognized her instantly. She had a sword hanging from her waist, a small round shield in her left hand, and an air of confidence. But in her right hand, she held the carcass of a dark-fanged leopard, with blood dripping onto the gray stone road, adding a touch of grimness to the scene.

"Good afternoon, Lord Rhett!" Shirin greeted him with a knight's salute.

"Shirin, what's with the dark-fanged leopard?" Rhett asked, puzzled. Given that he had recently conducted a simulation, everything should be within his control, especially in the days following the simulation. Any significant changes would have been indicated. Yet now... something seemed off.

Shirin explained, "Well, I heard you purchased a batch of aquatic magic beasts, and I've been meaning to see them, but I hadn't had the time. This afternoon, I finally went to Sun Lake and found this first-level dark-fanged leopard prowling around, seemingly eyeing the aquatic magic beasts. So, I took it down."

She lifted the carcass, shaking it slightly, and grinned. "Lord Rhett, how about some magical beast barbecue tonight? Dark-fanged leopard meat is quite tender—definitely a treat!"

"Haha, no problem!" Rhett chuckled, though seeing Shirin's bright smile juxtaposed with the blood dripping from the carcass left him with an odd sense of contrast.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Shirin, when you arrived, had the leopard already attacked the fish and shrimp in the lake? Or was it just prowling around?"

"It hadn't attacked yet. In fact, it tried to run when it saw me. But I worried that leaving it alone might endanger the aquatic magic beasts later, so I took it down immediately."

Rhett nodded. "Hmm... You did well."

"Just doing my duty!"

"If you want to enjoy that barbecue tonight, you should take the carcass to Cook Maru now. Handling magical beast meat can be tricky and requires several hours of preparation. The marinated meat will taste much better."

Shirin's eyes lit up with excitement. "I'll take care of it right away, Lord Rhett!"

As Shirin walked away toward the estate, Rhett began to ponder, "Though I'm not sure what prompted Shirin to go to Sun Lake today, even if she hadn't gone, that dark-fanged leopard wouldn't have attacked the aquatic magic beasts. Otherwise, the simulation would have flagged it."

With Shirin's figure disappearing from sight, Rhett turned his attention back to the gray stone road. This incident served as a reminder that, despite the relative peace surrounding Eagle Town, the occasional magical beast might still wander into the area.

While such creatures posed no threat to him and were unlikely to endanger the townspeople, they could impact the territory's industries. Previously, when he had been away, Eagle Town's population had been small, and the territory's activities were concentrated within the town and the nearby farmlands. Any magical beast attack would have been quickly noticed and dealt with.

However, with the territory's recent growth, industries were beginning to spread out to make better use of the land. This expansion left some areas less protected than they should be.

Sun Lake, where the aquatic magic beasts were now housed, was just one example of this vulnerability. The next venture would be the Fire Pattern Mine, another new resource point. The mine was located twenty kilometers from Eagle Town, twice the distance between Sun Lake and the town.

If no measures were taken, the risks would be evident.

As he strolled down the gray stone road, Rhett's brow furrowed in thought, considering his next steps.

"First, with the population expected to grow significantly and the benefits of a demographic boom, we can't just cram everyone into Eagle Town. The town would become overcrowded—just people everywhere and not enough quality jobs to go around. Unless everyone turns to farming, which isn't practical. The town's future industries will surely diversify, and we only need enough farmland to ensure ample food supply. Surplus grain will either rot or sell for minimal profit, which doesn't fit into my plans. If we're going to farm, it should be magical plants. Ordinary farming shouldn't require a large, densely packed population.

"So... establishing a few more villages is necessary to disperse the population and create specialized industry zones. Sun Lake and the area around the Fire Pattern Mine would be ideal locations, and then there's..."

A competent lord must have a comprehensive plan and foresight for every endeavor. As Rhett paced the gray stone road, deep in thought, the layout of his territory and the distribution of its population gradually became clearer in his mind.

The sound of two sets of horse hooves interrupted his musings. He looked up to see two familiar figures approaching, and his face lit up with a smile as he greeted them warmly. "Riley, Kalina, you're finally back."

"Father, it's so good to see you!" Riley dismounted out of respect, then moved to help Kalina down from her horse, gently holding her hand.

"How was the honeymoon?" Rhett inquired.

"It was wonderful! Father, the places you recommended—Water Valley Village and Fruit Creek Forest—may just be small villages, but they hold such beautiful scenery," Kalina reminisced. "Water Valley Village was like a dream, shrouded in mist during the day. And Fruit Creek Forest smelled so sweet with fruit that even the streams tasted of it. It was magical!"

"Yes, who would've thought that there were such beautiful places in the Brain Region? It was an unforgettable honeymoon," Riley added.

Rhett smiled. "The world isn't lacking in beauty—only in eyes that can see it."

These were places Rhett had encountered during his years of wandering, places that had left a lasting impression. Even small villages could hide unexpected beauty.

Riley nodded thoughtfully, having grown accustomed to his father's wisdom. Somehow, his father always managed to sum things up with such insightful phrases.

"Oh, by the way, Heger just gave birth to triplets today. Would you like to see them?" Rhett reminded, knowing Riley had always been eager for Heger's offspring.

"Wow! Is that true? I know you wouldn't joke about something like this, Father. I'll go see them right away," Riley said, eyes shining with excitement. Although he already had Whitegr, he still wanted horses for Kalina.

With that, Riley and Kalina hurried off to the stables.

They soon arrived at the stables, where Gene and Harry were chatting casually at the entrance. When they saw Riley approaching, they greeted him respectfully, "Good afternoon, Master Riley!"

Riley nodded in acknowledgment before heading into the spacious stables and entering one of the stalls. There, he found Kudding leaning against the fence. As soon as George saw Riley, he exclaimed, "Master Riley, you're just in time! Heger just gave birth to triplets today."

Riley's gaze fell on Heger, who lay weakly on the straw inside a separate stall. The mare was gently licking her three newborn foals, still stained with a bit of blood. Heger's eyes watched the growing crowd with a hint of vigilance, a testament to her maternal instincts.

Such great motherly love!

A smile tugged at the corners of Riley's mouth as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch, retrieving three silver coins. "George, you did well. This is a reward from me."

George's face lit up with joy, though he hesitated slightly before saying, "Master Riley, the lord already rewarded me with ten silver coins earlier today..."

This is a double-length chapter. Thanks for your patience, everyone!