Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

While Rhett was deep in thought, Vorderger was busy counting the Darkfeather Eagle corpses. After a moment, he turned to Rhett and said, "Lord Rhett, I've just finished counting. Over these past days, we've hunted a total of 102 Darkfeather Eagles. Among them were four of the fourth tier, twenty-three of the third tier, thirty-five of the second tier, and forty of the first tier or lower. Based on market prices, they are worth about 1,100 gold coins. According to our agreement, you're transferring two-tenths of the Darkfeather Eagle corpses to me, which means I owe you 220 gold coins. However, we didn't bring that much gold with us. It's stashed away in the mountains, and we'll need to retrieve it before handing it over to you."

"That's fine," Rhett nodded, understanding the wisdom of hiding valuables in the wild. After all, they had done the same thing, even going so far as to have Ryleigh hide Nina early on to avoid any accidental encounters with strangers.

...

The next day, Vorderger and his group handed over the gold coins and bid farewell. Standing atop Antelope Slope near one of the curved rock formations, Vorderger spoke with a hint of sentimentality, "Lord Rhett, although we only stayed in the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range for a short month, this unforgettable journey will remain with me forever."

"I feel the same way. I'll never forget the times we fought side by side with the Flaming Lion Mercenary Group in the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range," Rhett sighed.

Vorderger smiled faintly, "Lord Rhett, before I leave, I have something for you." He removed a fiery red emblem from his chest and handed it to Rhett. "Today, as we part ways, I fear we may never meet again. This emblem has been with me for ten years. I hope you'll accept it as a symbol of our friendship." Vorderger's expression turned serious as he spoke.

Rhett was moved. After a brief hesitation, he took the emblem from Vorderger's hand and inspected it. The front of the emblem was polished smooth from a fire-element magic crystal and engraved with a lion insignia. The back was made of what appeared to be pure gold, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Though its material value wasn't high, its sentimental value far surpassed its worth.

"I'll keep this emblem safe. In my memoirs, I'll write that today, a distant friend gave me an emblem that had accompanied him for years, and I'll treasure it for life," Rhett said solemnly.

"Haha, that's good to hear. If you ever find yourself in Icebound City, take this emblem to the local mercenary guild, and you'll be able to contact me quickly!"

"I'll remember that!"

After a few more minutes of conversation, Vorderger, along with Milton and Vicki, began their journey back. Rhett watched their departing figures, his gaze deep and thoughtful. The cart being pulled by their horses, laden with Darkfeather Eagle corpses, seemed to carry away the memories of their recent days together.

Two hours later, in a clearing in the forest.

Ryleigh sat leisurely on Baige's back, taking in the surrounding scenery. Tack and Tales, meanwhile, stared intently at a black magical beast egg on the ground, their eyes gleaming with curiosity and thought.

"Ahem."

Rhett's light cough broke the silence. He picked up the Darkfeather Eagle's magical beast egg from the ground and glanced at both Tack and Tales before saying, "It's unfortunate that there's only one magical beast egg, so I can't meet both of your needs at the same time..."

But before he could finish, "Give it to Tack!" Tales suddenly interrupted, crossing his arms and turning his head away.

Tack stood there, momentarily stunned. He had been mentally preparing for a struggle, expecting Tales to come up with some flimsy excuse to argue with him. But hearing those words, he scratched his head and looked at Tales in surprise. "Tales, you... you really want to give it to me?"

Only in front of family did Tales truly let his guard down. Now, his thin-skinned nature showed as his ears turned red, and he replied impatiently, "Are you deaf? I just said it's yours. Why are you staring at me? I'm not even a magic apprentice yet. Besides, this weak magical beast with such poor physical strength—how could it ever protect me? I don't care for it at all! Hmph, only someone as thick-skinned as you would suit a beast like that!"

Rhett chuckled warmly, a look of pride flashing in his eyes. Ryleigh also turned his head to glance between Tack and Tales, a smile playing on his lips. He gently petted Baige's head, making the creature close its eyes in contentment.

Tack, usually so carefree, felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He suddenly thought, "Tales has really grown up!" But he maintained his wide grin, walking over to drape an arm over Tales' shoulder. "Haha, thanks a lot! Since you don't want the Darkfeather Eagle because of its weak body, I'll protect you instead!"

"Tch, who needs your protection? You've got a long way to go!" Tales scoffed, brushing him off lightly. "Maybe when you can reach Father's level."

"I will, I will." Tack laughed, gently patting Tales on the shoulder.

Rhett handed the magical beast egg to Tack with a smile, "Unity is strength. It's great to see you brothers understanding and supporting each other." He then turned to Tales and added, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for a magical beast cub with a strong enough body for you."

Tales' eyes lit up, and he said, "I want one that can fly!"

Rhett chuckled, "Haha, that'll depend on luck..."

...

In the days that followed, Rhett and his three sons roamed the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range, hunting magical beasts and accumulating destiny points.

Half a month later, at dusk, Rhett used his mental power to manipulate the earth elements, unearthing the buried soil. Tack quickly jumped into the pit, retrieving the dozen or so linen bags hidden underground. Glancing at the three bags beside him, Tack couldn't help but feel a sense of fulfillment. He exclaimed joyfully, "Hehe, Father, this hunt's haul is even better than the last one! And... the magical beasts in the outer areas of the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range must be almost wiped out by now, right?"

Rhett walked around the ten or so bags, noting that two were filled with magic crystals, four with the magic plants they had gathered over the past three months, and about seven with the most valuable, compact materials from the magical beasts they had hunted—such as bones, teeth, and claws. Five of the bags contained meat, which Ryleigh had frozen using water elements to keep fresh.

Ryleigh patted one of the bags, commenting regretfully, "In just three months, we've hunted so many magical beasts. It'll probably take years for the outer areas to recover to their previous levels."

But then, after a moment's thought, he added, "Although the number of magical beasts in the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range has decreased, the richer resources might attract magical beasts from other sub-ranges, allowing the area to recover faster than expected."

"Yeah," Tales agreed, his imagination running wild. "Wouldn't it be great if our territory were near here? With Father's strength, we could turn the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range into our backyard."

Huh?

Rhett's eyes narrowed. Once again, Tales' unintentional words had sparked an idea.

"Turn the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range into our backyard?" Rhett mused, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibility. "It might actually be possible..."

Of course, that possibility lay in the future. As a viscount, he couldn't move his territory right now. His only hope would be to claim land near the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range once he became a count.

As the thought took root, it began to spread, gradually taking hold of his mind. Rhett continued to ponder, "Moving my territory beyond the southwestern border isn't realistic. The southwestern border still has vast tracts of undeveloped land, and the higher-ups will want new nobles to help develop it. They won't allow the border to be left undefended. But when I do become a count and get to choose my new fief, there's no question that the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range is the most resource-rich and valuable area in the southwest. The sub-range is vast, with varied terrain. Although a count's territory spans only a few hundred kilometers, which can't encompass the entire sub-range, claiming a portion of it or settling near it would greatly benefit my territory's future development."

His eyes burned with excitement as he thought about the possibilities—the forests, lakes, valleys, and mountains. The area seemed perfect for raising magical beasts, training rangers, growing magic plants, and more. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that this land was ideal for his future fief as a count. Ambition began to swell in his chest.

As for whether he had the confidence to become a count? He was brimming with it. With his golden finger, his journey would not end at viscount. To lack confidence in his ability to rise to the rank of count would be the biggest joke.

As Rhett envisioned the future, the path forward for him and his territory became increasingly clear. Although occupying a sub-range of the magical beast mountains carried significant risks—since sub-ranges were often close or interconnected, powerful magical beasts from other areas could potentially wander in—the dangers that might trouble others didn't concern him. After all, he had the gift of foresight. As long as he could see future risks in his simulations, he could avoid them or prepare countermeasures in advance, such as summoning reinforcements before disaster struck.

"A viscount who doesn't aspire to be a king isn't a true noble! My next goal is to become a count and take control of the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range!" Rhett's heart surged with passion as he set his sights on the future.

Ryleigh, noticing the change in his father's expression, raised an eyebrow in curiosity but quickly returned to his thoughts. "So many spoils—more than I expected. Father, it might be best to create a simple stone-cart to carry them. Baige's strength should be more than enough to pull it."

Rhett's fervor began to cool, and a smile returned to his face. "That's a simple task."

He glanced at his system interface, considering that if he could reach the peak of the fourth-tier Archmage before heading to the canyon front lines, it would greatly improve his chances of surviving on the battlefield and make it easier to protect his subordinates.

"Medium-grade mental power potions are quite expensive, but thanks to this hunt, I should be able to afford about twenty vials. Plus, with the Blood Origin Pearl, I can save some destiny points..." Rhett thought to himself.

An hour later, with Ryleigh's expert craftsmanship, a simple wooden-wheeled stone-cart was assembled. The wheels were secured with vines, tied in a knot for Baige to grip and pull the cart along. Tack loaded the ten-plus bags onto the cart one by one, and with that, they set off on their journey home.

...

Ten days later, the surrounding scenery became more familiar. Ryleigh's eyes lit up as he reconnected with Nina. A snowflake in the sky suddenly expanded, transforming into a tiny snowman that drifted down into Ryleigh's arms.

This year, after awakening from hibernation, Ryleigh discovered that Nina's abilities had evolved. Or rather, her innate talent had strengthened. She was no longer limited to summoning snowflakes but could also disguise herself as one, floating in the air and hiding her presence. During their time in the Darkfeather Eagle sub-range, Nina had used this ability to remain hidden in the sky for two months.

As they passed by Sun Lake, the surface was already frozen, but there were still dozens of basketball-sized ice holes near the shore. Since the aquatic magical beasts needed to feed on magic plants daily, Silin's duties included patrolling and scattering shredded magic plant leaves for them. These ice holes were created by the magical beasts themselves.

Splash! Splash!

Suddenly, two fish leaped out of one of the ice holes, soaring nearly two meters into the air before losing momentum and flopping heavily back onto the ice, thrashing about energetically.

"Stop!" Rhett called out with interest, guiding Baige onto the ice. Tack, Ryleigh, and Tales followed, all smiling as they saw the Firestripe Fish lying on the ice.

"Ryleigh, how many fire-element magic plants did we gather this time?" Rhett asked.

Ryleigh thought for a moment before replying, "We have forty-three Three-leaf Fireflowers and five Scorchsnake Grasses. Father, are you planning to feed these Firestripe Fish?"

Rhett smiled, "Exactly. We'll use the low-grade Three-leaf Fireflowers, but keep the Scorchsnake Grass for trading. And add some Blueleaf Grass for the water-element magical beasts in the lake, which far outnumber the Firestripe Fish. Also, ask Nina to bestow a Growth Blessing on these aquatic magical beasts."

"Understood!" Ryleigh responded promptly, retrieving various magic plants from a linen bag. The bright red ones were Three-leaf Fireflowers, and the light blue ones were Blueleaf Grass.

With a light jump, Rhett landed steadily on the ice, giving a gentle kick to send the two Firestripe Fish back into the ice hole.