Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

"Welcome to Falcon Town. From now on, we are a team." Rhett smiled and extended his hand. "This bottle of solid potion is specially prepared for you. It's clear you're both seriously injured. It's best to recover as soon as possible, so you don't end up with lasting damage."

"Thank you, my lord! We hope to contribute more to you and Falcon Town!" Frano's eyes were filled with gratitude, and he accepted the potion without hesitation. Both he and his wife indeed needed it.

"My lord, I also have a secret about the evil organization that I wish to report."

Rhett nodded. "You've done well. Please, go ahead."

Frano licked his dry lips and began, "My lord, you may know the Kinn family's territory? It's very close to the Brein family's lands."

"Of course, but the Kinn family's lands are northeast of Brein's and diagonally opposite Falcon Town. It's quite far away," Rhett said as he searched his memory. "Does this have something to do with the Kinn family?"

"Not directly, but at the border between the Kinn and Brein family territories, there is a village called Lacey. We stayed there for a night. However, that night, a group of people in black robes attacked the village and slaughtered everyone."

Frano's voice trembled as he recounted the event. He paused to swallow and continued, "Not only that, but they also selected certain villagers' corpses and took their hearts. We realized something was wrong and tried to escape. While we managed to get away, one of them was fast enough to delay us. Our images were likely captured during that encounter, which led to tonight's events."

Rhett's breathing slowed, his expression growing heavy. "Another village massacre? And they took the hearts..."

"Yes," Frano added. "I suspect it may be related to evil alchemy because, if I recall correctly, the villagers whose hearts were taken were all apprentice knights..."

"Evil alchemy!" Rhett's pupils contracted as he narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. A few minutes passed as he connected the dots from recent simulations, finally beginning to clear the fog of uncertainty.

Evil alchemy was a broad term referring to alchemical practices that involved cruel methods, often using human subjects as materials for experiments. In the Kingdom of Genland, evil alchemy was strictly forbidden and severely punished. Anyone caught practicing it faced dire consequences.

Given the ever-present threat of the orcs, the kingdom's internal stability was paramount. The king had learned from the downfall of previous dynasties that internal conflicts must not be allowed to weaken the kingdom. While subtle power struggles among nobles might be tolerated, open violations of the kingdom's laws were met with harsh penalties, ranging from heavy fines to the loss of noble titles and imprisonment.

When it came to evil alchemical organizations, the kingdom took even more drastic measures, rooting them out completely whenever they were discovered.

Rhett exhaled deeply, casting a long look at Frano. He spoke in a low voice, "Regarding tonight's events and everything you've just told me... from this moment on, I hope you will act as if you know nothing."

He planned to investigate further after advancing to a third-tier magician, to see if he could uncover more valuable information. If he could handle it on his own, it would be a great merit, paving the way for his promotion to viscount. Even if it proved too difficult to tackle alone, reporting it to higher authorities would still bring him considerable rewards.

Meeting his lord's gaze, the couple nodded in understanding and replied, "We understand, my lord!"

Satisfied, Rhett smiled. "It's getting late. Rest well in the carriage. In a few days, we'll arrive in Falcon Town."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Frano and Lauren's eyes. It had been many years since they last felt the anticipation of reaching a place they could call home...

When Rhett returned to the front of the caravan, Tack approached him. "Father, what should we do with this bandit?"

Rhett glanced at Omor with cold indifference and waved his hand. "Kill him."

Omor's pupils contracted in fear. "No, please, my lord!"

Kurth's expression hardened as he accepted the order. He swiftly drove his sword through Omor's back, ensuring a clean kill. To be thorough, he struck the head several more times until Omor was undeniably dead.

Rhett then summoned a few small fireballs, incinerating the bodies of the fallen bandits.

Reilly approached, holding eight small bags. "Father, these are the spoils from the bandits. Please take a look."

Rhett nodded. After inspecting the loot, they had collected over a hundred gold coins and several bottles of Red Maple Potion. He handed the spoils back to Reilly and said, "You've met the two survivors—they are a pair of ranger spouses who have now joined Falcon Town's family."

"Kurth!"

"Yes, my lord!"

"I've assigned them as archery instructors at the knight training ground, so you'll be interacting with them frequently in the future. For now, I'll entrust you with caring for their injuries."

Kurth was surprised that the lord had already recruited the rangers but soon smiled, realizing it was a good thing for the territory. "Understood, my lord. It must be your charismatic personality that won them over."

Rhett smiled without comment. He removed his light armor—there was no need for disguises now that the bandits had been dealt with. Mounting his gray horse, Rhett pondered the clues related to the evil alchemy organization.

"In the recent simulations, every time, a dark magician from the evil alchemy faction targeted my territory. It's likely that these bandits, along with that second-tier knight, are all part of the same group," Rhett thought as he stared into the night ahead. "A third-tier dark magician? I'm not yet strong enough to confront him. But after returning to Falcon Town, I can focus on increasing my power..."

As for the second-tier knight still at the abandoned mine, it would be pointless to pursue him now. He couldn't root out the problem and would only alert them to his intentions. Once he became a third-tier magician, eliminating a second-tier knight would be a simple task. Even facing the third-tier dark magician, he would be confident of victory.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the end of the month.

On December 30th, the caravan moved forward as usual, but everyone's faces were brighter and more excited than they had been in recent days. Yesterday, they had passed through the Pinewood Forest. Today, the surrounding scenery was incredibly familiar—they were no longer in unfamiliar territory.

Falcon Town was almost in sight!

Even Rhett couldn't help but feel a wave of fatigue. He yearned to return home and rest.

"Though I haven't lived in Deep Rock Fortress for long, it already feels like home. Like a bird returning to its nest, where my family is—that's where home is." Sitting atop his horse, Rhett swayed gently with its movements, a faint smile playing on his lips.

A few dozen minutes later, buildings began to appear on the distant horizon. Rhett's calm gaze suddenly lit up.

"Falcon Town? We're almost home!" Tack, seeing the town's silhouette in the distance, cheered excitedly.

The caravan stirred as everyone strained their eyes to see ahead. Though their vision wasn't as sharp as Tack's, they soon recognized familiar landmarks.

Smiles spread across their faces, their eyes filled with warmth.

Today's sunshine seemed a bit brighter, with a hint of warmth breaking through the winter chill.

Rhett noticed something off about Reilly's expression—it seemed tinged with sadness. After a moment of thought, Rhett slapped his forehead. "Oh right, after winter, the Snow Fairy will enter her slumber."

"That little cutie, Nina... it makes sense that anyone would be reluctant to see her go into hibernation," Rhett mused.