Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

A strange light flickered in Rhett's eyes. Although he couldn't discern Frano's inner thoughts, he could sense that this was a positive change. He wondered if there might be another system out there that would display a prompt like [Loyalty +10] at this moment.

Shaking off the absurd thought, Rhett looked up at the sky. "The weather seems quite nice today. If the sunset appears later in the evening, you can bring Lorin directly to the main castle of Deep Rock Fortress to find me."

"Understood, my lord!" Frano said, bidding farewell to the lord with joy in his heart, eager to share the good news with his wife.

Rhett then left the training grounds and leisurely made his way back to Deep Rock Fortress.

In Rayleigh's room, Nina floated in midair. Under the sunlight, her round, snowball-like body, usually pristine white, had turned semi-transparent. Rayleigh gently patted Nina's head, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"Nina, if you're sleepy, rest well. I hope that when we meet again next year, you'll still be as chubby and cute as you are now!"

Nina, who had been dozing off, suddenly widened her eyes, propped open by her little hands. She jumped onto Rayleigh's head, messing up his hair.

"Alright, alright, Nina isn't fat; she's just... plump?" Rayleigh quickly corrected himself, and only then did Nina settle down, lying quietly on his head without moving.

But then Rayleigh's eyes widened in shock. He felt Nina's weight on his head lighten. When he reached up to hold her, all he felt was a cold sensation, and the next moment, even that vanished, leaving his hand grasping at empty air.

"Nina!" Rayleigh cried out in alarm. He looked up frantically but saw only the last few shimmering white specks of light slowly dissipating.

In the corridor, Rhett heard the faint shout and rushed into the room, just in time to see the final glimmers of light in the air. Sighing helplessly, Rhett said, "I didn't expect Nina's hibernation to occur this way. Has she temporarily returned to nature's embrace?"

Rayleigh forced a bitter smile. "Father, I can still sense Nina's existence, but I have no idea where she is. Only a faint connection remains through our contract. I just hope that next winter arrives soon."

"My child, if Nina is dreaming right now, I'm sure she's missing you too," Rhett said gently, patting Rayleigh's shoulder in comfort.

"I understand, Father, but I'd like some time alone," Rayleigh replied, his expression heavy as he sank into a chair.

Rhett patted his shoulder again, saying nothing more. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.

Leaving the room, Rhett found himself with little to do, so he decided to patrol the territory.

At the East Eagle Lumberyard, the weather was warm, and Kuding and his woodworkers had shed their winter coats. They sat on small stools, drinking tea and chatting, looking relaxed. Kuding sighed with relief, "Finally, a few days of peace without so much work."

But suddenly, the sound of approaching hooves drew their attention. As the rider came into view, Kuding blinked in recognition of the lord. He quickly stood up, signaling the others to do the same, and they formed a line to greet the lord.

"Good afternoon, my lord," Kuding said respectfully as Rhett approached, mounted on his horse, Gray.

"You all seem to be taking it easy," Rhett said with a smile. He had just come from rewarding the stablemaster, George, and now, with a new idea in mind, he had decided to visit the lumberyard.

"Last time, you discovered ancient relics and promptly reported them. This bag of silver coins is your well-deserved reward," Rhett said, shaking a burlap sack that jingled with the sound of coins.

Kuding and the woodworkers' eyes lit up, their gazes fixed on the heavy bag in the lord's hand. It was clearly filled with hundreds of coins—enough to make them drool if not for maintaining their composure.

With a slight smile, Rhett tossed the bag to Kuding, leaving the distribution to him. As Kuding caught the bag, his eyes gleamed with delight. Rhett then continued, "In addition to this reward, I have another task for you."

Kuding looked up, surprised. "Of course, my lord. Just tell us what needs to be done, and we'll follow your instructions."

"There are two tasks," Rhett said, holding up one finger. "First, prepare a batch of wood for bow arms."

Kuding nodded. "That's easy. We can have it ready in two days."

"As for the second task," Rhett continued, "since the construction of the knights' training grounds is complete and your workload has lightened, I was thinking you could use your free time to try some digging around Eagle Town. If you find anything, the rewards will be worth your effort."

In Rhett's view, if ancient relics were buried beneath the Thorny Grove, it might indicate that this area had a hidden past. This could mean that other places also held buried treasures. However, not wanting to mobilize the entire territory for something uncertain, Rhett decided to assign the task to Kuding's crew.

Kuding was surprised but quickly agreed. "No problem, my lord. We can start digging tomorrow. Do you have any specific locations in mind where we should focus our efforts?"

Rhett fell into thought. Based on the history he knew, he began to speculate. "The ancient Dan Kingdom fell over four hundred and sixty years ago, and many borderlands were overrun by beastmen until the Kingdom of Kinlun gradually reclaimed some territories..."

Rhett mused that since the beastmen had invaded from the west, fleeing nobles would have moved eastward. Therefore, perhaps the eastern side of the territory had a higher chance of hiding relics?

Rhett wasn't entirely sure, but he decided it was worth a try. Pointing, he said, "There's a barren area east of the Thorny Grove, correct? Start there. But remember, any pits you dig must be filled in afterward. I don't want to ruin the landscape."

"Don't worry, my lord. We'll take care of it!" Kuding assured, patting his chest.

As dusk fell and the sky turned orange, Rhett recalled his appointment with Frano and hurried back to the castle.

Upon entering the first-floor hall, Rhett found Frano and Lorin already waiting, having arrived while he was away.

"You two, follow me upstairs," Rhett said to them, then turned to his steward, Swita. "Go find Tucker and tell him to come directly to the fifth floor. Also, bring Kules and Tardel."

"Understood, my lord."

The reason for summoning Kules and Tardel was to treat them fairly—if they all worked for him, they deserved equal opportunities. As for calling Tucker, Rhett hoped he could offer some useful insights from his experience.