Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Rhett patted White Tiger on the back, smoothing down its soft white fur as he whispered a few instructions. Using their contract bond, he clearly conveyed his intentions.

"Roar?"

"Roar…"

White Tiger stood still for a few seconds, slowly processing what Ryle wanted it to do. It had to chase and intimidate the little red-feathered eagle later but was not allowed to use its claws. After Ryle repeated the instructions several times, White Tiger, not the brightest, finally understood its task.

Soon, Rhett, McCoff, and Ryle arrived at the Eastern Eagle Lumberyard.

"Good morning, my lord!" Kudin greeted them while pushing a cart with some carpenters, preparing to transport supplies to Thorn Village. The sound of the cart wheels rolling was especially loud in the early morning.

"Kudin, did you see my pet eagle fly toward the Little Thorn Forest earlier?" Rhett asked.

"Yes, I saw it fly eastward," Kudin replied, pointing toward the Little Thorn Forest.

In the past few days, Firewing had mastered the ability to fly. Since Rhett had taken it to the Little Thorn Forest once, it seemed to have developed a fondness for the place, frequently going there to play. However, it still returned to Rhett's room every few hours, drawn by the familiar surroundings of its nest—its eggshell and the fire essence that Rhett provided.

The three of them continued eastward, walking about a kilometer. When they were roughly a hundred meters from the Little Thorn Forest, Rhett spotted a fiery red figure darting through the trees. It was Firewing! The narrow, thorn-filled forest, a challenge for most, was a perfect playground for the little eagle. The twisted, tight passages created by the thorns and spikes provided endless entertainment for Firewing as it weaved through them.

The trio hid behind a dark thicket, and Ryle patted White Tiger on the rear, whispering, "Go on, Wind Tiger!"

"Roar!"

Receiving the command, White Tiger let out a low growl and dashed forward like a white arrow. Despite the sharp thorns in the Little Thorn Forest, White Tiger, now nearly a sub-tier magical beast, was physically strong and had sharp claws that easily tore through the thorny branches.

"Roar!"

With a thunderous roar that echoed through the sky, White Tiger swiped at the thorny obstacles, breaking them effortlessly. Known for its speed, White Tiger moved swiftly through the forest as long as the path could accommodate its size.

"Chirp, chirp!"

"Chirp, chirp!"

Firewing had been happily playing, occasionally testing its beak against the thorns to see which was stronger. Suddenly, the appearance of the large white tiger startled it, causing it to flap its wings frantically and flee in a panic! Firewing had only encountered White Tiger once before, back when it was just three days old, and the unintentional scare from the tiger had left a lasting impression. This time, with White Tiger charging toward it with jaws wide open, Firewing was even more terrified.

Desperate, Firewing instinctively thought of its nest and the familiar, comforting figure of Rhett. It immediately flew toward the direction it had come from.

Watching from a distance, Rhett chuckled, knowing it was time for him to step in.

In Firewing's perspective, a familiar figure suddenly appeared ahead. Overjoyed, it flew directly to Rhett's side without hesitation. It then saw this familiar figure conjure a small stone and hurl it at the menacing white tiger that had been chasing it.

The stone flew rapidly, but just before it hit White Tiger, it slowed down almost imperceptibly, softening the impact. While it didn't hurt much, it was enough to make White Tiger yowl in mock pain.

White Tiger hesitated for a moment, recalling Ryle's earlier words: "If someone attacks you, just run…" Without further thought, it turned and bolted, disappearing swiftly like a puff of smoke.

"Chirp, chirp!"

"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

Perched on Rhett's shoulder, Firewing nestled its head against his cheek. Its now fuller feathers felt warm as they rubbed against his skin. Rhett could sense through Firewing's rapid chirping that it was still frightened—its tone was entirely different from its usual playful chirps.

He gently stroked its feathers, trying to calm the little creature. But as soon as his hand touched its right wing, Firewing lifted its head, staring intently at the side of Rhett's face.

Suddenly, a faint ripple of energy emanated from Firewing, and a circular, ethereal symbol began to faintly appear on its forehead. The intricate markings formed a complex, mysterious pattern.

Seeing this, excitement flickered in Rhett's eyes. Having anticipated this moment, he wasted no time. He extended a hand, touching the floating symbol and channeling his spiritual energy to tap into its power.

Though Rhett had no prior experience with this process, he had heard it described in simple terms. As he personally went through it, he felt his spiritual energy connect with a mysterious force. This force was like a gentle stream, silently nourishing, yet elusive, like the reflection of a brilliant sun—visible and tangible, but impossible to grasp.

As his spiritual energy interacted with the symbol, a special power flowed into Firewing's body. When Rhett regained his senses, he realized that a bond had formed between him and Firewing deep within his mind. This connection allowed them to feel each other's emotions and understand each other's thoughts—a truly fascinating experience!

"Chirp, chirp!" Firewing looked at Rhett with a deep sense of affection, chirping softly as it flapped its wings and began circling above Rhett's head. Its cries carried a sharper tone, and Rhett could feel its joy.

Looking up at Firewing, Rhett noticed that it had grown significantly larger in just a few days. It had gone from being palm-sized to about the length of his forearm. He estimated that in another six months, it would be over two meters long—big enough to ride.

With that thought, Rhett smiled.

Before attempting to tame Firewing, Rhett had used one fate point to simulate the process in advance. He wanted to avoid failure, which could make Firewing even more wary of White Tiger, rendering a similar approach ineffective in the future. The simulation allowed him to test whether an early taming would be successful.

Fortunately, the simulation went smoothly, giving Rhett the confidence to replicate it in reality.

With the taming process complete, the three of them returned to the manor gate. Ryle inspected the caravan, checking the carts, horses, and the cargo of gold and goods to ensure nothing was amiss.

Then, with a light jump, he mounted White Tiger and rode over to Rhett. "Father, is there anything else you need? If not, we're ready to set off."

"Go ahead, my son."

"Then, goodbye, Father!" Ryle waved.

"Until next time, Rhett," McCoff also bid farewell.

"Safe travels," Rhett replied with a smile.

"All right, let's move out!" Ryle shouted as White Tiger sped to the front of the caravan, leading the way down the gray stone road. Behind him, the attendants drove a dozen empty carts, ready to load up on ore.

Rhett watched as the caravan slowly disappeared from view. Once they were out of sight, he sighed, stood in place for a couple of minutes, then returned to the castle to gather a few things. Afterward, he left the manor again and began walking north along the gray stone road.

He wandered alone until he reached the central square of Falcon Town.

It had been four or five months since the town's population began to surge. As soon as Rhett stepped into the square, he noticed how much busier it was compared to before. When the population boom first started, the central square had often been empty or sparsely populated during the day. Now, the town's commoners had built a circle of benches around the square, roughly twenty in total.

Most of the benches were occupied—some people were chatting in pairs, some couples were playfully teasing each other, while others hogged entire benches to themselves for a nap.

As Rhett entered the square, several people approached him to greet him respectfully.

"Good morning, my lord."

"Praise the lord!"

Amidst the smiles and greetings, Rhett maintained a gentle smile, nodding occasionally as he made his way to the Iron Brothers' Blacksmith Shop. It had been two months since his last visit. Standing at the entrance, he felt the contrast between the chilly spring air at his back and the scorching heat from inside the forge. Although the shop was still filled with heat, a quick glance inside revealed that Willow was now the one hammering away at the anvil.

Willow's upper body was bare, his back slick with sweat as he focused intently on hammering a thin iron plate. His strikes varied in direction and rhythm, adjusting his force based on the angle.

Next to Willow, Leonid watched with a serious expression, giving instructions:

"Be gentler with the hammer strikes on the back of the blade, and make sure to slightly tilt the hammer. This is crucial, so focus on it!"

"Your rhythm is a bit too fast; slow down a little."

"Keep your breathing steady, and maintain this pace… yes, that's it, keep going."

As a blacksmith master, Leonid was dedicated to guiding Willow, correcting his technique with a serious tone, though his eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.

"Ah? My lord, you're here! Please, have a seat!" Andre, who had been supervising Briso, one of the newcomers, as he worked the bellows near the entrance, noticed Rhett's arrival and hurried over to greet him.

"Shh!" Rhett gestured for silence, pointing toward Willow.

Andre glanced inside, quickly nodding in understanding and falling silent.

Half an hour later, as Andre and Rhett chatted outside, the sound of metal striking metal ceased, and Willow emerged from the forge, wiping sweat from his forehead as he followed Leonid.

Both of them greeted Rhett. "Good morning, my lord!"

"I've brought some well-crafted equipment for you to study and learn from," Rhett said, gesturing to a small chest at Andre's feet. Inside were the swords, shields, machetes, and daggers they had confiscated the night before.

"Thank you for your generosity, my lord. These are excellent pieces," Leonid said with shining eyes. "We're nowhere near being able to forge such items ourselves, but we can certainly learn from them."

Rhett smiled and nodded before asking, "How have Willow, Trul, and Briso been performing over the past few months?"

At this question, Leonid became very serious. "Willow has been outstanding! He has a natural talent for blacksmithing. His control over the heat and the precision of his strikes have both amazed me!"

Leonid didn't hold back in his praise.

"You're too kind; it's all thanks to your excellent teaching," Willow replied modestly.

"It's your talent and hard work that make the difference—we just guide you," Andre added with a smile, shaking his head. He then turned to Rhett and continued, "As for Trul, his basic skills are solid, and he's very dedicated to his work as a blacksmith. He just lacks a bit of intuition, but I'm confident he'll have a breakthrough if he keeps at it. Briso, on the other hand, is quite interested in blacksmithing and is willing to put in the effort. Unfortunately, he's not very talented and is still stuck working the bellows."

"Trul and Briso are both hardworking. I believe they'll become excellent blacksmiths in the future!" Willow said, speaking up for his companions.

Andre glanced at Willow, feeling a bit sentimental. He understood Willow's feelings and thoughts—at a young age, loyalty and camaraderie are often valued. But in the real world, effort alone doesn't always guarantee success. While hard work is necessary, it doesn't always determine the outcome. Sometimes, even after a lifetime of effort, people still struggle at the bottom.

But Andre simply smiled and said nothing.

After a moment of thought, Rhett said, "It's not a problem. Our blacksmith numbers are still just starting to grow—we're far from reaching our full potential. Quality comes after quantity. As long as someone is willing to put in the effort, we'll make sure to train them properly."

"Understood," Andre and Leonid replied.

After a brief chat, Rhett left the blacksmith shop. He then headed to Thorn Village, where he conducted a quick inspection. The construction of the new village was already underway, with Kudin leading the team to lay the foundations. The site was bustling with activity. With plenty of wood and land, the completion of Thorn Village was only a matter of time.

On his way back, Rhett made a point to visit Sun Lake. With Shilin accompanying Ryle's trade caravan, Tadal, who had recently advanced to a level-two knight, had taken over patrolling the area around Sun Lake.

Tadal whistled a tune, clearly in high spirits! Even a week later, he couldn't help but smile every time he remembered that he was now a level-two knight.