Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Vorderger frowned slightly but quickly relaxed and said, "It's no harm telling you. In fact, we come from Icewind City in Wodan. A certain alchemy master there is currently researching and testing a poison formula. The local Mercenary Guild issued a task to collect materials, one of which is the bodies of Darkfeather Eagles."

Rhett's eyes flashed with understanding as he thought to himself, "So it's for a reward. But... traveling all the way from Icewind City to the Darkfeather Eagle Range, the reward must be quite substantial."

At this moment, Vorderger glanced at the Darkfeather Eagle feathers by the campfire and then at the wand on Rhett's waist. After some deliberation, he continued, "I have an idea. Since your goal is the Darkfeather Eagle's eggs and our goal is their bodies, our objectives are similar and don't conflict at all. So, why not join forces? No matter how many eggs we find, they will all belong to you. But... we will take all the Darkfeather Eagle bodies."

After saying this, Vorderger looked directly at Rhett, waiting for a response. He genuinely hoped to team up with Rhett. A fourth-tier mage would be a tremendous help, and the fact that Rhett had single-handedly killed a fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle was a testament to his strength.

Hearing this expected proposal, Rhett pretended to ponder for half a minute before saying, "As for the eggs, I only need one. Any extra eggs don't hold much value for me. Also, Twilight City has been buying up Darkfeather Eagle materials recently, and I'm planning to exchange them for a decent amount of gold."

Rhett's words were carefully considered. If he hadn't known the outcome of the previous simulation, he would likely have accepted Vorderger's offer. After all, Vorderger only wanted the Darkfeather Eagle bodies, and no matter how many eggs there were, they would all belong to Rhett. From Rhett's perspective, even if there was only one egg in the nest, he wouldn't lose out. If there were multiple eggs, it would be a substantial profit.

However, through the simulation, Rhett already knew that there was only one egg in the Darkfeather Eagle's nest, meaning his profit was already fixed. Meanwhile, Vorderger would return with numerous Darkfeather Eagle bodies and claim a hefty reward. Factors affecting the outcome of transactions are numerous, and information is undoubtedly the most crucial. Exploiting information asymmetry to reap profits is a common tactic of capitalists.

Since Rhett couldn't capitalize on the Darkfeather Eagle bodies like Vorderger could, it was only fair to use his advantage of information asymmetry to secure more benefits for himself. Of course, he didn't see himself as a greedy capitalist. He would maintain balance and ensure mutual benefit and cooperation.

Vorderger frowned again, silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath and saying earnestly, "To be honest, the daughter of that alchemy master in Icewind City was a military officer at the Coldflow Defense Line. She was brutally murdered by the Half-Dragon People. In his rage, the master issued the task with the goal of creating a devastating poison specifically targeting the Half-Dragon People. According to him, if this poison is successfully crafted, it could pose a severe threat to the Half-Dragon People, even those below the holy level! So, it's not just for myself, but also to fight against the orcs. I must obtain these Darkfeather Eagle bodies. We can split the bodies, but I'd like to buy your share at market price."

"Oh?"

This time, Rhett was genuinely surprised. He had not expected to learn even more from Vorderger in reality. The story of a female soldier at the Coldflow Defense Line being murdered by the Half-Dragon People was not new to Rhett. In fact, he had heard of male soldiers being similarly violated by female Half-Dragons.

If a survey were conducted among the soldiers of the Kingdom of Gillon asking which orc race they hated the most, the Half-Dragon People would undoubtedly top the list. The Half-Dragons were a royal bloodline among the orcs, known for their courage and combat prowess. In terms of strength, speed, and defense, they were exceptional. However, they were also known for their depravity, with an insatiable urge to dominate and violate other species.

If captured by other orcs, soldiers might face death. But if captured by Half-Dragons, they would endure unspeakable horrors before dying.

Rhett squinted slightly, feeling deep sympathy for the alchemist's daughter and admiring the master's determination to fight against the orcs. Without hesitation, Rhett said, "In that case, I'll still only take one egg. If there are any extra eggs, we'll split them equally. As for the Darkfeather Eagle bodies, I'll take twenty percent, but I'll sell my share to you at market price. How does that sound?"

"That works!" Vorderger sighed in relief and nodded. No matter what, he needed to take as many Darkfeather Eagle bodies back as possible. He looked at the campfire ahead, feeling as if it held hope. He hadn't mentioned that the female officer who was brutally murdered had been his savior. This mission wasn't just about the reward—it was about repaying a debt of gratitude.

With the deal settled, Rhett smiled and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. Rhett Green, Viscount and Lord of Hatchling Town on the southwestern border."

Vorderger smiled back. "Vorderger Daru, Captain of the Flame Lion Mercenary Group."

"Milton Teyera, a member of the Flame Lion Mercenary Group."

"Vicki Took, also a member of the Flame Lion Mercenary Group."

With the formalities complete, Rhett gestured to the stone stools and beds he had conjured and said, "It's getting late. Why don't we sit down and rest? Tomorrow, we'll set out to track down the Darkfeather Eagles."

"That sounds good!"

...

A week later, just as in the simulation, Rhett and Vorderger led their teams deeper into the Darkfeather Eagle Range. Despite extensive searching, they hadn't found the eagle's nest. However, through several battles, both men had gained a clearer understanding of each other's abilities.

In Rhett's eyes, Vorderger wasn't particularly outstanding in any one area, but his balanced skill set was rare. He was proficient in close combat, offense, and defense, skilled with a bow, and even had a lower-tier footwork combat technique.

Meanwhile, Vorderger held Rhett in high regard. Over the past few days, the fourth-tier mage had easily dispatched any magical beasts they encountered using spells like Earth Spike and Ground Thrust, displaying a high level of mastery. For Vorderger, this was a good thing—having a strong ally increased their chances of success.

As night fell, the group rested on their stone stools. Rhett looked up at the starry sky, narrowing his eyes. "It's October 28th. That third-tier Darkfeather Eagle that leads us should be appearing soon."

"Darkfeather Eagles are often active at night. We've gone several days without seeing one, but I have a feeling tonight will be different," Vorderger said, standing up after swallowing some dried meat.

"Boss, you say that every day, but it never happens..." Milton, sitting beside Vorderger, sighed with a wry smile.

Vicki, brushing her wine-red hair, teased, "When we first arrived in the Darkfeather Eagle Range, Boss heard a bird cry and claimed it was a sign that the birds were startled by a Darkfeather Eagle..."

"Ah-hem!" Vorderger blushed, silently cursing his subordinates for not giving him any face.

Suddenly!

A sharp cry echoed from the distance!

Vorderger's expression changed instantly, and he exclaimed, "No doubt about it! That's a Darkfeather Eagle's call. Let's follow it!"

"Huh? Boss got it right this time?" Milton was surprised but quickly got up and followed Vorderger without hesitation.

After days of working together, Rhett and Vorderger exchanged a glance at the sound of the cry and immediately started moving toward the source.

Two minutes later, the group spotted a black bird clutching the corpse of a Rock Ape as it rose from the forest, flying toward a specific area.

Rhett's sharp gaze caught the movement, and he quickly said, "Don't alert it yet. If it's carrying a corpse and not eating it immediately, it's likely taking it back to its nest! If we follow it, we might find something interesting."

"You're right!" Vorderger's eyes lit up, and his breathing quickened. "Then let's go! Quickly!"

"We should leave the tracking to the two of us. The others are too weak and might get spotted," Rhett added.

"Agreed. Milton, Vicki, you stay here and wait for our signal!"

"Tack, Ryleigh, Tales—you do the same. Stay put and don't wander off!"

"Understood!"

Vorderger's feet erupted with light as he dashed after the Darkfeather Eagle in the sky. Rhett summoned a whirlwind of wind elements around himself to increase his speed, though he couldn't match Vorderger, who was using a footwork technique.

Half an hour later, Vorderger stopped and hid behind a three-meter-tall brown boulder. Rhett arrived moments later and leaned against the rock, saying, "That peak ahead should be their nest, right?"

"Yes. Over ten Darkfeather Eagles are circling above. Only near a nest would we see such a sight!" Vorderger confirmed, his tone tinged with excitement.

Rhett peeked out, observing the nearly thousand-meter-tall isolated peak, where Darkfeather Eagles soared through the clouds, circling the summit. He then reminded Vorderger, "If that's the nest, then there must be many magical beasts. Charging in recklessly won't end well."

Vorderger thought for a moment and nodded. He could use a bow, but his archery skills weren't advanced. He could only shoot accurately at single targets. Techniques like rapid or multi-shot weren't in his repertoire. If they were swarmed by over a hundred Darkfeather Eagles, especially with several fourth-tier beasts among them, they wouldn't stand a chance.

However, Vorderger had plenty of experience in the wild and didn't see this as a major obstacle. "We'll scout the area first. Then, I'll find an opportunity to lure a fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle away. We can take it down together. Darkfeather Eagles aren't particularly fast flyers, and their bodies aren't especially tough. With your spellcasting and my archery, we should manage."

Rhett stroked his chin. "That sounds like a plan."

...

That night, Rhett and Vorderger carefully scouted the area, avoiding the Darkfeather Eagles' sight, and gathered information. Then, they returned to share their battle plan.

Although Tack, Ryleigh, and Tales were too weak to participate, Milton and Vicki, both third-tier mages—one fire element, the other light element—could be helpful.

The next morning, Vorderger set out early, and three hours later, Vicki was starting to worry. "Boss has been gone for so long. What if he's in trouble?"

Milton patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine. Boss is experienced. He wouldn't fall here."

Rhett remained silent, but a few seconds later, his eyes flashed with surprise, and he smiled. "No need to worry. You'll see Vorderger soon."

Just as he finished speaking, a splash of corrosive acid suddenly rained down, landing ten meters to Milton's right. The acid sizzled, eating into the ground and releasing thick, white smoke.

"Kaaw!"

"Kaaw!"

Two sharp cries pierced the sky.

At the same time, Vorderger appeared from the depths of the forest, moving so quickly that he seemed to flicker in and out of sight. He leaped onto a branch, crouched, and then sprang into the air, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow in one fluid motion!

Rhett's eyes narrowed as he cast a falling stone spell at the Darkfeather Eagle's back!

As the shadow loomed, the Darkfeather Eagle sensed the earth element's intense presence and realized something was wrong. Simultaneously, a silver arrow shot from the ground toward its chest!

At the last moment, the Darkfeather Eagle managed to dodge the arrow and the falling stone, but before it could breathe a sigh of relief, a piercing spike shot through the air and struck its skull.

In an instant, it became a headless corpse.

Blood and brain matter splattered through the sky!

The fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle hadn't even had time to cry out before it was dead!

Vorderger smiled as he landed lightly on the ground, agile as a monkey. With the strength of a ground knight, he kicked off the trunk of a tree, leaving a small crater, and leaped twenty meters into the air, catching the falling Darkfeather Eagle.

"Haha! As expected of Lord Rhett. Such exquisite spellcasting is truly rare. Few could have taken down that eagle so swiftly!" Vorderger walked over, clearly in a good mood.

"You're too kind. Without your archery distracting it, I wouldn't have been able to finish it off so quickly," Rhett replied modestly.