Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Hearing the powerful roar from the Ice-Spiked Bear, Rhett led the charge forward. Within seconds, he was close to the battlefield.

At that moment, two knights were desperately trying to fend off the Ice-Spiked Bear. One of them had his left arm hanging limply, clearly injured, while the other was in much better condition, with no visible wounds.

The uninjured knight leaped into the air, raising his sword for a heavy strike. But the Ice-Spiked Bear swatted him back to the ground with a single paw, forcing him to retreat several steps.

Roar!

The Ice-Spiked Bear let out a roar even more intense than before, its blood energy mixed in, making it deafening. Tucker and Riley instinctively covered their ears, while the two knights fighting the bear at close range felt a wave of dizziness.

Although the dizziness lasted only a moment, the Ice-Spiked Bear seized the opportunity to advance, swinging its massive paw down as if it wanted to crush everything beneath it.

"Watch out, Kurs! Move quickly!" Tadel shouted as he regained his senses, thrusting his sword forward. A faint flame flickered around the sword's tip, aimed directly at the bear's paw. He also clutched a protective amulet at his waist, prepared to use it if the situation became desperate.

The scent of death lingered in the air.

Kurs, snapping back to reality, found himself facing the massive paw of the bear. Fear gripped him as he raised his arms in a cross to block the incoming attack, though he knew that even if he blocked it, the outcome might be dire.

But there was no time to dodge...

"Rockfall!"

Just as the situation became critical, Rhett, who had just arrived, knew he couldn't stand idly by and immediately intervened. With his mental power rapidly depleting, a massive boulder, a meter wide, fell from the sky with immense force.

Kurs was still shouting to psych himself up, but in an instant, everything changed.

The Ice-Spiked Bear, just as it was about to strike the human before it, was hit squarely by the falling boulder. The timing and speed of the boulder's descent were perfect.

The sound of the bear's skull shattering was unmistakable, and its three-meter-tall body was crushed into a two-meter pile of flesh. Its head, in particular, was completely pulverized.

Narrowly escaping death, Kurs' pupils contracted as he held his breath. He had just witnessed the boulder's devastating power, which had effortlessly killed the Ice-Spiked Bear that he and Tadel had struggled to defeat.

This was the work of at least a second-tier magician!

"We're saved!" Tadel clapped Kurs on the shoulder with a smile, then glanced at the boulder, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

The joy of surviving washed over them, but then they remembered something and turned to look to their left.

Three figures were approaching.

It was Rhett, Tucker, and Riley. Rhett wore a calm smile as he walked toward them, saying, "Good thing we arrived in time. We saw you being attacked just as we got here. The Ice-Spiked Bear has been dealt with. How are your injuries?"

Tadel and Kurs exchanged glances, their expressions serious as they sheathed their swords and approached with respect.

Tadel responded, "We've suffered some minor injuries, but nothing serious. We're grateful for your timely assistance, my lord. Without it, we would have been in grave danger tonight."

With that, Tadel bowed deeply in gratitude, and Kurs quickly followed suit.

"Indeed, thanks to your intervention, my lord, we were able to deal with the Ice-Spiked Bear so easily," Kurs said, scratching his head. "Just a moment ago, I almost died under that bear's paw. If not dead, I'd surely be gravely injured."

Riley's eyes flickered with understanding as he spoke up thoughtfully, "I see you've both been hurt, especially your left arm—it looks quite serious. If you need it, you're welcome to recover in my father's territory. Tonight is rather unusual, and it would be best not to spend the night outside."

"Who knows what other magical beasts might be lurking..." Riley let his words hang, the thought of another encounter sending a shiver through both Tadel and Kurs.

Meanwhile, Riley cast a quick glance at his father, clearly deep in thought.

Unable to resist any longer, Tadel hesitated before asking, "Would that be alright? We're already so grateful for your help, my lord, and we wouldn't want to impose..."

Rhett chuckled softly, showing a restrained warmth. "It's no trouble. I just returned from the front lines and brought back some healing potions that are very effective for treating injuries."

"The new lord of Chuiying Town is a second-tier magician?" Tadel picked up on the hint Rhett had dropped, and his mind began to race.

Kurs had similar thoughts. They had both heard of Chuiying Town but knew it had lacked a resident lord for some time.

In fact, they were mercenaries who had grown tired of the wandering life and were considering settling down in a noble's territory.

They had recently scouted several lands but hadn't found a suitable place to settle.

In some territories, the quota for knights was full, and they didn't want to waste resources on newcomers. In others, the conditions were poor, or the lord was difficult to deal with.

But now, both men had the same thought.

This place could be the one!

A newly promoted noble must need knights to strengthen his forces, and the lord seemed to be a decent person.

Not to mention, he was a magician, with natural advantages over knights of the same rank.

What more did they need to consider?

Tadel nudged Kurs, and the two shared a look of understanding. Years of working together had honed their coordination, and they both dropped to one knee.

Rhett's eyes widened briefly in surprise before he felt a surge of joy.

Their actions made it clear what they were about to do, though he had expected it to take a bit more time and conversation to reach this point.

It seemed that taking the initiative tonight had yielded better results than expected.

In the simulator, the two had decided to join after asking around in the territory. But after tonight's events, it was only natural that the process had sped up.

Both Tadel and Kurs spoke in unison, "For saving our lives, my lord, please allow us to repay you with our loyalty!"

Riley's eyes flashed with an unreadable emotion, while Tucker's reaction was much more exaggerated. "Whoa, this is the first time a first-tier knight has wanted to join our territory. In the past, they barely gave us the time of day. Hehe, all thanks to Father."

Rhett shot Tucker a look, thinking that he couldn't agree too eagerly, or it might seem like he had planned this all along or was too casual in his decision-making.

"We can discuss this further once we're back at the territory. For now, you may rise," Rhett said, pretending to hesitate.

The ground was cold, but Tadel and Kurs remained resolute, keeping their eyes fixed on Rhett.

"My lord, please grant our request. We vow to protect your honor from this day forward."

After some back-and-forth, where Rhett seemed to reluctantly accept their earnest pleas, he finally "reluctantly" agreed to their request.

Thus, on the way back, Rhett gained two new followers, who diligently guarded his sides.

Even though he didn't really need the protection with his own strength, appearances still mattered.