Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Joria's eyes flashed with a trace of pain as she muttered under her breath, "Lucky month? Tch, just a lame excuse…"

Although she couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility of extraordinary luck, being born into a count's family and learning the ways of business from a young age, Joria had seen enough of the darker sides of life to feel that winning the grand prize two years in a row was far too suspicious.

"Could it be that someone in my inner circle is a traitor?" The thought suddenly crossed her mind, causing her to tense up. Clenching her fists, she silently vowed, "It seems I need to start an investigation as soon as I return… Is it Perez? Or Aval? Or maybe Monk…"

Taking a deep breath, Joria began to formulate a plan to investigate the possible suspects.

After leaving the Adventurer's Cave, Rhett met up with Tuck and Kurs, who were waiting by the entrance.

"Father, you've missed out on good prizes twice before. How did it go this time?" Tuck asked, not expecting much but still curious.

Tadel and Kurs shared a similar curiosity, though they didn't hold much hope. They figured Rhett was just having some fun. After all, winning the grand prize even once was a significant achievement. A second time? That seemed impossible.

Facing their curious gazes, Rhett cleared his throat. "Ahem, just like last year, nothing too special. Let's get out of here."

Rhett knew that winning the grand prize two years in a row was indeed suspicious. But so what? Now that he had reached the level of a tier-four Archmage, his power rivaled that of Count Nilo. All he needed was a battlefield achievement to fully match or even surpass him. With such confidence, he no longer feared being targeted.

Besides, even if someone suspected him, what could they do? He had followed all the rules and procedures. Rhett doubted that Joria or Count Nilo would take any action against him over something like this.

Tuck, Tadel, and Kurs exchanged shocked glances, their expressions revealing disbelief.

"Father, did you really win another seven—" Tuck's loud voice began to boom, but Rhett quickly turned and clamped a hand over his mouth, a vein throbbing on his forehead as he said through gritted teeth, "Keep quiet!"

"Mmmph…" Tuck mumbled through Rhett's hand. Realizing that shouting about such a thing on the street wasn't wise, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and followed his father in silence.

The group soon arrived at the Dalton Chamber of Commerce.

Carlton, the bald-headed manager, was leisurely pacing the hall when he spotted Rhett and his party entering. His eyes lit up as he quickly approached them.

"Sir Rhett, long time no see! What can I help you with today?" Carlton greeted warmly.

Seeing the familiar scene, Rhett couldn't help but smile. This time, he wouldn't be robbing the man. Instead, he used a different approach from the simulation.

"Shall we talk in private?" Rhett suggested.

"No problem at all," Carlton replied calmly, gesturing toward a quiet room on the second floor. "This way, please, Sir Rhett."

They entered the same room where they had previously discussed the aquatic monster trade.

"I remember you liked this tea last time, so I had some more brought in from the Blue Mountain territory," Carlton said, pouring hot water into a purple teapot and then serving them both.

"Sip. The same taste as before—quite good," Rhett remarked after taking a sip and placing his cup back on the table.

Carlton straightened up, sensing that Rhett was about to discuss business.

Rhett then took out a tier-seven wind elemental magic crystal from his pocket, which immediately caught Carlton's eye. He stared in shock and murmured, "This… such concentrated wind energy could only come from a high-level wind elemental beast. It must be a tier-seven magic crystal!"

"Sharp eyes, Mr. Carlton!" Rhett praised.

"Sir Rhett, are you planning to sell this crystal?" Carlton's keen business instincts kicked in, sensing an opportunity.

"That's right," Rhett replied with a slight smile, placing the crystal on the table. "Besides selling this crystal, I also want to buy some Aurora Potions."

Aurora Potions? Those were mental power potions meant for Archmages!

Carlton paused for a moment before regaining his composure. "Of course, Sir Rhett. How many bottles would you like?"

After a brief moment of thought, Rhett said, "Twenty-three bottles should do. I also have some other goods to sell, which are outside the shop. That should cover the cost of the potions."

"No problem at all! I'll fetch the Aurora Potions right away and have someone check the goods," Carlton agreed enthusiastically, slapping his chest in good spirits.

Soon, Rhett had Tuck bring in the goods.

When seven heavy sacks were placed before Carlton, his eyes widened in surprise. As he opened the bags and saw the contents, his pupils contracted further.

"Tier-four wind elemental crystal, tier-four fire elemental crystal, tier-four earth elemental crystal…" Carlton muttered, amazed as he continued inspecting the other bags. Inside, he found hundreds of lower-tier magic crystals.

Taking a deep breath, Carlton, as the head of the chamber of commerce, had seen larger transactions than this. However, his surprise stemmed from the sheer number of magical beasts Rhett must have hunted.

"Could it be from the Dark Marked Eagle's branch range? But deep within that area, tier-four magical beasts are abundant. How could a tier-three mage handle that? Even a tier-four Archmage would need to tread carefully…"

Carlton's mind raced with thoughts, but he reminded himself of his role as a merchant, not a spy. What was the point of overthinking things?

As a seasoned businessman, Carlton knew that maintaining customer relationships was far more important than prying into their personal affairs. Digging too deep could easily offend clients. With that in mind, Carlton composed himself and efficiently calculated the value of the magic crystals and magical beast materials.

Within half an hour, Carlton stood up and announced, "Sir Rhett, the total value has been calculated. The market price for tier-one crystals is 5 gold coins, tier-two crystals are 10 gold coins, tier-three crystals are 20 gold coins, and tier-four crystals are 100 gold coins each. You have brought 356 tier-one crystals, 107 tier-two crystals, 11 tier-three crystals, and 5 tier-four crystals. However, market purchase prices are usually discounted by 30%, bringing the total value to around 2,629 gold coins.

As for the magical beast materials, they are worth slightly less than the crystals, but we're willing to offer 1,000 gold coins for them. Adding in the tier-seven wind elemental crystal, the total comes to 5,629 gold coins. How does that sound, Sir Rhett?"

"I trust your honesty, Mr. Carlton," Rhett replied with a smile, pointing to the goods. "In that case, deduct the cost of the Aurora Potions and the Sand Wolf magic book from this amount."

"The Sand Wolf magic book?" Carlton's tone rose slightly in surprise. Rhett was asking for the Sand Wolf magic book as well! A sudden realization hit Carlton like a bolt of lightning. Coupled with recent events, he began to suspect something incredible, causing his breath to quicken slightly. But he quickly suppressed his emotions, smiling even more broadly as he said, "Please wait a moment. I'll have it fetched right away!"

After concluding the transaction, Rhett left the Dalton Chamber of Commerce, with Carlton wearing a broad smile on his face. His enthusiasm was now tinged with a hint of flattery.

Though they hadn't explicitly discussed it, Rhett was fully aware. "Carlton, being the head of the Dalton Chamber of Commerce, isn't slow on the uptake. He must have figured out that I've advanced to Archmage."

He wasn't concerned about the information leaking. After all, it was only six months until he would head to the canyon frontlines. He was aiming for the title of count, so there was no need to hide anymore.

However, to be safe, Rhett decided to run a simulation to check for any changes in the future.

With that thought, he activated the system.

[Would you like to start a text-based simulation? Each simulation costs 5 Destiny Points per year.]

"Yes."

[Year 474 of the Kingdom Calendar, December 11th: You arrived in Twilight City and won the grand prize in the Adventurer's Cave, raising Joria's suspicions. Later, you purchased the "Sand Wolf's Roar" magic book and twenty-three bottles of Aurora Potions. In the evening, Karen found you and invited you to her home, but you coldly refused. She persisted, but you remained firm, and she left in frustration.]

[December 12th: An old friend, McCoffe, found you at your inn. After reminiscing over drinks, you invited him to join your territory, and he agreed.]

[December 20th: As usual, you used fire essence to incubate a magical beast egg, causing quite a stir. After patiently waiting, a young Fire Feathered Eagle hatched and saw your kind face as the first thing it beheld.]

[December 23rd: You heard that Joria discovered that one of her knights was a spy for the Kinnon family. Count Nilo was furious and planned to confront the Kinnons.]

[December 25th: Two homeless tier-one knights came to pledge their loyalty to you.]

[December 28th: After a long plateau, Tadel found a breakthrough opportunity and advanced to tier-two knight that same day.]

[Year 475 of the Kingdom Calendar, June 11th: News from the frontlines indicated that the war at the canyon frontlines had escalated, and reinforcements were urgently needed. The entire southwestern border was placed on high alert. By law, all nobles were required to lead their forces to the battlefield, and you were no exception.]

[July 15th: You, along with Tuck, Relais, Henk, Shireen, and McCoffe, arrived at the familiar canyon frontlines. Your exceptional abilities were noticed by Deputy Commander Ambiru, who appointed you as a temporary squad leader in charge of over a hundred troops.]

[July 18th: That night, Ambiru assigned you a critical mission—an ambush on the enemy's royal-blooded beasts. After a tough battle, you successfully wiped out a small orc squad that included twenty-three Blood Moon Werewolves and Phantom Poison Snakemen.]

[July 26th: You heard that Baron Gaspar of Windmill Town managed to eliminate three Blood Moon Werewolves during a reconnaissance mission and gained significant merit.]

[July 27th: After a long plateau, Frano found a breakthrough opportunity and advanced to tier-two knight that same day.]

[August 3rd: You privately informed Deputy Commander Ambiru that you suspected Baron Gaspar of colluding with the orcs and that there would be a secret operation that night. Sure enough, you noticed suspicious activity and followed Baron Gaspar. Midway through, two tier-five Night Catmen ambushed him, but Ambiru, who had hidden forces nearby, quickly captured them.]

[August 4th: Deputy Commander Ambiru praised you for your outstanding contribution, promising generous rewards once the war ended. He also mentioned that they had extracted some intel from Baron Gaspar and the Night Catmen. It seemed there was internal conflict between the Phantom Poison Snakemen and the Blood Moon Werewolves, leading to a contest between two powerful figures.]

[August 5th: Clirina safely gave birth to a boy and a girl, adding two new members to the family—a joyous occasion!]

[August 7th: While leading a patrol, you encountered a small orc force near the Blood River. Thanks to your foresight, you had a team lying in ambush. Through your 'strategy,' you achieved a decisive victory, annihilating three Blood Moon Werewolves and thirty orcs.]

[August 15th: Late at night, you received intelligence that the frontline positions were being heavily attacked by a large orc force. Leading a hundred men, you followed Deputy Commander Ambiru in a flanking maneuver from the east. After a fierce battle, you killed a dozen orcs and a tier-three Blood Moon Werewolf but suffered a deep claw wound to the abdomen from a tier-four Blood Moon Werewolf, though it was not life-threatening.]

[August 19th: Laurene became pregnant.]

[August 24th: Mina safely gave birth to a boy, adding another new member to the family—a joyous occasion!]

[August 27th: Late at night, you joined the main force in launching an assault on the orc positions.]

[August 30th: After three days and nights of relentless fighting, the cruel battlefield claimed Relais and McCoffe. Though your body bore many scars, your vast experience allowed you to survive.]

[September 5th: Overcome with grief from losing your son, you heard that Deputy Commander Ambiru was planning a raid on the orc patrols. You volunteered to join. That night, the raid succeeded, and you personally killed two tier-three Phantom Poison Snakemen.]

[October 3rd: In nearly two months of war, you had killed over twenty royal-blooded orcs. Your reputation among the orcs at the canyon frontlines grew.]

[October 17th: During a routine patrol, you were ambushed by an orc force, including ten Blood Moon Werewolves who relentlessly pursued you! Fortunately, you had prepared in advance, and with the help of nearby squads, you managed to annihilate the orc force.]

[October 26th: Younica advanced to Apprentice Mage.]

[November 11th: The orc royal bloodlines seemed to retreat like the tide, significantly easing the pressure on the warfront. You sensed that the battle might be coming to an end.]

[November 13th: Chief Commander Avalon announced a significant victory after repelling the royal-blooded orcs. That night, a grand celebration was held, and you were richly rewarded for your contributions. Avalon mentioned that your merits were more than sufficient for your promotion to Earl!]

[November 17th: Rien advanced to Apprentice Knight.]

[December 9th: Upon returning to your territory, you learned shocking news. A new type of poison developed by the Cold Stream Frontline rendered Dragonmen infertile. As a result, large-scale battles erupted in the Cold Stream region starting in October, even forcing a Saint-level Dragonman to take action!]