Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Rhett opened the system.

"Shall we start the text simulation? Each simulation consumes 5 Fate Points."

"Yes, simulate one year."

Simulation Report:

473 Year, December 7th: You recruited two first-level knights. On your way back, an unusual phenomenon occurred, and Riley's presence attracted the Snow Sprite, which had just condensed. Congratulations!

December 9th: On the journey to Dam Town, Riley and the trade caravan encountered a late-stage first-level Flame Lion, which they defeated.

December 11th: After completing transactions in Dam Town, a woman named Krina seemed to take a liking to Riley and gave him a gift. Riley politely invited her to visit sometime, and she agreed to come in February of the following year.

December 20th: Riley successfully exchanged water-based magic plant seeds in Twilight City.

December 21st: After leaving Twilight City, the trade caravan was ambushed by bandits. Tack fell into a coma, while Riley and Curls were injured. Apprentice knights Miguel and Trull were killed.

December 30th: The trade caravan returned. After an inspection, Riley and Curls recovered, but Tack lost his battle aura and became a cripple, leading to a deep depression.

474 Year, January 3rd: A second-level Ironhorn Ram and a second-level Flame Hound fought near Sun Lake on the western side of your territory. Both were severely injured, and you managed to claim the spoils as a bystander.

January 8th: A traveling merchant visited your territory, and you purchased some healing potions from him.

January 15th: News of your recovery spread through the trade caravan. A man named Roy from Maplewood Town visited you and offered a Red Maple Potion. He also proposed a marriage alliance, which you declined.

July 12th: You were ambushed by an unknown knight, but you defeated him and forced him to flee.

August 9th: A third-level Thunder Armor Bear invaded your territory. Although you had prepared in advance and evacuated your people, your territory suffered devastating damage.

August 15th: A malevolent alchemist passed through your territory. Despite your third-level magic, you couldn't resist and were gravely wounded. You tried to escape but were ultimately killed by a Shadow Bolt.

Another death!

Rhett sighed and furrowed his brows deeply.

He wasn't surprised by the fact that he hadn't reached the third level in the simulation. After all, the simulation treated him as an ordinary person, with no consideration of the simulator's existence.

If the simulator itself were factored into the simulation, it could lead to an infinite regression of simulations within simulations…

Thus, Rhett couldn't use Real Simulation to accelerate his magic training by enhancing his mental strength.

He was now fully aware that Text Simulation was merely an auxiliary tool, meant to capture potential future scenarios and broaden his foresight.

But this time, the simulation's outcome was particularly dire.

Not only did Tack become crippled, but Riley and others also suffered severe losses. Two of his apprentice knights died, and his small force was further diminished.

Additionally, his territory was ravaged by the Thunder Armor Bear, and he himself was later killed by a mysterious third-level mage, whose sudden appearance was particularly eerie.

Without any clues, investigating this mage's identity would be impossible.

"I need to adjust my strategy…" Rhett murmured as he stared into the lamplight, his eyes deep with thought.

The Next Morning:

After breakfast, Rhett left the castle and made his way to the estate, walking along the hard stone paths and listening to the cold winter wind as he headed toward the knights' training grounds.

Rhett didn't rush to find Riley to discuss the trade caravan's journey. He decided to wait until tomorrow to see who exactly would be included in the caravan and how strong their force would be under normal circumstances.

As he approached the training grounds, Rhett saw a dozen or so figures moving around.

Due to his instructions the previous night, the knight guard had already gathered under Curls' leadership, engaging in warm-up exercises. These included light jogging, weighted training, and stretching.

Rhett observed for a while and noticed that today's routine also included swordsmanship drills, block training, and small-scale maneuvers. Though not particularly advanced, they were practical techniques honed from rich combat experience.

He couldn't help but appreciate it. No wonder these veteran mercenaries had such solid combat techniques—it was far more effective than Tack's teaching methods.

After a while, Rhett heard Curls shouting commands, and the apprentice knights gathered and began running in different directions, sometimes swinging their swords, sometimes blocking with their shields, and occasionally colliding with each other.

"They seem to be practicing a battle formation… though it's quite basic compared to formal military training, it's more fluid and adaptable," Rhett commented as he watched.

Although he wasn't a knight and had never participated in battle formation drills, his years of military service had given him enough knowledge to recognize the value of what Curls was teaching.

However, after observing for a while, Rhett realized a problem—the estate's grounds seemed too small.

In the past, due to the limited number of knights in the territory, no outer courtyard had been built, and the training ground was set within the castle's inner courtyard, which is now the estate.

In reality, it would be more reasonable to designate the knights' training ground in the outer courtyard.

After all, knight training wasn't just about lifting weights like in a gym. It required constant running, combat drills, and practicing battle techniques.

Having ample space was crucial, or else it could lead to damage to the estate's buildings or accidental injuries to servants.

Suddenly, from a distance, Curls led a group of apprentice knights to another area, seemingly moving to a different training location. This left Tardell sitting on the edge of the training ground.

Rhett waved at Tardell, who had been idly sitting by and had noticed Rhett's presence. Tardell quickly got up and jogged over, his arm still bandaged and in a sling around his neck.

"Good morning, my lord," Tardell greeted.

Rhett nodded in acknowledgment. "You're up early; how did you sleep last night? Was it comfortable?"

"Ha! Of course, it was comfortable. After experiencing so many harsh environments, sometimes even sleeping in foul places to avoid danger, sleeping in your castle was a luxury. And serving you, my lord, is my duty—there's no hardship in it," Tardell replied earnestly, quickly settling into his new role.

"How's your injury? How are you feeling now?" Rhett asked, shifting the topic.

Tardell moved his injured arm slightly and raised an eyebrow. "It's much better, thanks to the potion you entrusted to the butler. After just one night, the pain has mostly subsided. I think I'll be fully healed within a week."

"That's to be expected. It's a solid military-grade potion, highly valued on the front lines. I hope your recovery goes smoothly. And I've noticed that you're looking much better than yesterday.

The reason I called you over is that I'm considering building an outer courtyard nearby, mainly as a training ground for the knights. What do you think?"

"My lord, your sharp observation comes from your experience on the front lines," Tardell praised with a brightened expression, flattering Rhett without missing a beat. "The current space is indeed limited and restricts our training. Building an outer courtyard would certainly meet our needs. I think your decision is excellent!"

Tardell raised his thumb in approval, eager to make a good impression on his new lord, even over a seemingly small matter.