Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Firecrest's weak gaze brightened with a touch of color as it lifted its head and began pecking at the leaves like a chick, quickly swallowing them down.

Gaining some strength, Firecrest flapped its wings twice and stood up.

It let out a low chirp: "Chirp!" (I want more)

"I'm all out, but we've got plenty at home!" Rhett smiled, gently stroking Firecrest's feathers.

"Chirp!" (Okay!)

With a push of its legs, Firecrest spread its four-meter-long wings and flew over Rhett's head. Seeing this, Rhett thought to himself, "Now that Firecrest has grown, it can probably carry more people in addition to me."

However, Firecrest was still too weak after its breakthrough, and Rhett didn't want to rush into experiencing flight at this level just yet.

After returning home, Rhett went to find Henk and grabbed a large handful of Three-leaf Spark petals from the alchemy lab. He fed them to Firecrest until it was full.

With nothing pressing to do, Rhett returned to his room and resumed his meditation.

Five days later.

On the plains a few hundred meters away from Sunlake, Rhett practiced Earthshatter and Sandwolf's Roar repeatedly. He had already mastered the other earth-element spells, but he felt there was still room for improvement with these two.

On the grassy plain, three sand wolves, their bodies glowing with a yellowish hue, clashed and grappled with each other. Their massive paws, formed from condensed sand, moved like yellow blurs. Even when injured, the shifting sands quickly healed them.

They fought fiercely, claws slashing and fangs biting, while the ground trembled with a rumbling noise, and the space around them distorted. The yellowish aura around them flickered in and out of existence.

The terrifying vibrations from Earthshatter caused the aquatic creatures in Sunlake to tremble with fear, diving to the bottom and not daring to surface.

This intense training continued for over an hour.

Feeling his mental energy nearly depleted, with only about 20% remaining, Rhett finally paused his magic practice. He sat on the grass, closed his eyes, and began meditating.

But he hadn't been meditating long when a long, piercing cry echoed from the sky.

A brilliant red figure streaked across the sky like a meteor, heading straight for Rhett.

"Chirp!" (Someone's here to see you!)

Firecrest descended from the sky, accompanied by a gentle breeze that spread in all directions. It landed beside Rhett, affectionately rubbing its neck against his cheek.

The warm, soft sensation traveled through Rhett's nerves, making him feel incredibly comfortable. He couldn't help but smile.

He hadn't forgotten today's date—December 15th—the day the bard and his friends from the Eastern Blue Coast were set to visit him.

Yes, they had finally arrived.

"Let's go. Take me to meet our guests from the distant Eastern Blue Coast," Rhett said as he climbed onto Firecrest's back, his expression becoming calm and composed.

Firecrest joyfully flew around Sunlake a few times before heading toward Hawk Town.

In front of the gates of Deeprock Fortress:

"Was that just a flying magical beast, a Firewing Eagle? It seems your lord has tamed a flying beast—how impressive!" A middle-aged man in a blue cloak, with a hood over his head, spoke with awe in his eyes.

"That's right," Sveta replied with a proud smile, dressed in a thick fur coat. "That's the lord's flying magical pet. With it delivering messages, it won't be long before the lord arrives."

Haviel, holding a lute and carrying a traveler's backpack, looked even more reverent than during his last visit. The reason was simple: on their journey here, the bard, with his keen sense for news, had once again caught wind that Hawk Town's lord, Rhett, had advanced to the rank of Fifth-Level Archmage at the Gorge Frontline and was about to be promoted to a count!

A Fifth-Level Archmage might not be the strongest in the entire Kingdom of Kinlon, but in the Southwest Borderlands, it certainly made Rhett a lord who could dominate the region!

Haviel had even seriously considered joining this territory himself. However, after much deliberation, his desire for travel and absolute freedom led him to abandon the idea.

The two of them waited quietly at the gate.

A few minutes later, a small black dot appeared in the distance.

It quickly grew into the shape of a large, fiery red bird diving from the sky. Both men tensed, their expressions shifting slightly. It wasn't the Firewing Eagle that intimidated them, but the faint pressure emanating from the giant bird's back that made their breathing slow.

As the turbulent wind blew from above, Sveta had to hold down his soft fur hat to keep it from being blown away. Seeing this amusing scene, Laurence couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Sveta felt a flash of annoyance, embarrassed by his slip-up in such a setting. He glared at Laurence, but held back from reprimanding him, knowing that the young man was known as a training prodigy and might become the lord's valuable asset in the future.

Just then, Rhett leaped down from Firecrest, landing smoothly as his calm voice rang out.

"Laurence, if something is so funny, why don't you share it with the rest of us?"

Oh no... Laurence's smile quickly faded, his eyes flashing with tension as he bowed slightly and said, "I'm sorry, Lord Rhett. I shouldn't have laughed at Mr. Sveta."

"Knowing your mistake and correcting it is a great virtue. For tonight's dinner, you'll have only black bread."

"Understood, Lord Rhett!" Laurence replied, dejected.

Sveta was touched, his fingers trembling slightly as he clasped his hands together.

After a final glance at Laurence, Rhett turned his attention to Haviel and the middle-aged man in the blue cloak standing beside him.

"My two esteemed guests from afar, thank you for your patience," Rhett said with a faint smile. "I've long been fascinated by the secrets of the deep sea, and today, I'm finally able to meet you."

"My apologies, honorable Lord of Hawk Town, for keeping you waiting for months," Haviel said, shaking his head. "The journey was long, and we traveled without rest."

"No worries. The secrets of history will always be there—they never disappear, do they?" Rhett replied with a calm smile.

"Indeed, my lord! The future may change, but history remains constant!" The middle-aged man in the blue cloak's eyes lit up with admiration.

"Come, you must be weary from your travels. Please, come inside and rest," Rhett said as he turned and led the way to Deeprock Fortress.

Inside the castle, under Sveta's careful arrangements, maids dressed in black-and-white uniforms brought out desserts, pastries, and drinks.

After some brief pleasantries, Rhett got straight to the point: "Mr. Gade, I heard from Haviel that you possess vast knowledge of the seas and their mysteries. I've always been intrigued by the legends of the Deep Sea Fishmen. Do you happen to know much about them?"

"Vast knowledge is an overstatement," Gade replied humbly, not daring to boast in front of a Fifth-Level Archmage, though his eyes still held a glimmer of confidence. "My family has lived by the sea for generations, and we've maintained a tradition of recording maritime secrets and curiosities."

"Then I look forward to hearing your stories. Your reward will surely be satisfactory."

Gade adjusted his posture in his chair and began, "The earliest records of the Fishman Kingdom in my family's collection date back to my fifth-generation ancestor—about eight hundred years ago. At that time, he was just a fisherman on the coast. In his diary, he recorded hearing from other fishermen about sightings of Deep Sea Fishmen. These creatures had pale blue scales on their upper bodies and pitch-black lower bodies, resembling humans, and could walk on land just like us."

"But these records are brief. In the notes left by my sixth- and seventh-generation ancestors, there are slightly more detailed accounts. They wrote that the Fishman Kingdom was once a powerful empire that ruled the entire ocean in ancient times. Back then, the Eastern Blue Coast—oh, it wasn't called that at the time, as the Kingdom of Kinlon didn't exist yet. It was known as the East Coast, and the sea beyond it was entirely dominated by the Fishmen! However, for some unknown reason, the Fishmen disappeared overnight, as if their vast ocean empire had collapsed. Since then, no one on the East Coast or even in the distant seas has heard any news of the Fishmen."

Gade shook his head, sighing. "When I was young, I found the Fishman legends fascinating. But then they just vanished, like a story left unfinished."

Rhett nodded thoughtfully. The tale was captivating, and he committed it to memory, though its authenticity was uncertain. For now, he no longer expected to uncover more about the Fishmen or the rainbow shell from this man.

Instead, he had another idea and asked, "What about the legends of spirits? Do you or your ancestors know anything about them?"

"Spirits?" Gade paused, searching his memory. After a moment, he slowly replied, "Hmm, I think I came across something in the journal of my eighth-generation ancestor."

"Oh? Really?" Rhett's eyes lit up with interest, eager to hear more.

"My eighth-generation ancestor was fortunate enough to awaken as a knight. During one of his expeditions overseas with a fleet, they encountered a massive tsunami. In the midst of endless darkness, amidst the thunder and torrential rain, lightning split the sky, and a towering wave rose from the ocean's depths, creating a curtain that reached the heavens. In the center of this wave, a terrifying face appeared, resembling that of a demon. The wave crashed down, and my ancestor lost consciousness. When he awoke, he found himself stranded on a small, deserted island, having narrowly escaped death."

"Oh? Did your ancestor claim that a spirit saved them?" Rhett asked curiously.

"It was my ancestor's friend who ended up on the same island. This friend was a water mage and a learned man. He speculated that the terrifying face in the waves might have been a Sea Spirit..." Gade shrugged.

As Rhett contemplated the vivid description, his mind filled with various thoughts.

"Wait!" Gade suddenly slapped his thigh. "I remember now—that wasn't from a journal. It was from a storybook my ancestor wrote! Though it seemed real, it was just a way to enhance the story's realism and immersion. That book was actually a collection of adventure tales used as bedtime stories for the family's children. My ancestor was a renowned novelist in his day, skilled at crafting stories."

Well...

Rhett's curiosity was instantly doused. So, it was all just fiction.

"But I must say, to weave a story that well shows a high level of skill..." Rhett mused, shaking his head. He then asked himself, "Do Sea Spirits even exist? And if they do, why couldn't it be a Water Spirit instead?"

"Let's leave the topic of spirits for now. By the way, ever since I was young, I've had a dream of becoming a pirate king, though it's now quite distant from my reality. Still, I'm curious—are there any famous pirates along the Eastern Blue Coast?" Rhett asked with a smile.

"Oh, I never expected a noble Archmage to have such a dream," Gade said in surprise. "Becoming a pirate is a dream for many coastal children. Some even pretend to be pirates and play sailing games."

"But first, my throat is a bit dry. Please allow me to enjoy a glass of chilled beer!"

With that, Gade licked his lips and lifted the pale yellow glass in front of him, gulping down the drink.

"Ah, refreshing!" Gade exclaimed, licking the foam from his lips.

Rhett smiled as he watched him, and once Gade set the glass down, he continued, "As for the Eastern Blue Coast, there are countless pirates, but most are just small-time bandits who only dare to rob fishermen or small merchant caravans. There are some bolder and more powerful ones who target large merchant guilds and even nobles' treasures. However, this often leads to dire consequences, as many are eventually caught by nobles or the navy. Finally, there are the pirate groups with high-level leaders—those might be considered the true pirate lords."

"Do these pirate lords frequently commit heinous acts?"

"Not really. In fact, those pirate lords tend to be more protective of their reputations and rarely openly rob noble ships. At most, they might plunder merchant goods, but they avoid outright conflict with nobles and the royal navy."

"That makes sense," Rhett nodded. High-level leaders wouldn't act like low-level thugs. If they dared to provoke nobles and the navy, they'd become a thorn in the side of the kingdom. And if the kingdom decided to deal with them, sending in a Saint-level warrior would make quick work of the problem.

"How many of these pirate lords are there?" Rhett asked, guessing that there couldn't be too many.

"I know of four," Gade replied. "They are Redo Ferrell, Quentin Monroe, Ogny Martin, and Lothar Stevens."