Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Rhett and his team arrived at Fortress No. 1, while Shirin went to Fortress No. 2—odd-numbered fortresses were for male soldiers, and even-numbered ones for female soldiers.

The dormitories in the auxiliary fortresses were four-person rooms, so the men split into two groups—Rhett, Tuck, Ryle, and McCoff shared one room, while Tadel and Kulus joined another dorm with available space nearby.

When not on the battlefield, the living and dining conditions were quite decent. However, once on the battlefield, everything was out of their control.

In the afternoon, Rhett visited Fortress No. 11, hoping to see some of his former comrades. But upon arrival, he found their dormitory empty, likely due to the intense battles, with most of them still on the front lines, carrying out their duties.

He wandered around the area, looking for any changes, but found everything was just as it had been two years ago. The scenery was the same, but many of the soldiers were unfamiliar faces.

Returning to his dormitory with a heavy heart, Rhett began to meditate, preparing to break through his bottleneck.

In his view, with 290 points of Destiny Value, and considering the battlefield gains to come, as well as Talyas' contributions from executing orcs, there was a high chance that he could break through to a fifth-level Archmage.

Once he achieved that breakthrough, whether on the battlefield or back home, his power and influence would greatly increase, granting him a significant position of authority.

Thus, he couldn't waste a single moment, and he fully immersed himself in meditation.

As the moon rose in the western sky, Rhett suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the door.

A few seconds later, there was a knock, followed by a voice from outside: "Lord Rhett, I heard from Lord Anbiru that you were staying here, so I came to visit."

The voice was unfamiliar, and Rhett was certain he hadn't heard it before. Still, he opened the door and was greeted by a rather peculiar sight.

The visitor was dressed in a noble's attire, looking quite elegant, with a round hat perched on his head. It was clear he had just arrived from the rear.

However, what immediately caught Rhett's attention was the emblem on the man's chest—four white fan blades forming a windmill, the unmistakable mark of Windmill Town. A cold glint flashed in Rhett's eyes.

"Lord Rhett, we've never met, but I've long heard of your reputation. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Viscount Gaspar, the lord of Windmill Town." Gaspar, with his green curly hair, stood at the door and lightly bowed.

"Hmm." Rhett recalled their past encounters, raised an eyebrow, and asked directly, "So, Viscount Gaspar, which unit have you been assigned to?"

"I've been appointed as the leader of the third squad under Commander Snowe," Gaspar quickly responded, seemingly noticing Rhett's cold attitude. With an apologetic expression, he continued, "Lord Rhett, I believe there might be some misunderstandings between us. I've heard that my son may have offended you in the past, and that's due to my failure in raising him properly. For that, I sincerely apologize and am willing to offer adequate compensation."

Before Rhett could respond, Gaspar reached into a brown leather pouch at his waist and took out three bottles of Moonlight Potion.

"These three potions are a small token of my apology. Please accept them, Lord Rhett," Gaspar said with a slight bow, lowering his posture.

After a moment's thought, Rhett narrowed his eyes and took the three potions without hesitation, then said slowly, "Very well… I believe that the previous incidents were indeed misunderstandings. After all, someone as wise as Viscount Gaspar wouldn't do something foolish, right?"

"You are absolutely right, Lord Rhett!" Gaspar replied with a smile, seemingly unfazed by the sarcasm in Rhett's words.

Rhett nodded slightly, his expression calm, though he inwardly scoffed at Gaspar's hollow words. At this point, whether or not he believed the man was irrelevant. Gaspar would soon meet his fate on the battlefield, so there was no need to dwell on the matter.

However, it would be a shame to let him off so easily now. Rhett thought it wise to seize this opportunity to gain more benefits. After all, once Gaspar was dead, there would be nothing left to take.

With that in mind, he said meaningfully, "But… three potions may not be enough to resolve our misunderstanding. Viscount Gaspar, are you familiar with someone named 'Zoran'?"

Gaspar's heart sank upon hearing the name. He hadn't expected Rhett to know about this as well. Facing Rhett's cold gaze, Gaspar sighed inwardly but outwardly feigned confusion. "Zoran? I've never heard of him. Who might this person be?"

"Hmph! He's a spy your Windmill Town planted in my territory, and he stole valuable items," Rhett said, his tone turning colder as he continued. "If you truly wish to clear up this misunderstanding, add five more bottles of Moonlight Potion, and we'll consider it settled."

"Five… five more bottles?" Gaspar's face twitched in pain.

"That's right. Whether you agree or not, I won't force you," Rhett replied casually. "But everyone must pay for their mistakes—no exceptions. Don't regret your decision if something unfortunate happens later…"

Knowing Gaspar wouldn't live long, Rhett made no effort to mince words, even unleashing his mental pressure to intimidate the man.

Suddenly, an invisible force surrounded Viscount Gaspar from all directions.

Feeling the pressure around him and recalling the rumors of Rhett's terrifying power, Gaspar forced a smile. "Of course, an apology is only right."

After rummaging through his leather pouch and searching his coat, Gaspar finally produced five more bottles of Moonlight Potion, reluctantly handing them over to Rhett.

Only after receiving the potions did Rhett nod in satisfaction. Glancing around and noticing that Gaspar was alone, he asked, "Your son, Dusty, didn't come to enlist this time?"

"Unfortunately, Dusty happened to be traveling and won't be back for a few months, so he missed this opportunity," Gaspar replied with a regretful shake of his head.

"Hmm, that's a shame—he missed a great chance to earn some merits," Rhett said, though inwardly, he sighed: "So I can't wipe them all out…"

After a brief exchange, Gaspar excused himself, citing his duties, and Rhett didn't stop him. He returned to his room and tossed the eight bottles of Moonlight Potion to Ryle.

"Father, it's surprising that Viscount Gaspar came to apologize. I didn't expect that," Ryle said, opening his eyes.

"Heh, neither did I, but there's no harm in accepting benefits," Rhett replied with a shrug, seemingly indifferent.

"So… are you planning to let him off?" Ryle asked, his eyes following his father's movements.

Rhett glanced at Ryle from the bedside, but instead of answering, he smiled meaningfully.

Seeing that smile, Ryle blinked, as if understanding something, then closed his eyes and resumed meditating.

Two days later, with soldiers returning from front-line missions and more nobles arriving from the southwestern border, Rhett's squad was finally complete.

The hundred men were divided into ten squads, each with ten members.

In addition to the soldiers already stationed there, some old acquaintances from the rear also joined Rhett's ranks.

Among them were in-laws—Gair from Dam Town and Roy from Maple Forest Town—who brought their forces with them, totaling twenty men, all assigned to Rhett's command.

As the deputy commander of the canyon defense line, Anbiru had twenty detachments under his command, primarily focused on guerrilla, patrol, and assassination missions, as well as reconnaissance.

The main army, which included units like heavy cavalry and heavily armored axemen, was under the direct command of the overall commander, who focused on the main battlefield.

Anbiru's forces, on the other hand, specialized in flanking maneuvers, harassment, and intelligence gathering. They functioned as elite troops with a specific purpose.

As the autumn sun set like blood in the western sky, cold winds began to sweep across the canyon defense line.

Rhett stood ready with his hundred soldiers in an open field, having received word that a mission would be assigned that night.

Among the hundred men, aside from Rhett and McCoff, there were also two other third-level mages—one specializing in fire magic and the other in light magic.

Mages were scarce in the military compared to knights, making them even more valuable.

While it was nearly impossible to equip every detachment with a full range of mages, Rhett was content with the diversity his squad had—earth, wind, fire, light, and Ryle's second-level water magic. This gave them a versatile set of tactics.

Light magic, in particular, was invaluable on the battlefield, with its healing capabilities. Though it consumed a great deal of mental energy and couldn't be used frequently, its rapid effects were far superior to potions. In small-scale battles, a few well-timed healing spells could make all the difference.

At that moment, Gair and Roy stood among the ranks, not far behind Rhett, both feeling a mix of emotions. They had met the day before and were still processing the fact that Rhett was now a fourth-level Archmage and their direct superior.

They had thought reaching third-level as mages was an impressive achievement. But meeting Rhett again on the canyon defense line had been a shocking experience.

However, after some reflection, they realized that having a powerful in-law was far better than having a powerful enemy.

Understanding their limitations, they knew that surpassing the rank of Earth Knight was almost impossible for them.

So, they accepted their fate—effort doesn't always lead to success, but not trying certainly makes life easier.

In their eyes, having a strong connection like Rhett was already a significant advantage.

With this relationship, even if Rhett couldn't openly favor them, as long as it was within the rules, he could subtly assign them to less dangerous missions. Why not?

About two hours later, Rhett remained calm, keeping his soldiers in a state of readiness.

The sun had long since set, and the moon had risen, stars twinkling overhead. The night sky draped over the canyon defense line, with Rhett's gaze tracing the faint outlines of two towering peaks—Golden Peak and Crow Peak.

These were the tallest and most massive mountains in the canyon, visible to both the orcs and the human forces from a distance.

Just then, a figure in red armor approached across the white stone field, handing Rhett a small note and speaking in a low voice: "Your mission for tonight is written on this. You don't need to fight to the death—preserve your forces while eliminating as many orcs of royal blood as possible!"

Before Rhett could read the note, he acknowledged the order with a salute. "Understood, sir!"

"Good, speed is of the essence. Move out now!"

"Yes, sir!"

In war, efficiency was paramount, and there was no time for unnecessary words. After receiving the order, Rhett turned to his men and commanded, "Everyone, head northwest to Area 5. Full assault!"

Heavy footsteps echoed in unison, like a drumbeat on the dark earth.

The group marched toward the location Rhett had indicated—Area 5, which was military code for a place known as Whiteflower Meadow, near a small hill about 200 meters high.

On the battlefield, codes, passwords, and secret phrases were numerous and ever-changing.

This time, Whiteflower Meadow was labeled Area 5. Next time, the designations might be entirely different.

Or the numbers might shift by 1 or 2, or even be replaced by names of magic plants, minerals, or beasts.

To prevent traitors from leaking information, a different code might be used during the mission or at a critical moment.

For example, after an hour of marching, Rhett led his men to the small hill 200 meters east of Whiteflower Meadow. He raised his right hand, clenched into a fist.

The team immediately stopped in unison.

"I now declare that the code has changed—numbers increase by 1, and we'll adopt the name of any flying magical beast."

"Next location: Third-level Firefeather Eagle (formerly known as Area 2)."

In the canyon defense line, all soldiers underwent specialized training to learn these code-switching rules.

Rhett was well-versed in them.

Some nobles from the rear, like Gair and Roy, had less experience and had been cramming to catch up over the past two days.

Upon hearing the new orders, the soldiers quickly adjusted their path, heading west.

As the evening deepened and mist began to envelop the meadow behind them, Rhett stood at the foot of the hill, watching the peak pierce the moon, casting shadows over the soldiers' faces.