Fantasy Family Simulator

"Two black lotus herbs here?"

Not long after parting ways with Taylors, Tucker made a new discovery. He stood beside a bush, his face full of joy.

"Rylei mentioned that the roots of the black lotus herb are quite fragile. When pulling it out, I need to be careful and loosen the surrounding soil first..." Tucker muttered to himself while cautiously digging around the plant.

Halfway through, the soil had become quite loose. Based on his experience, Tucker judged that it should be safe to pull the herb out now.

However, when he applied a bit of force and lifted it, most of the black lotus herb came out with his hand, but a small section of the root, about the thickness of a finger, remained in the soil.

"Oh no..." Tucker shook his head regretfully. "This black lotus herb is too fragile. With the root broken, the flavor won't be as good."

As a food enthusiast and a true gourmet, Tucker wasn't satisfied, even though his father hadn't demanded the herbs be perfectly intact.

Recalling his handling of the first plant, Tucker resolved to be even more careful next time.

Then, he turned his attention to another black lotus herb about two meters away. Approaching it cautiously, he began loosening the soil again.

After carefully removing the last layer of soil, Tucker finally held the intact black lotus herb in his hands, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Seems like my luck has turned. Finding two black lotus herbs growing together!" Tucker thought, contentedly standing up to search for the remaining herbs. Time was running out, and he needed to complete the task his father had given him.

As he walked about a kilometer further, Tucker spotted his next target.

He was certain that Lady Luck was on his side today.

He hurried over, repeated the process, and successfully harvested the fourth black lotus herb. His motivation surged as he continued his search through the forest.

The golden leaves and sunlight filtering through the bare branches lit up the surroundings.

As Tucker ran through the forest, his view widened, and he noticed a faint footprint on the ground—oddly conspicuous amid the foliage, as if someone had tried to cover it up but made a mistake.

Tucker stopped, leaned in closer, and scrutinized the familiar-looking footprint. Suddenly, he exclaimed softly:

"Isn't this Taylors' footprint? What's it doing here?"

Tucker furrowed his brow in thought, glancing around before continuing his inspection. He noticed traces of disturbed dirt, suggesting an attempt to hide the tracks.

"Did Taylors deliberately cover his tracks? Why would he do that?" Tucker wondered aloud.

Just then, a breeze rustled the nearby bushes, revealing a glimpse of something dark.

Tucker's eyes lit up. "Hmm? A black lotus herb!"

With his sharp vision, Tucker had no trouble spotting the black lotus herb nestled among the dense foliage.

His initial joy quickly turned to suspicion.

Looking from the footprint to the herb, Tucker felt something was amiss.

He continued carefully observing the area but found nothing unusual after a few minutes.

"Maybe I'm just overthinking it," Tucker muttered to himself, shaking his head as he pocketed the herb and moved on.

As he continued his search in the soft light filtering through the trees, Tucker found four more black lotus herbs with surprising ease.

But the smoother his search became, the more doubt nagged at him. "Is my luck really this good?"

With only one herb left to find, Tucker pressed on, burdened by growing suspicions.

Ten minutes later, he stood beside the roots of a grayish-white tree, staring blankly at the final black lotus herb he needed. He couldn't believe how effortlessly he had found it.

Compared to his initial struggles, this felt too easy!

Had Tucker not noticed anything strange earlier, his thick-skinned nature might have dismissed this as a stroke of luck. But since he had found Taylors' footprints, doubts had been festering in his mind, prompting him to search for clues.

Yet even after carefully inspecting the area for several minutes, Tucker found nothing unusual.

"Maybe I really am overthinking it. The fresh footprint could just mean Taylors wandered around while I was out hunting the beasts. I'll ask him about it later," Tucker murmured to himself, brushing the dirt off his hands and preparing to head back.

Suddenly, he noticed a barely perceptible trace in the air.

Tucker's eyes narrowed as he stared at the ground next to the black lotus herb.

He widened his eyes and reached out to pinch at the "air."

Then, maintaining his grip, Tucker brought his hand closer to his face. A fine, curly hair floated there, swaying gently in the breeze.

His eyes narrowed further—this was a curly strand, much like Taylors' hair.

Comparing it to Taylors' hair length in his mind, Tucker found it was an exact match.

For a moment, Tucker stood frozen, piecing together the clues. Even with his usual obliviousness, the obvious evidence connected in his mind—these black lotus herbs had been planted on purpose.

A look of realization crossed his face.

"No wonder finding the black lotus herbs suddenly became so easy..."

He glanced again at the thin strand of hair, chuckling softly. "Taylors, you sly fox..."

By the time Tucker returned, Rhett, Rylei, and Taylors had already prepared the Flame Rhino and Bloodhoof Boar meat—juicy steaks now sizzled on the grill.

Rylei placed the final steak on the grill, clapped his hands, and smiled.

"Everything's ready! All we need now is for everyone to gather so we can start eating!"

He glanced around the clearing, a hint of confusion crossing his face. "Hmm? It's been three hours, and Tucker still isn't back. Even if black lotus herbs are sparse, it shouldn't take this long..."

Rhett, observing Taylors, noticed his son's distracted demeanor and darting eyes.

Meanwhile, Taylors kept his head down, thinking to himself, "No way, I hid them pretty well. Tucker can't still be looking for those black lotus herbs, right?"

Indeed, Taylors had secretly hidden several black lotus herbs while Tucker was busy hunting beasts for him.

To avoid suspicion, Taylors had chosen places that weren't too obvious.

But now, with so much time having passed and no sign of Tucker, Taylors began to doubt himself. "Did I hide them too well?"

"Sigh, maybe I should have made it easier. I can't overestimate Tucker's brains..."

"Tucker, are you hurt?"

Lost in his thoughts, Taylors suddenly heard his father speak.

Blinking in surprise, he turned around to see Tucker approaching with a handful of black lotus herbs.

Finally back... Taylors couldn't help but smile slightly.

At the same time, a hint of nervousness crept in. "Did Tucker notice what I did? It would be so awkward if he found out.

But... knowing how careless Tucker is, he probably didn't catch on..."

"Yeah, I got a bit hurt. Ran into a second-rank Ice Crystal Tiger and got scratched by its claws," Tucker said, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.

Then he raised his right hand, holding up the black lotus herbs. "Father, mission accomplished. I finally found all ten black lotus herbs."

Rhett gave Tucker a calm look. "This was a punishment, not a mission. But... you did well."

Tucker plopped down next to Taylors, once again taking up more than his share of space.

Taylors frowned but said nothing, a small smile playing on his lips. "Big fool, I guess he didn't notice. Those black lotus herbs in your hand are all the ones I left for you..."

Now that everyone had gathered, Rhett smiled and said:

"Kids, I have some good news. Rylei has just advanced to a third-rank mage. Let's give him a round of applause."

Clap, clap, clap.

Cheers and applause filled the air.

Tucker and Taylors' eyes lit up, and they both congratulated Rylei warmly.

"Congratulations, Rylei. You're always one step ahead of me. I wonder when I'll catch up," Tucker said with a hearty laugh, unconsciously scooting over a bit.

Taylors, suddenly finding himself with more room, glanced at Tucker before offering his congratulations as well. "Congrats, Rylei. Looks like you'll be the second mage in our family. And I... will be the third!"

Sizzle, crackle.

The steaks on the grill started to sizzle, releasing fragrant juices into the air.

"Thanks for the kind words," Rylei replied with a smile, turning his gaze to the grill. "Looks like the meat's almost done. It's time to enjoy a delicious lunch together."

Hearing this, Tucker rolled up his sleeves and started grinding the black lotus herbs. This herb had a unique flavor that enhanced the seasoning.

Rylei and Taylors, on the other hand, added other spices with careful flicks of their fingers. Rhett sat calmly, like a king awaiting his meal, not lifting a finger.

"Add a bit more black gin powder," Rhett suggested from the side.

In this world, spices were somewhat different from those on Earth, but overall, the flavors were even more diverse and rich. Black gin powder, a mix between cumin and black pepper, was one of Rhett's favorites.

"No problem!" Rylei focused intently, controlling the seasoning with precision.

Within half an hour, the steaks were ready.

With quick reflexes, Tucker grabbed the largest, most thoroughly cooked steak and placed it on Taylors' plate.

Taylors froze for a moment, surprised that Tucker would give him the first steak—a move completely out of character for his brother.

Could it be that Tucker knew?

Taylors felt a twinge of panic but quickly covered it up. "Why are you giving me this steak? I don't eat spicy food!"

"Just eat it and stop whining," Tucker grumbled.

Rylei chuckled as he sprinkled more black gin powder on the steaks. "Taylors, I’ve never heard of you avoiding spicy food. You must be lying!"

"I'm not lying!" Taylors' face flushed slightly as he retorted. "People change, you know. It's not that strange to suddenly dislike something."

"Really? But just a few days ago at the banquet, you ate plenty of spicy Blue Bay lobster..."

"Exactly! That made me sick of spicy food!"

Tucker remained silent. While Taylors and Rylei chatted, he picked up another steak and placed it on Taylors' plate. "This one's not spicy."

Taylors suddenly fell quiet, touched by the gesture but hiding it well. "Ahem, thanks."

Tucker said nothing in return, turning his attention back to the grill, checking the meat that wasn't fully cooked yet and continuing to grind the black lotus herbs.

Watching this scene unfold, Rhett's face showed a hint of curiosity. He thought to himself:

"Interesting... It seems that the relationship between Tucker and Taylors has improved quite a bit. Though I'm not sure what caused this change or how long it will last, it's definitely a good thing..."

"Father, your steak is ready. Please enjoy!" Rylei placed a perfectly seasoned and glistening steak in front of Rhett.

Rhett inhaled the aroma, his face full of praise.

"Not bad at all. Taylors provided the ingredients, Tucker handled the seasoning, and Rylei cooked it. Today's barbecue has a unique flavor!"

Nearby, Nina the snow sprite danced around the flames. As she grew more familiar with the world, she had learned to tolerate the fire. Although she still instinctively disliked it, she no longer extinguished it as she had when she first arrived.

Rylei even picked out a small piece of steak for Nina, but the little creature wasn't interested and flew off.

In the cold wind, the steaks were devoured one by one, and the four of them chatted casually, enjoying the warm camaraderie.

Half a month later.

Rhett, seated cross-legged on his bed, opened his eyes and sighed softly.

For the past two weeks, he had focused on comprehending the mysteries of magic, spending most of his time on the profundity of condensation.

Without the assistance of the Sand Spirit, Rhett found his progress with the condensation profundity frustratingly slow, almost at a snail's pace, with no real breakthroughs.

At this point, Rhett could only solidify parts of his body, far from achieving full-body solidification, let alone applying it to his magic.

Originally, he had envisioned enhancing his Sand Wolf Howl with the condensation profundity, combining it with the dispersal profundity to create a force capable of defeating any earth knight of the same level.

Unfortunately, given his current progress, that goal seemed a long way off.

Gazing at the distant blue sky, Rhett's thoughts wandered. "If I had access to other earth spirits, could they provide insights into the profundities?"

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, an idea struck him like a flash of lightning!

Rhett's eyes lit up. He had just come up with a new plan that might help him find more earth spirits!

"The royal family has vast knowledge and connections. I could ask Prince Hoggus to keep an eye out for any earth spirits that might be collected..." Rhett murmured to himself.

Once this idea took root, it quickly dominated his thoughts, and Rhett began to believe it was a viable option.

However, to be sure, he decided to simulate the scenario.

On one hand, he needed to gather information about the spirits.

On the other hand, there was something even more important—proposing a plan to the Ring Tower to see if they would accept it and avoid their impending destruction.

Honestly, while he hoped to profit from the war by earning merits and amassing wealth and resources, letting a preventable disaster unfold before his eyes, without trying to stop it, went against his principles.

Shaking his head in resignation, Rhett activated the system.