Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Standing outside the door, Rhett could clearly see the layout of the room inside. Overall, it looked like an ordinary VIP room, luxuriously and elegantly decorated. Apart from a wide, comfortable bed in the depths of the room, nothing seemed particularly out of place. Although, the presence of such a large bed was, in itself, rather conspicuous...

With a slight feeling of unease, Rhett stepped into the VIP room, and the door behind him began to close automatically. The room was filled with a faint scent of perfume, with golden flooring and a pink carpet under a pink crystal chandelier, creating a somewhat decadent atmosphere.

Click.

A soft thud echoed as the door closed, and Vina stretched out her pale legs, letting her translucent black crystal high heels tumble to the edge of the plush carpet. She then turned around, lightly tilting her snow-white neck, and looked at Rhett with a gaze filled with seduction and obsession, a flush of red coloring her cheeks.

Barefoot on the carpet, she walked with a cat-like grace, slowly approaching Rhett.

With a flick of her right index finger, a small flame ignited, causing the tie around her waist to loosen on its own. Then, with a shake of her right shoulder, the bodice slipped down, revealing half of her chest.

Suddenly, Vina's steps halted, as if she had collided with an invisible barrier. The bodice that had slipped was lifted back into place by an unseen force.

The seductive smile on Vina's face shattered like ice, and the flush on her cheeks quickly faded. She looked at Rhett, who had turned his gaze aside, her expression stiffening. With a forced smile, she spoke in a soft, coquettish voice:

"Master Veras... Did I do something to displease you? Or is it that this outfit doesn't arouse you? How about I change into gold lace? Or a white, semi-transparent short skirt... anything you prefer..."

Rhett continued to stare at a vase to his left, his expression calm, though internally he was cursing his luck. It turned out that the old Veras had appeared upright and proper on the surface, but was secretly indulging in such depravity... As his thoughts raced, Rhett began devising a way to handle the situation.

When Rhett didn't respond, Vina swallowed nervously and tentatively suggested, "Master, please wait a moment. I'll go change into something else..."

"No need!" Rhett quickly interjected, stopping her. Vina turned back to look at him, her expression filled with confusion and a hint of unease.

Seeing this, Rhett felt both puzzled and somewhat angry. He instinctively assumed that the original Veras had used his power and influence to force the woman into selling her body. Her servile demeanor suggested she had likely been subjected to frequent abuse and punishment...

Vina, studying Rhett's face, felt a mix of anxiety and hesitation, unsure whether to continue her seduction. She heard Rhett say:

"Just bring out what I came for. I have other matters to attend to and don't have time to stay here."

"Of course, right away," Vina responded promptly but remained rooted in place, biting her lower lip and clutching the loosened tie around her waist. With a tense expression, she cautiously asked, "Master Veras, does your earlier promise... still hold?"

Rhett felt a wave of confusion—what had the original Veras promised her? At that moment, he was tempted to simply walk away, but feared that mishandling the situation might arouse suspicion. He couldn't exactly kill her to cover it up, could he?

After a brief moment of thought, Rhett came up with a plan.

"Oh? What promise? I seem to have forgotten..." Rhett replied in a deliberately ambiguous tone, giving Vina a playful, knowing look.

Vina's pupils contracted, and her anxiety deepened. She made to rush forward but was stopped by the invisible barrier. With desperation, she cried out, "You promised to get my son into the Circle Tower and arrange for him to participate in the human alchemy experiment! You're a Saint Magic Mentor—how can you go back on your word?"

Tears welled up in Vina's eyes as she knelt before Rhett, her voice resolute as she continued, "I'm willing to give you everything, even devote my life to you..."

"Heh, relax, I was just teasing you..."

In those few short sentences, Rhett had pieced together the gist of the situation. He shook his head with a smile, "I was only joking. I'll definitely keep my promise."

Vina was momentarily stunned, unable to believe what she had heard. A mix of disbelief and relief crossed her face, and she collapsed backward onto the plush carpet. Realizing that Rhett was still present, she hastily knelt again, bowing in gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you! My son's greatest dream is to study alchemy. Thank you for helping him achieve his dream!"

"Stand up. I'll keep my word. And... you should return to your normal life. There's no need to dwell on the past," Rhett said calmly, though inwardly he sighed. He had assumed it was a case of coercion, but it turned out to be a mother's sacrifice for her child's future. Such things were all too common in a world without fair laws, especially in a world of supernatural powers. Even in the peaceful society of his previous life, such situations were not unheard of...

As a father himself, Rhett understood her feelings all too well. And given the need to maintain his cover, he decided that no matter what, he would ensure her son's success. After all, with his position as Chief Saint Magic Mentor, it should be a simple task to pull some strings...

Vina's eyes shone with gratitude and joy. To her, the prospect of her son—a child of privilege—being admitted to the world's top academy and participating in a legendary human research project was beyond her wildest dreams. She couldn't imagine how others would envy her if they knew of this opportunity.

But then, a thought crossed her mind—what if Rhett was merely testing her? Sensing the disappearance of the barrier in front of her, Vina's gaze once again turned seductive, and she began to move toward Rhett...

"Try that again, and I'll have your son removed from the Circle Tower's candidate list!"

The cold, hard words stopped Vina in her tracks.

In an instant, the middle-aged woman felt as though she had been plunged into an icy abyss. She shuddered, taking a step back, and stared at Rhett with fear in her eyes.

"I won't do it again, Master Veras. I'll obey your every command. Whatever you need, my shop and I will do our utmost to fulfill your requests," Vina said nervously.

Rhett thought for a moment and said, "To prevent your son's opportunity from being jeopardized by any leaks, you must keep our relationship strictly confidential."

Vina's face tightened, and she nodded frantically, "I understand. I won't tell anyone."

Rhett nodded slowly, adopting a calm demeanor. "For now, that's all. But in the future, I may have more tasks for you."

"I await your orders, my lord!" Vina replied earnestly, before hesitating and asking tentatively, "The alchemy equipment you mentioned—should I bring it out now? And… is there any information you could provide so my son could meet that promising alchemist? If they lack resources, I could offer assistance in the future…"

Vina was anxious. During one of their encounters, Veras had casually mentioned discovering a talented young alchemist in the royal city, someone he intended to send to the Circle Tower. The alchemy equipment was meant as a small gift for this person. Vina had been fixated on this ever since, knowing that anyone capable of impressing a Saint Magic Mentor must possess extraordinary talent. Investing in such a person would benefit both her and her son.

Rhett glanced around the room, thinking that the alchemy equipment was meant for an up-and-coming prodigy. But who this person was, he had no clue.

As the middle-aged woman retrieved a large set of alchemical apparatuses, including cauldrons, receiver tubes, evaporators, and gas storage bottles, Rhett stepped forward to inspect them, nodding in apparent satisfaction before storing them in his spatial ring. He then headed toward the door, saying as he walked:

"There may be an opportunity for your son to meet him in the future, but now is not the time…"

Vina, clutching her bodice, bowed low, "Understood."

Leaving the shop, Rhett returned to the main street of the market, walking leisurely as his mind processed the new information.

"If I heard correctly, the Kingdom of Greyro and the Circle Tower have partnered on a project related to human research?"

Rhett narrowed his eyes. Initially, he hadn't thought much of it, but now the connection between the Circle Tower and the ancient kingdom's alchemical projects started to make sense. The Circle Tower wasn't the oldest or most established alchemical organization in this world—the Reim Kingdom itself was only a little over a thousand years old. The Circle Tower's history was relatively short.

In his studies of history, Rhett had learned that a thousand years ago, the highest level of alchemy in the world wasn't found at the Circle Tower but at the Kingdom of Greyro's Golden Blood Academy—an institution with a three-thousand-year history. At its peak, the academy boasted ten Saint Domain members, four of whom were Saint Domain alchemists! These four had co-founded the Golden Blood Academy, making it the premier alchemical institution in the world before the rise of the Circle Tower.

However, over two millennia, as the Saint Domain members aged and passed away, the Golden Blood Academy gradually declined, while the Circle Tower rose to prominence, creating a dual-star system in the world of alchemy.

"But the historical records of later generations don't mention detailed descriptions of the Golden Blood Academy, nor do they discuss any human flesh experiments…"

Rhett took a deep breath, realizing that this research project was something he had only just learned about. While it was not public knowledge, it was well-known among the upper echelons of the Reim and Greyro Kingdoms.

"Could it be that the source of the evil alchemy experiments of later generations originated here?"

Suddenly, Rhett felt as though he had uncovered a hidden truth, a piece of history that had been obscured by time. In the future, no one knew exactly when the evil alchemy experiments had begun, with most people only vaguely assuming they had been around for millennia...

But now, after gathering information, Rhett realized that at least in the current world, the concept of evil alchemy didn't yet exist. Coupled with what he had learned about the collaborative project between the Golden Blood Academy and the Circle Tower, Rhett was almost certain that this was tied to the later evil alchemy experiments.

"And the highest and most rampant practitioners of those alchemical experiments in later generations… was the Blood God Patriarch…"

Rhett's eyes widened in shock as he pieced together the clues. The scattered bits of information suddenly formed a clear picture in his mind.

"This alchemical project must be thoroughly investigated…" Rhett resolved, then made his way toward Reim's capital.

Though the identity of the alchemical prodigy remained a mystery for now, Rhett, as the Chief Saint Magic Mentor, enjoyed great freedom in his movements. If the royal family had no specific tasks for him, he only needed to report to the king every few years. So, upon returning to the capital, he didn't head to the palace but instead went straight to a bustling commercial street.

Along the way, he took in the sights of the capital.

In the real world, Rhett had only visited Reim's capital once, taking a brief tour before leaving. There were many areas and streets he hadn't explored. As a result, instead of feeling nostalgic like he had in the Circle Market, Rhett found the city's vibrancy and newness intriguing—this version of Reim's capital was just over a century old, with everything looking fresh and full of life.

Even Manu, hidden on Rhett's shoulder, marveled at the city's scenes, his curiosity piqued by the new world. "Fascinating. The city here has such a unique charm, quite different from what I'm used to. Though I must say, while the superhumans here are immensely powerful, the architecture and urban planning leave much to be desired compared to what I know."

"I suppose it's because superhumans focus primarily on tapping into their potential and understanding the laws of the world. These pursuits directly affect their lifespan, strength, wealth, social status, and more—things that are highly valued in any civilization."

"So, few are willing to divert their attention to other fields of study. Even if someone made breakthroughs, the lack of relevance to the above concerns means there would be little interest or market for it."

Rhett shrugged, opting not to comment, but then heard Manu let out a curious sound as he added:

"That building over there—its structure is remarkably intricate. The design could be optimized, but its precision is already on par with the best construction equipment I've seen in my previous world."

"Which building?" Rhett asked.

"On your left, the tallest one—it must be your palace," Manu replied.