"What's the principle behind this? Could it be that the fusion of Blood Source Power and alcohol makes it easier to infiltrate the human body?" Rhett stroked his chin, deep in thought.
However, the fact that someone had acted recklessly on his territory, attacking one of his subordinates, was a matter of principle. Though the consequences weren't severe, the nature of the offense was quite serious.
"If I don't handle this properly, as both the lord of this territory and the future king of a nation, where will my authority stand?"
Even though Miss Orla had acted out of character, and even though her mother, Karina, had a good relationship with him, he couldn't let this slide without action!
Rhett's expression darkened as he asked, "Rilai, how did you handle this matter?"
"I detained Miss Orla for a week. She's still in the prison," Rilai replied.
"That's a bit too much," Rhett paused for a moment, coughing lightly. "We don't need to punish for the sake of punishment. What we need is to make a public example of this, to send a clear message that will have a deterrent effect. Given Orla's special status, it would be more appropriate for her to apologize to Younika in person, pay a fine, and publicly post this in the most visible part of Dark Eagle City's bulletin board."
"We must ensure that everyone knows, no matter how close someone is to the royal family, anyone who breaks the law will face consequences!" Rhett explained to Rilai. "Karina has helped you in the past. Keeping her daughter in a dirty, cramped cell is a bit too harsh."
"Haha, actually, my original thoughts were similar to yours, Father. After all, Orla just hit Younika, and the injury wasn't serious. With some healing potions, she was fully recovered the same day. I wanted to keep the matter low-key," Rilai said, slightly embarrassed. "But it was White Hat who personally brought Orla to confess and requested the strictest punishment. I hinted that it wasn't necessary, but they insisted, so I had to comply."
"She asked for it herself?"
Rhett sighed, slightly exasperated. "Well, maybe this was Orla's first time doing something like this. After sobering up, she probably realized her mistake and wanted a serious punishment to leave a lasting impression."
Rilai's eyes lit up. "Father, you really understand people well. That's exactly what White Hat said afterward."
Rhett chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Just a lucky guess."
Rilai's smile remained as he recalled something and asked, "By the way, when will Lawrence return? And what about McCoff? When he hears about the new liquor at the Rattlesnake Tavern, he might go wild with excitement."
"Haha, maybe. They're still on their way back from the Coldfront Line. The final battle with the Beastmen was too rushed, so other than Tucker, none of my men were able to join us," Rhett mused, rubbing his chin. "But when McCoff returns, I'll have to consider canceling his free drinks at the Rattlesnake Tavern. If he drinks himself into a stupor every day, that'll be on me!"
"They haven't returned yet? Too bad they'll miss tonight's banquet," Rilai said, sounding regretful.
"No matter, they can attend the much grander founding banquet in the future!" Rhett's gaze drifted toward the window, a glimmer of ambition flashing in his eyes.
Rilai's lips curled slightly. He understood the significance—when one person rises to prominence, those around them benefit. And he wasn't just anyone; as Rhett's son, he would naturally share in that success.
"I'll head out now, Father. It's getting late, and if I don't leave soon, I might miss White Hat," Rilai said.
"Go ahead."
Rhett waved his hand, watching Rilai leave. He found himself alone again.
No, not entirely alone. Fireclaw, the little creature, was curled up on the red carpet, sleeping peacefully.
Rhett smiled as he shifted his gaze back. Reflecting on the many changes over the past month, a wave of mixed emotions swept over him.
He sat back in his chair, contemplating. Given the adjustments he'd made to the world's trajectory, now seemed like a good time to conduct another [Text Simulation].
After all, since the last simulation, Rhett had made significant changes, even researching the mysterious patterns on the merman shell, though he had yet to uncover its secrets.
Moreover, the world's origin, both the Evolution Source and Fire Element Source, had further strengthened, likely triggering new changes in reality.
With the world now rid of major threats, Rhett felt a shift in his mindset. He could now conduct the simulation with a spirit of exploration rather than crisis aversion, a feeling that brought a sense of relief.
He sipped from the crystal glass on his desk, savoring the cold blueberry juice. As the liquid slid down his throat, Rhett opened the system.
[Would you like to begin a text simulation? Each simulated year will consume 5 Destiny Points.]
"Yes, simulate one year."
[Year 482 of the Jinlun Calendar, June 8th: You returned to Deep Rock Fortress and had Rilai spread the news of your return. Your friends and acquaintances from Dark Eagle City flocked to congratulate you, bringing flowers, applause, and exquisite gifts.]
[That evening, a banquet was held at the castle. Everyone danced and sang in celebration of your achievements. Even the servants of the castle became the guests of honor, as the attendees eagerly sought to befriend them.]
[June 10th: News of the near extinction of the Beastmen and humanity's ultimate victory spread across the world like a storm. Along with it came the widespread recognition of your name: the Savior of Humanity, the Beastmen's Bane, the Dawn in the Darkness—Rhett Green. Especially with the founding of the Green Kingdom, many admirers became determined to join your cause.]
[June 11th: You announced relocation plans and shared your upcoming personnel assignments with everyone. You then met with Carlton, the president of the Dalton Trading Company's Dark Eagle City branch, to discuss the purchase of elemental minerals.]
[That evening, you handed Tucker a body-refining potion, a gift from the Beastmen's strongest warriors.]
[June 12th: After a night of absorption, Tucker's body reached the level of a Sky Knight!]
[June 14th: You arrived at the Circle Tower and met with Hypaste, exchanging research on Blood Source Power. Hypaste revealed a breakthrough, mentioning inspiration from a "forbidden alchemical secret" from a thousand years ago—research on human alchemy. Some aspects of the ancient process had been adapted for modern use, though it no longer required the sacrifice of extraordinary beings.]
[On that same day, during a garden stroll after lunch, Hypaste mentioned that Blackstar and Golden Sands had been seriously injured in an operation two months ago. You inquired about their whereabouts before departing with Taylors.]
[June 17th: You arrived on the vast plains in the center of the world. After several days of clearing, the remnants of the Beastmen—ruins, structures, and more—had been completely removed.]
[June 18th: The royal families of several nations sent top-tier designers, architects, and alchemists to assist in planning your royal capital and enhancing the city's infrastructure.]
[June 20th: You and your entire household relocated to Green City and took residence in the royal palace. Reports indicated that migrants, whether ordinary civilians or ambitious extraordinary individuals, were flowing into Green Kingdom from all over the world.]
[June 26th: Karina, the chief royal painter of Jinlun, visited you to announce her approval of Orla's marriage to Lawrence. You were genuinely happy for Lawrence.]
[July 3rd: Following Manu's suggestion, you established a royal alchemy institution and invited Master Aesad to join, which he gladly accepted.]
[October 17th: Lawrence broke through to become an Earth Knight.]
[November 4th: Karina became pregnant with her third child.]
[December 25th: After months of sparring with experienced Earth Knights, Tucker broke through to become an Earth Knight.]
[January 13th, Year 482: While construction continued across Green Kingdom, you received news of a disturbance in the Stormy Sea. The endless thunder and clouds had gradually begun to disperse…]
[February 4th: An unexpected guest arrived in your royal garden—Saint Fire Bright-Eyed Beast, a legendary magical beast. It transformed into a sturdy human form and greeted you respectfully. After some discussion, you learned it wanted to cooperate with the Beast God World and claimed to control abundant fire-element mineral veins, offering generous rewards.]
[You proposed a profit-sharing system—there could be cooperation with the Beast God World, but only indirectly. You would act as the middleman, extracting a percentage of the profits. Although the Saint Fire Bright-Eyed Beast was displeased, it begrudgingly agreed, laughing as it left, promising to consult with others.]
[February 5th: The kings of Jinlun and Ream visited you to discuss the magical beasts' cooperation. They revealed that four Saint-level magical beasts had approached them earlier, with similar requests. Both kings rejected the offers.]
[The King of Jinlun urged that humanity should uphold its exclusive rights to cooperate with the Beast God World, blocking any other parties, including magical beasts, from participating. You agreed, seeing more benefits than risks.]
[February 17th: You issued a royal decree in Green Kingdom offering rewards for anyone who could discover elemental mineral veins, with potential bounties including government positions.]
[March 3rd: A man named Zelrak discovered a small fluorescent mineral vein.]
[April 2nd: Taylors' wife, Mina, became pregnant with their second child.]
[April 18th: A man named Lorelai discovered a medium-sized flowing water mineral vein.]
[May 3rd: On a leisurely afternoon, McCoff and Vicky conceived a child.]
[May 21st: A man named Sene Schmidt discovered an extra-large fire-patterned mineral vein. Overjoyed, you appointed him as a town mayor under Green Kingdom's commission system.]
[June 3rd: Mina conceived their third child.]
[The text simulation has ended. Would you like to continue simulating?]
"No."
The light from the screen gradually faded.
Rhett's expression remained calm. Perhaps it was because the world had settled into peace, and he now stood at the pinnacle of power, fully in control of the world's affairs.
This time, the simulation had unfolded as expected. There had been no surprises, no dramatic events outside his predictions.
Everything seemed to align with Rhett's growing understanding of destiny and his anticipation of future trajectories.
"Looks like it's time to have that in-depth discussion about Blood Source Power with Hypaste…" Rhett murmured to himself, preparing for the next steps.
Just then, a thought crossed his mind, prompting him to rise from his chair and head downstairs to the hall.
The bright afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting light across the carpeted hall, with dust particles floating in the beams.
The maids, dressed in black and white uniforms, bustled about cleaning. Their pale legs and arms moved gracefully through the sunlight, distracting the male servants who were busy setting up the hall. Their focus wavered as they glanced at the women, mentally cursing their wandering minds.
Shaar, who was polishing a mirror, couldn't help but watch the reflection of a new, young maid who had arrived just two days ago. Her youthful energy stirred something within him, filling his body with a fiery restlessness. His heart raced, and an odd warmth pooled in an embarrassing place.
At that moment, the sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Everyone immediately snapped back to attention. Whoever was coming down from upstairs—whether it was the lord, the young master, the lady, or the housekeeper—was sure to be someone of authority, capable of scrutinizing their work with critical eyes.
Shaar's face flushed as he recognized the distinct rhythm of the footsteps. He hadn't heard it in a while, but he instinctively knew that it was the master's.
In truth, Shaar had particularly sharp hearing. He had long ago noticed that the master's boots, heavier than others, made a unique sound when they hit the wooden floors—a secret he had never shared.
He should turn around and greet his master, but his current physical predicament—the heat coursing through him, the restless swelling—made it impossible to move.
Paralyzed, Shaar stood still, dreading the thought of his lord noticing his disgraceful state, while inwardly screaming: "Why are there parts of my body that I can't even control!?"