Even with my limited playthrough only covering the first chapter, it's clear that the Vermonte family is a piece of work. The head of the family, Count Drago Vermonte, was executed a while ago on charges of researching black magic, leaving the Countess as the acting head. The eldest son, Aslan Vermonte, picked up the black magic mantle, performing human experiments, only to end up being split in half by the protagonist. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter, Irene Vermonte, took up necromancy, researching resurrection spells until she was imprisoned for it.

"What a messed-up family."

Every single one of them is a piece of trash. Maybe the Countess is the only normal one? But then again, considering how her children turned out, probably not. It seems there isn't a single sane person in this household.

"Aslan! Your dear sister has specially gathered some supplies for your experiments! I came across some perfect specimens at the slave market and picked them up for you!"

Yeah, no amount of caution on my part is going to be enough to dodge all these red flags.

"Uh, uhh…!" "What? Too thrilled to speak?" "No, I mean, where did you even…?" "Look at them! For lowborns, their mana sensitivity is pretty impressive, don’t you think? Although, maybe with your lack of magical talent, you can't tell. Anyway, I bought them for you as a special gift, since you'll soon be the head of the family. Wasn't expensive, really. Ah! And that slave dealer tried to rip me off, even though he couldn't sense their mana sensitivity. So, naturally, I cut off his limbs. I threw him your business card if he wanted to complain. But seeing how he whimpered and begged, I doubt he'll be calling anytime soon."

Irene grinned, patting me on the shoulder. I realized two things right then. First, Irene Vermonte, Aslan’s sister and the eldest daughter, is a lunatic. Second, she clearly despises her brother.

"What's with that look? Aren't these the exact kind of mana-sensitive subjects you've been looking for?" "…"

Two girls were shoved toward me, trembling in fear. One was a small green-haired girl who looked as frightened as a rabbit. The other, a taller silver-haired girl, bared her teeth and snarled defiantly. Although I’d never seen them before, they somehow seemed familiar.

[Skill 'Appraisal' has activated.]

[Charlotte] [Age: 13] [Affinity: -5] [She is wary of you.]

No kidding.

[Yulia] [Age: 14] [Affinity: -10] [She is hostile towards you.]

This appraisal skill doesn’t seem to reveal much beyond the obvious, but the feature of showing ages might be useful. At the very least, I’ll avoid embarrassing myself in front of a thousand-year-old high elf.

‘Yep, it’s them.’

Charlotte and Yulia—their names were all too familiar. These girls were future allies of Yuri, the protagonist, in the game. They were subjects in Aslan Vermonte's experiments and held dear by Yuri.

"Where's the third one?" "Third one? What are you talking about?" "Wasn’t there supposed to be three, not two?" "Ah, how did you know? Yeah, one got away. She was the most expensive one too. Tch."

Irene whispered with a sly smile. The one who escaped was almost certainly Yuri, the protagonist. My head throbbed with the realization.

"She ran off yelling, 'Hold on, everyone! I’ll come back for you once I get stronger!' Isn't that adorable? Of course, by the time she comes back, it'll be far too late." "…Did she really escape? Or did you let her go?" "Oh my, what do you take your dear sister for?"

The sound of my grinding teeth filled the air as Irene’s crazed eyes watched with a satisfied grin. I couldn't begin to read her, and it was unnerving.

"Well then, see you later. Since I personally delivered these test subjects, I expect results next time we meet. Neither I nor Kali are particularly patient." "…"

With a cheerful wave, Irene turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her. I was left alone with two terrified girls and a dark mage who looked about as friendly as a rattlesnake.

"Greetings. My name is Aslan Vermonte. Welcome to the Vermonte estate…" "Are… are we going to… w-we’re done for, aren't we?" "Don’t cry! If you cry, he might hit us!" "But... sniff... I’m scared! I’m so scared!" "Just hold on! We’ll wait for Yuri to come back!" "Ugh. This is giving me a headache."

Now, this is a dilemma. It's driving me mad.

"Eat." "What's this?" "What does it look like? Food." "For us?" "…"

When I handed them the food, they just backed away, looking even more suspicious. I guess offering a meal out of nowhere as someone who looks like the villain only makes them more wary. I sighed and called a maid to serve it in a dog bowl instead.

"There. Does this look better?" "…"

I threw the two girls and the food into the next room and walked back to the library. I ignored the sounds of "I'm so hungry…" and "What if it’s poisoned?" that drifted in from behind. I needed time to think.

‘What am I going to do with these kids?’

As much as I’d love to just throw them out, that would only lead Yuri to hunt me down even faster.

But then, there’s Irene. There’s no way she brought these two here purely for her brother’s benefit. And I really doubt it was an accident that Yuri escaped. Plus, her parting words about ‘expecting results’—who knows what she’ll do if I don't produce something soon.

So, here I am. Unable to lay a finger on these kids, yet somehow still expected to conduct these experiments. I’m totally stuck.

"Alright, then. Let’s make a run for it."

There’s no other choice. Start the experiments, and I’m bound to end up dead at Yuri's hands. Refuse to do them, and the family will come down on me.

It's a lose-lose scenario. My only escape is to change my name, hide my identity, and disappear somewhere remote to live a quiet life farming.

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' turns her gaze upon you.]

"…!?"

Suddenly, it felt like my heart was in a vise, my vision narrowed, and cold sweat ran down my back. It was as if someone had brushed the back of my neck with an icy finger. It took a moment to shake off the chill and breathe again.

"Hah… This is really a mess."

Looks like I’ve gotten myself tangled with the worst possible crowd. Why did I have to write that 5,800-character review and bring this fate upon myself?

"Charlotte! Don’t! You don’t know what’s in it…!" "But I’m starving. Mmmph… Hey, it’s actually good!" "Do you want to eat food from a dog bowl?" "Better than starving!" "…"

With cream sauce all over her mouth, Charlotte ignored Yulia’s warnings and dove into the food. She didn’t even pause to think about what could happen. Yulia sighed, watching her scarf down the pasta without a care.

"Yulia, come on! It’s delicious!" "No thanks. What if it's poisoned? We need at least one of us to stay alert, just in case." "It’ll be fine. That guy seemed nice." "What? Are you out of your mind?"

Charlotte’s innocent remark left Yulia dumbfounded. How could she think that man looked nice?

‘Well, Yuri’s not here… so I guess I have to protect Charlotte.’

Yuri did promise he’d come back, after all. She’d just have to wait for him to get strong enough to return. Yulia bit her lip and resolved to keep Charlotte safe in the meantime. She wouldn’t bend, and she wouldn’t break.

"Well, well. How are you doing, girls?" "…!"

The door swung open, and the ominous man entered. Yulia instinctively leaped in front of Charlotte. This guy radiated menace like no one she’d ever seen.

"So, did you enjoy your meal?" "…"

Why’s he asking that? Did he put something in it? Just the sight of his unsettling smile froze the two girls in place.

"Why did only one of you eat? The other wasn’t hungry?" "None of your business." "You should eat up. Gotta build up some muscle and get stronger. Heh heh." "…!"

As soon as their eyes met his, a chill filled the room. What’s his plan? What’s he going to do with us?

"Refusing to eat, huh? I guess that means it’s time for some punishment." "So, you’re finally showing your true colors! Trying to trick us with talk of ‘punishment’!" "Get up. Run ten laps around the courtyard. Now, go." "What?"

Wait… what?