The testing of Yuria's powers began secretly.
Her abilities, like any other, fundamentally consume mana.
Therefore, it’s essential to verify the limits of her powers, mana consumption, and any possible side effects in advance.
If this isn't done, we could face unexpected mana depletion in a crisis, which would be troublesome.

"The test subjects will be limited to the injured Vermont Security staff."
"Ah, weren't we going to the hospital...?"
"..."

Meeting Yuria’s innocent, wide-eyed gaze, I was at a loss for words.
The hospital, huh.
What would happen if she performed a miracle and instantly healed the sick for all to see?

"If you wish to be worshipped as a saint, forced to transfer your affiliation to the Church and have all freedoms restricted, go ahead."
"I-I'm not a saint...! I just awakened a rare ability, that's all..."
"Nobody cares about that. People will believe whatever they want to believe, so you need to be careful."
"Yes... I understand..."

Only then did Yuria seem to comprehend my words, responding in a timid voice.
She seemed excited at the thought of rushing to the hospital, using her powers to heal the sick.
But good intentions don’t always lead to good results.

Someone would surely revere Yuria as a saint, attempting to transfer her to the Church.
Sick people from all over the country would swarm to her, constantly pestering her for healing.

If Yuria decided to give up her daily life and dedicate herself to healing the sick worldwide, I wouldn’t stop her.
But I knew well that she wouldn’t.
The Yuria I saw in the original work was certainly devoted.
But she was never a saint—without the slightest trace of desire or selfishness, she was definitely not the type to be a saint.

She was appropriately selfish, and her altruism extended only to the people around her.
A typical human figure one might encounter anywhere, but when pushed to the extreme, she would show superhuman traits.
In other words...
Rather than a saint, she was more of a "hero."

At least, that’s what my extensive experience after playing Chapter 1 tells me.

"My staff is under contract and cannot disclose your abilities to the outside world, so feel free to use them."
"Yes, understood, Count."

The carriage arrived at the private grounds of Vermont Security in the Arient domain.
We headed straight to the training ground.

Vermont Security's training program had developed rapidly as the staff engaged in real-life scenarios daily.
Now, it was primarily focused on intense training.
Thus, the rate of injuries had inevitably increased.
It was common to see staff members walking around wrapped in bandages.

Injuries varied from the waist to the limbs, abrasions to lacerations and burns.
This was the perfect experimental ground to test Yuria’s limits.

Isn't this unethical human experimentation?
Well, if we've done experiments on the family head, what’s to stop us from testing it on the staff?
I hesitated not at all.

"Everyone, pay attention! All those who are absent from training due to injuries, report to the medical room. A free talent donation for healing abilities will be provided. After that, we’ll expand the test subjects based on the severity of their injuries."

It didn’t take long to gather the test subjects.
After all, "talent donation" wasn’t entirely wrong.
I merely concealed the fact that Yuria had only used her abilities a few times and was still a beginner.
I didn’t lie.

"I have a twisted back that’s recovering..."
"My ankle bone is broken..."

Test subjects—no, talent donation participants—revealed their injuries.
Yuria hesitated, as though worried something might go wrong, before nervously extending her trembling hand.
Just like she had done with me, she began emitting a white light.

'This makes it look like I’m the villain on the protagonist's opposite side...'

When I use dark magic, it’s accompanied by dark vapors.
Coincidentally, the white light from Yuria’s hand stands in stark contrast to mine.
Looking at it like this, I feel like a despicable villain standing against the protagonist.
In reality, though, I’m just an ordinary citizen with a small hope of marrying the protagonist’s friends and even the protagonist himself.

"Wow! My back is completely healed!"
"My ankle doesn't hurt at all...!"

Wherever Yuria’s white light touched, injuries were instantly healed.
At this point, injuries of all kinds and areas were being healed indiscriminately.
But when would her mana depletion kick in?

'How big is her mana pool?'

She was already healing her 20th test subject, yet she showed no signs of fatigue and was actually speeding up.
She still seemed fine.

Was her healing ability highly efficient in mana usage?
Or was her mana pool just ridiculously large?
Either way, it was an extraordinary ability.
At this rate, it seemed like her mana would never run out in most situations.

"Ah..."
"..."

Meanwhile, Yuria’s touch was remarkably gentle.
When healing my neck and arm, she had grabbed me firmly.
But now, she hesitated, almost afraid to touch the staff members’ bodies.

Could it be that my previous kindness and actions towards her were starting to bear fruit?
Yuria, though still cautious with me, seemed to have unconsciously lowered her guard.

"Why are you staring at me like that, Count? You look really pleased..."
"It’s nothing. Hehe."
"...?"

Saying that, I secretly ruffled Yuria’s head.
Despite her confusion, she didn’t resist, just looking puzzled.
Good. She’s starting to get used to me patting her head.
This was going faster than with Charlotte or Yulia.

At this rate, it might not be impossible to completely win over Yuria.
I felt a flicker of hope.

"Ughhh!"
"Your body’s starting to feel a bit sluggish. Mana depletion should be close. Let’s stop here."
"What? No? I think it’s just because I’ve been sitting in the same position too long."
"...?"
"Then, I’ll continue!"

She had already healed over 100 injured people.
Still, Yuria showed no signs of exhaustion.

She increased her speed, starting to treat patients with minor injuries that wouldn't disrupt training.
The "talent donation"—no, human experimentation—ended after less than five hours, having fully healed all the staff at Vermont Security.

Is this what you call mana efficiency?
I was momentarily dumbfounded, unable to speak.

"Good work. Now we can bring back everyone who had been using their injuries as an excuse to take leave."
"Hehe. It was nothing. Hah...!"

Yuria puffed her chest up, a bit proud, before I naturally patted her head again.
At first, she made a sound of enjoyment, but suddenly her eyes widened and she moved away.

"T-thank you for the compliment, Count."
"..."

Suddenly, Yuria bowed stiffly with a serious tone.
Damn. Maybe I patted her head too often.
I seemed to have pushed too hard to close the distance.
It looked like I needed to approach more cautiously.

"By the way, Lord."
"Speak."
"Is this the end of the test subjects for my abilities?"
"For now, yes. If we stick to those who can keep security confidential. Why? Do you think it's still not enough?"
"Yes... I feel like I’m just getting the hang of it, but it was cut short. I think I could do better from here on out..."
"..."

Yuria clenched her fists, sighing in frustration.
I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
I thought she’d already healed incredibly fast and thoroughly, but now she says she could do even better?

Her healing ability is definitely going to develop even further.
I’m starting to get excited about just how far it can go.

"Wait here. These guys train hard, so we’ll have more injured soon enough."
"Ah... Do we have to wait? Actually, I have a better idea."
"And what’s that? Let’s hear it."
"Since it’s almost a perfect healing ability, wouldn’t it be better to test it on myself? I’ve confirmed that I can heal shallow wounds easily, so I could gradually increase the depth..."
"No."
"..."

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' is urgently urging you to stop Yuria from doing something foolish.]

Yuria’s eyes were changing strangely, so I grabbed her wrist and firmly declined.
This girl... She’s so calmly talking about hurting herself?
It was a chilling look in her eyes, full of madness.