Begin the game with EVA.

October 5, 1986. The island of Rokkenjima, before the family conference... before the storm. The family has arrived; dinner preparations are already underway, but that will still be a long time coming. Right now, even while the sun is out, the machinations of both the woman who would become a witch and the man who wishes to grant that wish are already underway.

Greetings. My name is H.I. Player. Today I find myself on the lovely island of Rokkenjima, just as trouble is brewing. In the shadows, various parties both human and inhuman are scheming. Their schemes matter not a lick to me, however. A secret guest invited by Ushiromiya Eva and a stranger to every other family member or servant on the island, I have come today with my own interests.

A week earlier, I had contacted over the phone Eva with a stupendous offer: she and I would play a little game at the family conference today. I didn't divulge the details on the phone, but I got her interest when I explained the stakes. I showed her something she could hardly ignore... A close-up photograph of a gold bullion, marked with the Ushiromiya family crest, the One-Winged Eagle. Along with that, I attached a thick stack of bills... It wasn't exactly winning the lottery, but it was a full week's pay for most working folks. Eva called me back when I had her attention, and agreed to meet me here.

And now she was meeting me... away from the prying eyes of the island's other residents, we met in the forest, as we'd agreed. We each had weapons in our hands: she held a rifle she'd taken from the mansion while no one was watching; I held a large metal suitcase.

"So, we finally meet. Should I call you Mr. Player? Now that I think about it, is that an alias?" Eva kept the gun trained on me, with the safety off. She was too hungry of an opportunist to let my offer slide, but too shrewd of a woman to simply take it at face value, either. Her tone was friendly, but her eyes were sharp. I didn't think she'd do anything stupid if she didn't have to... But, if I made a wrong move, she was prepared to end me, and she'd almost certainly be able to claim self-defense.

Well, that doesn't matter, so long as I only make the right moves.

Greetings, Ushiromiya Eva. Player is fine. There's no need to be formal. No, I have a very... informal... night of festivities planned.

"Why don't you tell me all about it, then, Player? Tell me about it from all the way over there, if you don't mind," the mother said with an off-puttingly cordial smile. "I'm aware you already know we have a family conference to attend to tonight, so those festivities better be more exciting than a masquerade ball."

... Ah, yes. To explain, I was wearing my usual suit, but also a gold, wing-tipped eye mask that I thought lent me an air of eccentricity and mystery... But, really, I probably just looked like a pervert or a weirdo. It was getting the job done.

Yes, Eva. You will certainly be excited about what I'm going to propose. You see, I'm going to make your wishes come true this evening... both of your wishes.

Eva still seemed to think I was hitting on her, until I finished my sentence. "'Both of my wishes'... what does that mean? What is it you think I want, anyway, Player?"

Hmm... Wealth and power, simply put. Wealth, to ensure a comfortable life for your family and all of the best for your son, Ushiromiya George... Power, the kind you've always been denied as the unfortunate second-born and female child of the Ushiromiya family, despite your training and genius.

"You seem to know an awful lot about me, but I know so little about you. Can't you do a bit more work on your introduction...?" Eva definitely realized that without any information on who I was, and only my mysterious words for what I wanted, she was negotiating from a weak position. She didn't understand I was not here to joust for terms on a deal, but to offer her a gift...

I prefer to keep my air of mystery, Eva, but allow me to instantly prove my capability to grant your wishes. Here is the part you, a human, want: I am an ordinarily reclusive businessman, wealthy beyond your wildest imagination. Another Ushiromiya Kinzo you aren't related to, if you will. Using my vast resources, I managed to collect enough information to determine where your family's gold is located. And... in fact... I've already liquidated a large portion of it, right under your father's nose.

"You... what...?" I saw Eva momentarily lower her gun at my ridiculous story, which would be even more ridiculous if she knew I'd pulled all of this money out of my ass and had no idea where any Ushiromiya gold had ever actually been hid on this island... That detail's not important. What is important is that her gun had come right back up, pointed in an unsportsmanlike manner straight at my face. "Bastard!! You're talking like you pulled one over on my senile father, but that gold belongs to our family! No... It belongs to MY family! I don't think you've understood what I'm prepared to do to take it back from you...!"

You don't have to, Eva. I'm going to give it back to you. Not all of it, but the lion's share... so much, it will make your head spin. So much money, neither you nor your husband will ever have to work again. So much money, you'll have to keep yourself from giving George a third of it, lest you turn him into a lazy good-for-nothing unprepared to work a day in his life. It will be yours because I will give it to you... You will be the only one who knows it was your family's inheritance. Anything you deign to give any of your siblings... apart from what I ask you to... will be of your own generosity. No need for squabbles. No need... for guns.

I could tell this kind of mind-reading speech was working wonders. The mad fury in Eva's eyes had given way to stunned confusion. To seal the deal, holding up my hands, I set my briefcase on the ground and opened it. Inside, there were bills... stacks and stacks, row upon row, of bills. Large ones. Beatrice isn't the only one who can make it rain on Rokkenjima... Eva, just what is in this briefcase could help you start an independent business. I don't need to tell you. You can count, right?

"... Count..." Eva muttered, slack-jawed as the dollars reflected in her eyes. "Count... c-counterfeit! This is a joke, isn't it?!"

Put that thing down and check them yourself.

Eva did so, making sure she remained closer to the gun than I did as she got on her knees in the grass and began flipping through the mind-boggling amount of money. Could she actually tell if it was real or not? Who knows, and, frankly, who cares? Any human would seize the opportunity to hold that much money in their hands, to daydream of the possibilities. That isn't all of it, either, Eva. Not by a long shot. If you pick the stupid option, you're throwing a lifetime of opportunity in your family's furnace.

Still holding two stacks, she appeared convinced when she looked up in my eyes. I couldn't tell if that was genuine, or if she thought it was advantageous to her position if I thought she thought that. "What do you want me to do? Money is something, Player... But, it isn't everything. If you're crazy enough to give me this, you probably want something twisted in return."

Hmm... You could say that. Remember what I said earlier? I am granting you not just money, but also, power. When I said I would grant "both of your wishes," I didn't mean "both of the wishes you have." I meant the wishes of both of you. You... and your witch.

Eva didn't look scared at this, exactly, but she did look nervous. "What... witch?"

Your family witch. I'm talking about your father's alchemist, Beatrice. She needs a vessel for her revival. That witch is what I want you to become.

The woman didn't understand. "You... You're asking me to become your mistress, aren't you?!"

No, no... This part might be hard to understand. Okay. Let me finally explain what I'm interested in having you do for me.