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“The Maiden of Death” is said to be a legendary being passed down in the tales of the forest folk.

She is said to appear as a beautiful young girl. However, she wears burial robes stained with blood and carries a huge scythe that looks wholly unsuited to her slender body. She is also said to ride upon a gigantic jet-black horse with a silver mane and tail.

She is not among the living. Long ago, she met a cruel death and, unable to rest in peace, continues to wander the world.
Everything her hand touches perishes. A cursed maiden who bound herself to death in order to take revenge.

This took place before the ancient Astra Empire had claimed this land as its territory—some two thousand years ago.
She was born as the youngest child of a prestigious noble clan that ruled part of the area where the present northern capital now stands. Raised by an honest father and a gentle mother, alongside an affectionate older brother and sister, she grew into a kind-hearted and healthy girl.

She herself was beautiful, but her elder sister was even more so. Her beauty was famous throughout the neighboring regions, and marriage proposals never ceased.
The one who won that sister’s hand was the heir of another powerful clan that was expanding its influence in the region at the time. Not only handsome, but also ambitious, he skillfully captured her heart with sweet words and made her fall deeply in love. Their father, knowing the greed of the young man’s family, was reluctant, but in the end yielded to his daughter’s earnest pleas and consented to the marriage.

And then, upon the wedding night—
The groom’s family slaughtered the bride’s entire clan and seized their lands.

The bride’s family had gathered in festive attire to celebrate the wedding. They drank cup after cup at the banquet, conversing merrily with the groom’s family, and by the time night had deepened, all had fallen asleep. In the middle of the night, the groom’s family drew the weapons they had concealed and attacked them in their sleep. They were not given the luxury of fighting back.
Even the beautiful bride, after one night as husband and wife, was deemed unnecessary once the land had been secured and was brutally murdered.

The maiden died together with her family. Yet her grief and fury were so great that she could not fully die. She rejected the god of death who sought to guide her to the underworld, and wished for revenge to avenge the regrets of her entire clan.
The god of death said: if you refuse to descend to the underworld, then remain in this world as mine. Accept, and I will grant your wish.
The maiden nodded to those words. And thus she became the “Maiden of Death,” whose touch brings death to all.

“…With the great scythe in her hands, she reaped the lives of every member of her enemies’ clan and achieved her revenge. Yet even after that, bound to death, she continues to wander eternally as a living corpse. That is what the forest folk pass down in their tales.”
“What a sorrowful story.”

Ekaterina let out a quiet sigh.

“The Maiden of Death”… In my previous life, she had been the personification of the plague, hadn’t it? I recalled reading somewhere that in Eastern European folklore, a woman in a white dress carrying a blood-stained handkerchief would appear at a village entrance, and when she waved it, the plague would spread through the village and people would die one after another.
But in this world, the Maiden of Death did not seem to be a personification of anything—rather, she felt like someone who had truly existed.

“So, are you saying that what I saw was that ‘Maiden of Death’?”
“You may think it’s nonsensical. However, my wife Aurora is said to have encountered the Maiden of Death when she was a child.”

At that moment, Aurora herself appeared.

“Supper is ready. It is nothing special, but please, do come.”

.

Before they realized it, the sun had completely set.
Throughout the settlement, now wrapped in twilight, the lights of white pearl insects drifted softly here and there, like glowing soap bubbles.

Led by Aurora, they were shown into the largest tent in the settlement. On a very low, long wooden table, a carefully prepared supper had been laid out. A slightly spicy, appetite-stimulating aroma drifted through the air.
Inside the tent as well, several white pearl insects in small baskets glowed gently.
It feels a bit like indirect lighting from my previous life—quite stylish.
There were no chairs; they were invited to sit on cushions. Forli worried that Ekaterina might dislike sitting on the floor, as there was no such custom in the Empire, but thanks to her memories of Japan in her previous life, she was perfectly fine with it.

Most of the tableware was wooden. Even so, the plates and bowls had elegant shapes and were decorated with intricate carvings, giving them an artistic rather than rustic impression. The wooden spoons and forks were also elaborately crafted, a pleasure to behold. Flowers were tastefully arranged around the table as well.

“How lovely. The forest folk truly possess excellent aesthetic sense. I imagine guests would be delighted if such tableware were used at a ducal garden party.”
“Those are kind words indeed. From your perspective, they must seem quite unusual, yet you are so broad-minded.”

No, truly, they are wonderful. They are lighter than ceramics too—that’s a real advantage. I would seriously like to introduce them for standing parties. We are currently developing sales channels for glassware from the Murano workshop in the imperial capital, but with this atmosphere, perhaps they could be sold to the same clientele…
No, no. Don’t get carried away when you are the guest.
Still, I might ask later whether they have any interest in cash income.

The dishes centered on wild mountain vegetables. Many of the ingredients were things she had never eaten before, which was exciting.
She cautiously tasted the soup with bear meat, worried about a strong smell, but the herbs worked well and it was fragrant and delicious. It had a slight sourness and a sharp, piquant flavor. The bear meat itself was indeed gamey, but thanks to the herbs it was only a hint of flavor, becoming something addictive.
And in the soup, there were turnips. Sweet and tasty. …Yes, these are not turnips, are they…
Don’t think about it, me! Everything I’ve eaten until now has been alive too!
Thank you, sugar beets! Thank you, bear! Thank you to every life I have eaten until now! I humbly receive this meal!

There were also brown, chewy baked breads filled with nuts (made by kneading flour ground from a certain kind of nut instead of wheat, topped with more nuts and baked), grilled tree buds and mushrooms with a slight bitterness, some kind of bulb with a fluffy texture, and various fruits: small peaches, raspberries, blueberries, and something resembling akebi.
Aided by the novelty, Ekaterina enjoyed the meal greatly. Dining in the tent of the forest people, with its atmosphere so different from the lavish dining hall of the ducal residence, was a refreshing and enjoyable change.

“Milady, are you all right?”
“It’s truly delicious. Does it suit your taste, Mina?”
“I’ll eat anything.”

Since the forest folk were serving them, Mina was eating together beside Ekaterina. She had insisted, “I will attend to milady myself,” but Ekaterina had pulled her to sit next to her. Perhaps it made guard duty harder to dine together, but with six knights present and Forli as well, there was no reason to worry about safety. Mina was always in work mode; Ekaterina wanted her to switch it off from time to time.
The coachman, too, was treated properly as a guest and, though feeling reserved, ate at the same table. To the forest folk, differences in social rank might be something that existed only outside the forest and was hard to understand. As someone from a commoner background in her previous life, Ekaterina was grateful not to have to feel awkward about it.
Incidentally, Regina and the other hunting dogs were outside the tent, gnawing vigorously on large bones they had been given.

Though she wondered if it was appropriate dinner conversation, Ekaterina asked about the Maiden of Death. Aurora nodded.

“Yes, I encountered her when I was a child. Even now, I believe it truly was the Maiden of Death.”

.

When Aurora was a child, she met the Maiden of Death when she became lost.
She had gone to gather mushrooms, become completely absorbed in it, and before she realized it, the sun was already far to the west and she no longer knew where she was.
Knowing how dangerous it was for a child to spend the night alone in this forest, Aurora burst into tears.
Then, a gentle voice spoke.

*‘What’s the matter?’*

Startled, she looked toward the voice and saw an unfamiliar girl standing there. Her long blonde hair sparkled in the setting sun.
What a beautiful big sister.
Slender and delicate, with skin pale to the point of translucence, her narrow face looked a little sad, yet she possessed a refined and graceful beauty. She seemed about fifteen or sixteen years old.
Relieved not to be alone anymore, and gazing in fascination at the girl’s beauty, Aurora told her that she had become lost.
The girl smiled.

*‘You are a child of the forest folk. Very well, I will take you to your family. But you must never touch me.’*

It was then that Aurora first noticed the enormous scythe in the girl’s hands, and she recoiled. She had heard of the Maiden of Death from the adults.

They said the forest folk were cursed by the Maiden of Death.
The enemy clan that had treacherously slaughtered the maiden’s family had perished, but a few people distantly related to them survived, fled into the forest in fear of her wrath, and became the ancestors of the forest folk.

But if she did not return to everyone before dark, she would surely be eaten by monsters.
So, trembling with fear, she followed behind the girl.

No matter how closely she looked, the girl only appeared to be a beautiful young lady.
Yet it was strange that an unknown girl would be in a place like this. Her simple white dress looked stained. The Maiden of Death was supposed to wear clothes dyed in blood. And the huge scythe in her hands, capable of cutting down even human heads—despite her slender arms, she walked as though she felt no weight at all.

She looks kind… but what if, in truth, she intends to kill everyone?

The settlement where Aurora lived back then soon came into view. The girl turned around and pointed toward it.

*‘Go.’*
*“…What about you?”*

The girl only smiled. Would she spend the night alone in a forest crawling with monsters?
At that moment, a gigantic horse appeared beside the girl. Its body was jet black, its mane and tail silver, its eyes silver as well, shining coldly beyond anything that could be called a normal horse. Exactly like the horse the Maiden of Death was said to ride.
So she really is the Maiden of Death?
But she helped her.
Suddenly thinking of something, Aurora held out her basket filled with mushrooms.

*“Thank you. Here, take these.”*
*‘No, it’s fine.’*

As the girl shook her head, Aurora threw the mushrooms from the basket at her. They struck the girl as she tried to dodge them.
Then the fresh mushrooms changed before her eyes. They withered, turned black, dried up—lost all life, and died.

So she really was the Maiden of Death!
Aurora screamed and ran for the settlement as fast as she could.

.

“That was over fifty years ago now, but I still remember it vividly.”

Finishing her story, Aurora let out a small sigh.

“The Maiden of Death as you describe her does not sound like a frightening being,”

Ekaterina said. Aurora widened her eyes, then smiled.

“Is that so? When I was a child, I found it terrifying that I had encountered the Maiden of Death, and at the same time something to boast about. Back then, I would surely have spoken of her in much more dreadful terms. But as time passed and I recalled her words one by one, I began to feel that she had simply been kind to me. At that time, I did something wrong. I was terribly rude to someone who had been kind to a lost child. I have long thought that if I were ever to meet her again, I would like to apologize for it—but we have never met again.”