Miriam was thirteen years old when she was forced to sell herself to pay off her parents' debts.

　Her father was originally a poor peasant farmer, but after he became ill with an epidemic, the family's finances began to suffer as if they were rolling down a hill.
　Then, one year, a bad harvest put an end to it. The family's debts had grown so large that they could no longer pay back even the interest, and they finally had to sell Miriam to settle the debts.
　Her parents cried and apologized to Miriam, but she acted stubbornly and only said that she would take care of her younger siblings. She convinced herself that it would be enough if her family could be saved in exchange for her alone.

　There was only one kind of "work" that a girl who was taken as payment for a debt could do. A prostitute.
　Miriam felt helplessly disgusted, but she tried her best to hold back. There was no way she could rebel. She knew what a horrible man she had in her keeping.

　Ciel-Teyla's Night Python: ....... My father borrowed money from a moneylender who was owned by Night Python.
　I've heard that they're willing to do the most horrible things for money. They manipulate officials with bribes and threats, and even the Order cannot touch them.
　If Miriam were to escape, they would chase her to the ends of the world and kill her. That is the kind of fear that binds the prostitutes.

　By the time a few years had passed, Miriam had become a full-fledged prostitute.
　Even the nauseating "work" eventually became "routine" and she didn't think about it anymore.

　However, after a certain point, Miriam began to get a lot of troublesome customers.
　The ones who get off on hurting people. The ones who give Miriam strange drugs. The ones who are reluctant to pay, but are so possessive that they won't allow her to take other customers.
　At first I thought it was a coincidence, but no. The brothel was forcing those customers on Miriam.

　And now Miriam knows why. Because Miriam was the least valuable commodity in the brothel that held her.
　She had the looks of a ten-year-old, and the only thing she could sell was her youth. The younger she is, the more valuable she is. She tried her best to learn how to flirt and be affectionate, but even that was only at the level of 'natural'.
　In order not to wear out the other prostitutes, she concentrated her damage on the relatively low value of Miriam.

　Miriam was injured more and more often. Whenever she missed a day of work, she lost money and was beaten by her master.
　She was mentally overwhelmed. She could no longer eat and became emaciated. The number of customers decreased further.
　One day, Miriam overheard her master talking about selling her for two or three pounds.
　The seller is a drug factory owned by the same Night Python. There is always a shortage of lab animals to develop new drugs. So that was Miriam's next ...... and final task. Miriam had been dismissed as a prostitute.

　To talk like that in a room where she could be easily overheard was to underestimate what she was capable of. But Miriam was quick to act.
　While the customer was asleep, she pulled out her wallet and fled with it. She went to her family, whom she hadn't been able to reach since then.
　She thought that maybe her actions would put them in danger. But still, Miriam was afraid of dying. She wanted to flee with her family to another country.

　She changed her clothes to plain, cheap ones, cut her hair, and covered her face with a hooded cloak, and took a carriage. She prayed that the next passenger would not be Night Python's pursuer.
　I don't know if her prayers were answered or not, but Miriam made it back to her home village, almost on the other side of the country.

　When she returned to her home after several years of absence, Miriam was greeted by two shakekoubes lined up on the earthen table.

"What ......?

　How could they be here, Miriam thought.
　There was no sign of anyone in the house.
　There were signs of ransacking, but the thick layer of dust on top told her that no one had been in or out for years.

　Where had her father, mother, brother, and sister gone?
　Miriam tried to ask the people of the village what had happened.

　The villagers, whom she had not seen in a long time, were all surprised to see Miriam, but they were somewhat distant and refused to open up to her no matter what she asked.

　Miriam's debts had not been cleared when a neighbor lady who was a good friend of hers said carefully, "Please don't tell them I told you.

　I thought that was ridiculous, but the contract at that time had several conditions for the debt to be erased. One of the conditions was that Miriam's profit to the store must reach a certain amount within the first year of working.

　Miriam had an idea.
　For the first year, Miriam's salary was disgustingly good. However, no matter how much money she received, she was forced to spend it on clothes, cosmetics, and accessories to attract customers (especially clothes that she was forced to buy for the future), and she couldn't even save enough money because she was always getting ripped off by older prostitutes.
　At the time, I had just started working and I thought that this salary was normal, but now I think that the store's profit was reduced by a lot.

　Anyway, the remaining family members were mercilessly told that it was impossible to write off the debt, and they were forced to flee at night.
　The family disappeared without telling anyone in the village. ...... A few days later, only the raw heads of the father and mother silently returned.

　In retribution for their attempt to default on their debts, and as an example to others, the Night Python killed them both. The whereabouts of Miriam's brothers and sisters are unknown, but they are valuable commodities. They must have been turned into merchandise. In some way.

　The villagers couldn't even bury the two heads for fear of incurring the wrath of the Night Python. They became mere bones that greeted Miriam today.

Such ......

　Miriam collapsed in front of her parents' ruined bodies.
　She was so shocked that she could not even cry.

　What had she endured for all those years? She had thought that her parents and her siblings, though poor, were helping each other and living happily ever after. That was the only thing that kept Miriam going.

　How long had she been doing that?


　Miriam felt a presence behind her and turned around.

　Someone was standing in the doorway of the house, carrying a reddish-black afterglow.
　It was a young man dressed in a common traveling outfit. At first glance, the man looked like he could be anywhere,......, and that's why he was so uncomfortable.
　Miriam knew who he was.
　The assassin that Night Python had unleashed. The assassin was there to make an example of Miriam after she escaped from the brothel.

"Why ......?

　The man has no answer to Miriam's question.
　He just pulls out a glaring knife and walks towards Miriam carelessly.

Why did my mother and father have to die?
　Why aren't my brothers and sisters here?
　Why did I have to die?

　The man doesn't answer.
　It didn't necessarily mean that he had killed her parents, but Miriam couldn't help but ask.

　What did my father, my mother, and Miriam do?
　They were poor, but they were living their lives to the fullest.
　And yet, they were all exploited and ruined just so the bad guys could make money.

"Why?　Why?

　Miriam stood up.
　Miriam stood up and pulled out the knife she had bought for self-defense along the way.

I want them back!

　Miriam thrust the knife at the man.
　Miriam thrusts the knife at the man, and two knives are plunged into her chest.

"What ......?

　A beat later, the pain comes.
　I didn't even know what had happened.
　The knife that had disappeared from Miriam's hand was now standing in her chest along with the man's knife. In an instant, he had taken her weapon and used it against her.

"A......U......

　I can't breathe well. Blood rushed to my throat. I can't get my strength back. Miriam collapsed.

"Return...... to......

　Miriam's outstretched hand failed to reach her, and her consciousness sank into darkness.

　I'm sorry.

　When she suddenly felt her body lighten, Miriam was looking down at herself in a pool of blood.

　--This is ......?

　She floated in the air for a bit.
　Inside the house, the assassin was still there, examining the inside of the house.

　When I looked at my hand, it was pale and translucent, and I could see the other side of the house.

　--The soul alone: ......

　Yes, Miriam is dead.
　A sense of loss, of hunger that cannot be made up for, gnaws at my heart.

　It is said that the souls of the dead are guided by the light that falls from the heavens to return to the bosom of God and find peace. And eventually they will be born again.
　But Miriam felt no such guidance.
　Miriam was trapped in this world because of her resentment.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

　A black flame of resentment flared within Miriam.

What?　Why?

　In a fit of rage, Miriam lashed out at the assassin.
　But her fist only sliced the sky.

"Dad......Mom......

　Now that her body was gone, tears welled up in her eyes. Huddled on the floor, Miriam cried like a howl.
　She cried and cried, but grief, anger, and resentment kept coming after her.

　Eventually, the assassin man pulled away. He was checking to make sure that Miriam hadn't hidden anything in the house.
　Miriam stared at the back of the assassin who had killed her with a deadly stare.
　But she couldn't actually shoot him dead. She couldn't attack people with magic like the undead monsters she'd heard so much about. He was trapped on earth, defying God's truth because of a grudge, and he couldn't even do a little bit of that.

　--I can't forgive ...... Night Python ......!

　But unforgiveness doesn't mean you can't do anything about it.
　I wonder how much resentment, blood and tears Night Python stands on. Miriam's own grudge will not change anything. ......

"Aah! ......!

　Suddenly, Miriam heard a loud scream and looked up.
　The assassin was lying on the ground just outside the doorway. Miriam had no idea what had happened.

　--He's dead ......?

　But why did he die?

'Hmmm ...... hmmm ......
　You hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me, you hate ...... me.

　Suddenly, a chuckle sounded from somewhere.


　A young girl's laugh, filled with a horrible intensity.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.　If that is a wish worthy of your soul, ......!

　I felt the world tremble.
　The pressure was so great that Miriam's soul was bubbling up and threatening to distort.
　When she looked up, she saw a silver moon in the indigo sky.

　--No. Not the moon. ......

　Silver hair spread softly like an angel's wings. It's not the moon. Skin as white as snow. A dress of white and delicate decoration.
　There was a girl with a beautiful and noble appearance, dressed all in white and silver. But she, like Miriam, was also a ...... soul. She was a dead person.

　I knew right away that she was no ordinary person.
　I felt a pressure that was crushing my soul.
　She was something supernatural, something Miriam couldn't imagine.

"Did you kill this man?
Yeah, he was in my way. He didn't seem to see me, but I wanted to make sure he didn't hear me.

　The girl's spirit said without hesitation.
　The girl's spirit said nothing. Miriam was more interested in how she killed the man than why she did it, or rather why she had the power to kill him.

"What the hell are you ......?

　The girl looked a little lost as to what to say, but then opened her mouth like a flower petal.

The avenger. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it.
"Ciel ......"?

　A prostitute is also a customer.
　There are a lot of customers who talk about themselves and gossip, and they share information with their friends, so they usually hear about the topics that are causing a stir in the world.
　Miriam had heard about the former princess who had died a horrible death and how she had come back as an undead and caused a lot of damage.

"She was executed and came back as undead. ......!
'Huh?　It's a rumor.

　Rene laughed, not in a childish way.
　It was not a childish laugh, but an ironic adult laugh. It's not a childish smile, but a sarcastic adult laugh.

'Well, since you don't have much time, I'll get straight to the point.
　If you do not, you will turn into a grudge and eventually become an undead monster of the spirit system.
"Can I become a ......?
Do you want to be one?

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea. ......

　Miriam has never seen a demon in person, but she has taken adventurers and traveling merchants as customers, where it is not uncommon to encounter demons in the course of business. Therefore, I have some knowledge of demons.
　I've heard that undead monsters are terrifying whether they have a body or not.
　I thought if I could become such a thing, I might be able to avenge Night Python.

Impossible. A self-bound spirit would lose its mind quickly. They'll go on a rampage not knowing who to blame. Even if you do manage to fight the target of your grudge, ...... well, even a lowly undead adventurer can defeat it.
Such .......

　Rene's explanation was relentless.
　In the end, Miriam's grudge would never reach Night Python.

"So let's talk about it. Do you want me to bloody this Night Python?　I'll pay for it with your soul.
　It's a little over budget, but what the hell, I'll give it to you on opening day.

　Rene's smile seemed as sweet as poison.