I stared at the Knight Commander, who had just arrived with such a bizarre request.
The Commander of the Empire's 1st Knight Order, the "Iron-Blooded Knight" Uris. She was a living legend. Her battlefield record was 99 wins in 99 battles. Zero losses. Everyone knew about her undefeated streak, so there was no need to dwell on that.
However, she wasn't called "Iron-Blooded" simply because of her record. Her blunt, razor-sharp personality, her refusal to tolerate even the slightest mistake from her subordinates, and her singular focus on victory—those traits had earned her the moniker.
Yes. Uris, the knight who chased only victory. And she was currently telling me:
"You want to experience failing a mission?"
I hadn't misheard her, had I? The Iron-Blooded Knight, who lived only for triumph, was asking for failure.
"Yes."
I had heard correctly.
"I heard you were an Illusionist. I was told that an Illusionist causes no physical harm. Furthermore, if you can show me whatever scene I desire, I believe I can feel the experience of failure without any actual damage. Am I wrong?"
"No, you're right. That's correct. But..." I stroked my chin while looking at her. "Why do you specifically want to experience failure?"
"It is simple. I wish to know the experience and memories of failing a mission."
"...But why, specifically?"
I couldn't wrap my head around it. Failure and defeat were inherently negative emotions. The sense of despair—isn't it supposed to be horrific beyond words? The few failures I had while building this place nearly drove me over the edge. And she wanted to experience that on purpose?
"Hmm, was my explanation insufficient?"
"Please tell me in detail. I need to know the 'why' so I can apply it to the scenario."
She looked down at me and spoke calmly.
"Fine. The reason is simple. One must experience failure to reflect upon it, and through that reflection, one can strive even harder to avoid defeat in the future. I have never lost. Because of that, a single failure could come as a massive shock to me. I believe experiencing it beforehand will prepare me for the impact of any future failure."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Lately, I have been taking on increasingly difficult missions. I concluded that if I were to fail now, it would have a catastrophic impact on both myself and the Knight Order."
I see. She wanted to "inoculate" herself against defeat. I wanted to tell her that defeat isn't the kind of thing you can just prepare for, but...
'I can't just turn away my first customer.'
If I kicked her out, bad rumors would spread. "I went there and they didn't show me anything." If a rumor like that got out, my painstakingly crafted illusion magic might never see the light of day.
There was one more reason I hesitated. I had told others I was selling "illusions that show your desires," but the magic circle here was essentially designed for... well, adult videos. It was meant for "material."
Should I tell her? As I debated this, Uris narrowed her eyes.
"Is it impossible?"
"No, it's not that."
"Then do you need something specific?"
"Not that either. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Because we show 'desires,' the imagery can be quite... graphic."
"Graphic. That is fine. I can endure any amount of pain."
Tsk, that's not the issue here. But I couldn't bring myself to say it. Well, she said she was fine with it.
'If a problem arises, I'll just stop the spell immediately.'
First customers are precious.
"Understood. Then, before we use the illusion magic, I'll organize a few preliminary questions. Please follow me."
"Understood. Oh, and..." Uris sniffed the air and frowned, covering her nose with her hand. "I suggest you do some cleaning. There is a somewhat unpleasant smell in here."
"Ah. My apologies."
It's a biological phenomenon. I couldn't exactly do anything about the scent of pre-cum and sweat mixed from my earlier demonstration. Of course, I didn't have the courage to tell her that.
"Now then, what kind of enemy would you like?"
"We start from there?"
"It's an important part of the process."
"Bandits would be best. The weaker the opponent, the less the 'damage' from the defeat will be."
Actually, losing to a weak enemy is usually a bigger shock, I thought. But I didn't point it out. She probably had her own plan.
"Understood. Then we shall craft a story about failing a mission against bandits."
I began the preliminary survey, sketching out the "desire" Uris wanted, piece by piece.
The Iron-Blooded Knight Uris had a secret worry.
"I won again."
The undefeated knight. Her subordinates, the citizens of the Empire, the mercenaries, and the soldiers she met—everyone looked at her with eyes full of respect the moment they heard her name.
"Because of you, Sir Uris, the Empire is safe today." "Thanks to the Commander, I was able to fight those monsters!"
Even the Empress who ruled the Empire and the Hero working to save the world praised her victories. Whenever people saw her face, they always said:
"Congratulations on your victory, Iron-Blooded Knight!" "You are as strong as ever!" "You'll win again today, won't you?"
The weight of those eyes—expecting victory the moment she stepped onto the field—was a heavy burden. Even her enemies, crushed by her reputation, often fell without putting up proper resistance. They didn't know how suffocating it was. She knew better than anyone that never having lost meant the backlash of a single defeat would be that much greater.
'I don't want to disappoint them.' 'I must never lose.' 'I am the knight who protects the Empire.'
With every victory, the weight on her shoulders grew. From the moment she realized she wasn't just a simple Knight Commander, Uris was constantly crushed by that pressure. Even if she wanted to let it go, she couldn't.
Then, she heard that an Illusionist had created a new invention.
"I am creating magic that allows you to experience your desires. I will be opening a shop on the outskirts soon, so please visit."
Hearing the mages talk, she heard he was an incredible genius. But apparently, he had caught a strange whim and was researching "useless" things. That's when she had the thought: If it's illusion magic, couldn't I experience a scene of defeat without any lasting consequences?
So, she visited on the very day the shop opened. It was a strange place. The shop had no windows—only a single door. You could enter and leave through it, but there was no other ventilation. Thinking it was designed that way for the sake of the illusion magic, she stepped inside and saw countless magic circles lining the room.
It was a bit eerie, but she couldn't imagine this man being able to do anything to her. Her strength was enough to easily suppress any mage. If he tried anything, she could take him down instantly. That was her confidence—the confidence of one who never lost.
She claimed the burden was heavy, but that confidence was wrapped around her like a solid suit of armor. After finishing the tedious preliminary survey in the strangely smelling room...
"Shall we begin now?"
"Yes. I've calculated and set up all the situations you requested."
"Good. How long is the experience?"
"You can set the duration. Currently, the maximum is three hours."
"Is the actual time different from the experienced time?"
"Yes. It's three hours in real-time, but depending on the direction and the situation, you can experience up to three days inside."
"I see."
She didn't know much about magic, so she just nodded along. Since it was her first time...
"Three hours, please."
"Understood. Please stand in the center of the magic circle."
"Fine."
"From now on, your desires will be projected, Sir Uris. I will emphasize this once more: the world you are about to see is entirely an illusion. It is not real. Please keep that in mind."
"What do you take me for? I am well aware of that."
At her words, the Illusionist Max smiled.
"Then, have a pleasant time."
He snapped his fingers.
Snap!
In that instant, the world changed. The dark, circle-filled room was replaced by a forest with a cool breeze. It was a familiar forest she felt she had seen somewhere before.
"Mount Mangor."
She knew it just by the shape of the trees. Mount Mangor was a rugged mountain in the eastern province of the Empire where bandits frequently gathered. No matter how many times they were wiped out, they kept coming back, making it a place of periodic scouts and subjugations.
"A classic setting. I like it."
Silence reigned. Aside from the birds, the wind, and the insects, nothing could be heard.
"Am I alone right now?"
She checked her attire. It was her usual gear—the half-plate armor that protected her body. When deployed on missions like this, she prioritized mobility, so she was armed in leather armor except for her pauldrons and breastplate.
"He reflected my requests perfectly."
She had only mentioned a bandit subjugation mission, yet he had recreated her equipment in such detail. He was certainly a skilled Illusionist.
"The bandits should be appearing soon."
She said she was watching the illusion to fail, but she intended to do her absolute best to win. Victory was her duty. She had no intention of taking it lightly. If the illusion couldn't make her lose, it meant the mage's skill was poor.
Shring.
She drew her sword and began ascending the mountain, wary of her surroundings. It was then.
"Who are you?"
Tough-looking bandits appeared before her. Finally.
"My name is Uris. Drop your weapons and surrender immediately."
"What? Who does this wench think she's impersonating?" "Business has been dead lately, I'm starving." "But hey, she's got a nice body. Why don't we take her back?"
Uris clicked her tongue at the bandits' lewd remarks. He didn't need to make this part so realistic.
"A good beating should change your minds."
For men like them, pain was the only medicine. Just as she gripped her sword to approach them—
"Wait—?"
She felt a sudden tension pull at her foot, and the world flipped upside down.
"Kuhaha! The bitch fell for it!"
Dammit. This was a mistake unlike her. To make a blunder like this... But it was fine. She could just cut the rope with her sword right now. She twisted her body and tried to summon her aura to slice through it.
No—she tried to summon it. But not a shred of strength, let alone aura, entered her sword.
This shouldn't be happening. Normally, she would have skillfully cut the rope, landed, and suppressed the enemy. Instead, she was left dangling in the air, one leg bound, flailing helplessly.
"Wait—?"
With a dull thud of pain, she felt the world fade into pitch-black darkness.
This shouldn't be... happening...