The Absolute Beings Obsessed with My Defeat Addiction

The Imperial Palace.

Yuris arrived at the Sun Palace, where the Emperor resided, to report her victory.

The report of the knights’ victories had always been a ritual.

Even if the target of that victory was merely a bandit, Yuris always knelt before the Emperor in the Sun Palace.

It was a ceremony to show everyone that her victory was the Empire’s victory, and the Empress’s victory.

Once again, upon arriving at the Sun Palace, she knelt before the Empress.

The Empress’s golden hair sparkled even more than the golden crown she wore on her head.

The arrogant, violet eyes of the absolute ruler looking down at her contained an aesthetic that could see through the hearts of all.

Sitting elegantly on the sacred throne of the Empire, which was elevated by twelve steps, the Empress looked down at Yuris and smiled gently.

“Your expression is not bright.”

The Empress spoke while looking at Yuris.

Though it might sound like a casual remark, there was certainty etched into her words.

As if she was confident that her words could never be wrong.

“It seems that capturing mere bandits does not satisfy you. Are you not pleased with this victory?”

Yuris deeply bowed her head at the Empress’s voice directed at her.

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Is that so? Then where does the worry on your face come from?”

“That is…”

Yuris could not answer.

The memory of defeat shown to her by the illusionist was still vivid in her mind.

Even though she had achieved victory, a contradictory desire for defeat resided in a part of her heart.

As the goddess of victory and the protector of the Empire, Yuris could not bring herself to voice those thoughts.

The Empress flicked her hand at Yuris, who was stammering without an answer.

“Come here.”

At the Empress’s gesture, Yuris ascended the steps that lay between her and the Empress.

The twelve steps that separated the Emperor’s throne from the ministers.

It symbolized the insurmountable gap in existence between the Emperor of the Empire and the common people, whether they were subjects of the Empire or not.

The sacred number of twelve steps of the Empire.

Depending on how much the Emperor favored someone, they could ascend those steps, but no one could ever stand on the same level as the throne.

This had been a rule that had never been broken since the founding of the Empire a thousand years ago.

Even if the opponent was a dragon.

Yuris climbed up to the eleventh step of those stairs.

A mere one step away from the throne where the Empress sat.

It was a part that showed how much the Empress cherished and valued Yuris.

As Yuris reached the eleventh step, the Empress rose from her throne and approached her.

The Empress’s soft and delicate fingers gently caressed Yuris’s chin.

“My beloved knight, Yuris.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What is it that worries you so?”

“…….”

“Speak. Tell your lord your worries.”

“Is it your command?”

“Indeed.”

Yuris was a knight.

A knight who must unconditionally obey her lord’s commands.

It was a shameful part of herself, but if it was the command of the Empress, it was the duty of a knight to speak.

But how could she say it?

That she wished for her own defeat at the hands of mere bandits.

No matter how much it was the Empress’s command, she could not bring herself to say it.

Yuris opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“I fear defeat.”

That was it.

She had indirectly expressed her concerns.

“Why do you fear it?”

“I fear what will happen if I lose. I fear that my heart will be broken by defeat.”

The moment she thought of herself being defeated by bandits.

The moment she realized that she was merely a cowardly knight, not the victorious knight she was supposed to be.

Even now, recalling that memory, she wished to feel again the ugly part of herself that was buried in that memory.

Yuris was afraid.

The future where she could not become the goddess of victory by losing to ‘that’ which existed in her illusions.

At the same time, she was curious.

How she would accept the future where she was no longer the ‘goddess of victory.’

The Empress’s fingers, which had been gently caressing Yuris’s chin, slowly swept up her cheek.

“Why do you assume defeat? Are you not the goddess of victory?”

“Being human, one must eventually lose. And that defeat, which I have never experienced, will surely be painful.”

“You are afraid.”

“Yes.”

She was afraid.

Afraid of losing to ‘that’ which existed in illusions and not being able to become the goddess of victory.

At the same time, she was curious.

How she would accept the future where she was no longer the ‘goddess of victory.’

The Empress’s fingers, which had traveled up her cheek, began to play with Yuris’s ear and then caressed her shining golden hair.

That gesture was so gentle and soft that even Yuris, as a woman, felt her heart race.

It was a gesture befitting an Empress who must embrace all people and love all subjects.

“Do not be afraid. As long as you are a knight of the Empire, I will not allow you to be defeated.”

“Your Majesty.”

“If you find it hard to believe in yourself, then believe in me. I mean to trust your lord, who expects the goddess of victory to return victorious. I have no doubt that you will win.”

Her tone was filled with conviction.

Yuris bit her lip at the Empress’s voice, which did not doubt absolute victory.

“It is difficult to count the number of northern barbarians, monsters, and demons you have defeated. Of course, the rebels who dared to defy the Empire, as well as the various nations that resisted, have been dealt with by your sword. So do not doubt yourself.”

She felt so ashamed and weak for fearing a future defeat that might never come and for not being able to enjoy her current victory.

But, but.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry. I have lied to you.”

She was not afraid of defeat.

She was afraid of her own desire for defeat.

However, Yuris could not voice that thought.

If she were to say it, she felt that she would truly never be able to become the goddess of victory, and that anxiety enveloped her.

“I am grateful, Your Majesty.”

She merely bowed her head and expressed her gratitude for the Empress’s grace.

“Yuris, because you are here, the Empire can achieve peace without enemies, so do not imagine that you will be defeated.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Still, thanks to the Empress, her heart felt a little more at ease.

Of course, the thought of ‘that place’ still lingered in Yuris’s mind.

***

The day after Helen left.

“No, I mean, I prepared everything in top quality, so what’s the problem?”

The alchemists who came to collect the potions I had made glared at me with dissatisfaction.

“Are you sure it’s top quality? I’ve never heard of a magic potion that can create the best magic among illusion spells.”

“Tsk, what school of alchemy are you talking about? It’s a basic liberal arts subject that you learn regardless of the school. Don’t make a fuss just to lower the price and check it quickly.”

“Hmm….”

“If you don’t like it, you can go back. There are plenty of people who want to buy this. If you don’t buy it from your workshop, I can sell it to the dwarf workshop.”

The magic potions I was selling this time were not only alchemy but also mana water, which helps operate machines used in various workshops.

Mana water is a potion processed from mana stones or the essence of monsters, filled with mana, and is an essential ingredient needed to run magical machinery.

It was more energy-efficient than just using mana stones, so it was mainly favored by workshops with a lot of money or those operating multiple magical machines, as well as by dwarves.

However, since processing it requires considerable manpower, it was much more expensive than mana stones.

I, as a small trader without money, could hardly afford to use mana water.

Using only mana stones was all I could do.

You can think of mana water as the oil of the 21st century.

If I had to compare mana stones, they would be like coal?

Creating mana water and selling it to workshops was also an internal business to pay rent and other management costs.

The Siri Alchemy Workshop was a workshop I had recently started trading with, but I didn’t expect them to cause such a fuss on the day of the transaction.

“Ahem, did I say I wouldn’t buy it? I just want to see the condition of the goods.”

“This is something we often pass on to the dwarf workshop that has already established a branch in the Empire. We don’t joke around with goods.”

“Tsk, that’s your concern. We need to confirm it properly. Give me a bottle for testing.”

“Didn’t I give you a potion when we made the contract last time?”

This guy was really getting on my nerves.

“How do we know if that was a manipulated item?”

The reason I was being obstructive was that I was a magician from the Illusion Magic School.

Generally, magicians were beings that ordinary people could not dare to confront.

If you dared to confront them and got hit by a spell, you could be risking your life.

Magicians, who possessed such powerful strength that they instilled fear in everyone, were an exception in the case of illusionists.

Illusion magic alone could not exert physical force.

Because of that, the treatment of illusionists was different from that of ordinary magicians.

At least they were treated as intelligent individuals?

But what if the other party had an inferiority complex towards magicians?

They would never look at you favorably.

Especially the alchemists had the most severe cases of this.

The most common path to becoming an alchemist was to enroll in a magic school, realize that they had no talent for magic, and then choose the path of an alchemist instead.

Naturally, they would be filled with inferiority complex towards magicians.

Moreover, some alchemists thought of themselves as quasi-magicians, so they sometimes looked down on illusionists.

Just like now.

“Sigh, should I just use magic once?”

But I had some experience from Blaster.

Could I not deal with one alchemist?

While I was battling with my thoughts in my head.

“What is going on?”

A blue-haired woman with sparkling golden hair tied back.

It was the victorious knight, Yuris.

“Y- Yuris, is that you…?”

The alchemist, seeing her, widened his eyes and didn’t know what to do.

He seemed startled by the sudden appearance of the Empire’s hero.

“Magician, it seems you are in a difficult situation?”

“Ah, knight! Just in time! Please help me with my problem.”

“Problem?”

“The goods that were supposed to be traded through proper contract procedures are being obstructed on the spot. As far as I know, according to the Empire’s trading laws, such cancellation of same-day transactions is a crime that disrupts commerce, isn’t it?”

Yuris, who caught on to my words, nodded.

“Indeed. Those who disrupt the Empire’s commerce will receive corresponding fines.”

“Uh, uh…?”

The alchemist, who never thought Yuris would be on my side, stammered as he looked between Yuris and me.

“If the owner of the trading company we have a connection with is in trouble, shouldn’t we help?”

“Haha, the goddess of victory has a big heart!”

That one remark was the decisive blow.

The alchemist seemed flustered and couldn’t speak properly, stammering out words.

“I-I don’t think we need a confirmation process. If it’s something the goddess of victory has already proven…”

“You thought well.”

I narrowed my eyes at the alchemist who presented my purse.

“You calculated at the regular price, didn’t you?”

“Of course! That’s the amount we agreed upon, right?”

“According to the Empire’s commercial law, if the other party’s fault is recognized during the contract, a slight penalty is usually charged. Isn’t that so?”

Yuris nodded again.

“That’s right. If it goes to criminal litigation, that money will have to be paid to the government, but if not, it will be paid as compensation to the trading company.”

“…….”

The alchemist, who had foolishly picked a fight, bit his lip.

However, there was nothing he could do.

It was Yuris, the commander of the Empire’s first knight order, who had stepped in as a guarantor.

There were very few people in the Empire who could rival her authority.

“Ah, I understand. I-I will give you an additional 10% as compensation.”

“Thank you!”

Receiving a hefty purse, I personally filled their cart with bottles of mana water.

The blue liquid contained in the well-packed glass bottles swayed gently.

With this, I could easily last for a month.

Having resolved a big issue, I could now focus on my magical research.

And on top of that, I had unexpected additional income.

The alchemist from the Siri Workshop returned to his workshop with slumped shoulders.

Having spent a considerable amount for stress relief, he would feel a bit sick inside.

But what could I do?

“If you don’t have a backer, you have to take the hit.”

With a beaming smile, I looked at Yuris.

By the way.

“Has the victory ceremony already ended?”

“Yes.”

“You came right back as soon as the ceremony was over.”

“That’s right.”

“You didn’t just come to see my face….”

I locked eyes with her.

Yuris, who met my gaze, averted her eyes.

“Oh, I want to see the illusion video today. Is that possible?”

“It is possible, but you will have to wait a bit. I need to reset the magic circle.”

“I see. How long will it take…?”

“Thirty minutes. Would you like to wait inside?”

“Sure.”

“Oh, and I will process the cost as the value of your help earlier. I will charge you much more than the usage fee.”

She nodded.

“Since I received this much, I will provide proper service as well.”

“Service…?”

“Yes, if you have a specific situation you want, you can input it directly. Normally, scene modifications incur additional fees, but since you came again, I will do it for free this time.”

“If it’s a new scene, can I start completely from the beginning?”

“That’s right.”

I handed her a piece of paper.

“I’ve also added an additional service list below. Please let me know if there is any service you would like.”

Yuris’s eyes showed no sign of leaving the paper.