I was sold to a dangerous place in order to repay my parents’ debt, and I ended up being bought by a vampire young lady. I became the feed for the beautiful maid.

Ikkun is unfair

“──Ikkun deflected Hero-kun’s sword.”

It took several tens of seconds just to comprehend what had happened.

In the face of such a swift move, both Lili and Sakuchan, as well as everyone else, opened their eyes wide in astonishment.

Except for one exception.

“──Kuhahaha!!”

Shoujou-kun, who had been watching alongside us, covered his face with his right hand and burst into laughter.

I couldn’t hide my surprise once again at seeing him like this for the first time. After all, he usually had a poker face and rarely laughed. Seeing him burst into laughter like this made me wonder if something was wrong.

Perhaps he noticed our gazes, as he composed himself and then spoke.

“Sorry about that. When I see such a predictable turn of events, I can’t help but laugh.”

“N-no, it’s fine… but do you know what happened to Ikkun?”

“Oh, that’s simple. Isaya went all out… that’s all there is to it.”

“Huh, all out? But I thought Ikkun wasn’t good at fighting with people…”

“Calling him weak just because he’s not good at it is a shallow judgment. If he puts his mind to it, he can easily pierce through defenses, like the paper-thin defense of that bear he fought in the first match.”

“W-what!?”

Both Sakuchan and I were shocked in unison by the news delivered as if it were a matter of course.

I had heard that he was an adventurer, but could it be that Ikkun was an incredibly skilled person?

“First of all, his perception of combat is different from that of other players.  They see it as a club activity match, while Isaya sees it as combat —almost like a life-or-death struggle. Even though he’s not facing monsters, there’s no way he’ll lose to those who have never experienced a life-and-death battle.”

“But, if that’s the case, why didn’t he fight seriously from the beginning?”

If he was so strong, he should have easily advanced from the first round. But Ikkun had been fighting with restraint until just now.

I couldn’t understand his intentions, and Shoujou-san snorted softly in response.

“He probably did it to crush that idiot physically and mentally. If he started out giving it his all, that hero syndrome patient would have made excuses like ‘I haven’t gone all out yet’.”

“Ugh…”

I could easily imagine that scene, and it made me shudder.

“In addition, Isaya tends to hold back consciously when it comes to fighting against people.”

“! …Is that so?”

“Huh? Saku-chan, did you figure something out?”

I asked Saku-chan, who seemed to have sensed something. She looked at Ikkun, who continued to deflect Hero-kun’s attacks, and then spoke.

“When you fight people with the mindset of fighting monsters, there’s a possibility of accidentally killing them. Even if you’re wearing armor and using a wooden sword with low lethality, it’s still risky if you hit the wrong spot. I can understand the feeling of thinking about what would happen if someone died because of your actions.”

“Sakuchan…”

 Sakuchan, a half-vampire, is extremely afraid of losing control due to bloodlust and attacking people. 

That’s why she understands Ikkun’s reluctance to engage with others.

For some reason, I can’t help but feel a little jealous.

“Like Hizuki said, as an adventurer, Isaya has captured many criminals without killing them, whether they were thieves or violent felons. It may sound simple, but in reality, incapacitating without killing requires advanced combat skills. That’s why his strength stands out among adventurers.”

Shoujou-san spoke with enthusiasm when discussing Ikkun’s abilities, his expression seemingly more animated than usual.Could it be that he was pleased with the compliments for his best friend?

“Mastering body enhancement was also for the sake of completing requests quickly and obtaining rewards. Regardless of low or high rewards, or even the toughest missions, if it’s a request, he solves it immediately with exceptional skills. This earned him the position of the highest-ranked S-rank adventurer, one of only fifteen among three million adventurers, and the title of ‘Cleaner’.”

“S-rank adventurer?!”

Saku-chan and I were equally shocked by Ikkun’s revealed title as an adventurer, as if it were a matter of course.

Becoming an S-rank adventurer was incredibly rare, and in terms of skill, they were said to be on par with King Verzeld himself.

I had a vague sense of his strength when he saved me from Senpai’s pet before. But I never expected him to be an adventurer of this caliber, even considered a hero.

“He didn’t mention any of this when I asked him before… Why did he keep it a secret?”

“He’s not a foolish braggart who flaunts his own power. He didn’t become strong to show off; he did it to ensure the completion of requests and earn rewards… in other words, to make money. Without that strength, he couldn’t even afford his daily meals.”

「「……」」

Shoujou-san muttered resentfully as if recalling Ikkun from that time. 

Saku-chan and I probably shared similar thoughts.

If Ikkun had become strong enough to become an S-rank adventurer, he must have earned a tremendous amount of money. Despite his dedication to his studies and becoming a scholarship student, his life remained impoverished. 

This could only mean one thing: Ikkun’s parents had accumulated a massive debt, surpassing the money he had earned.

Even though he desperately worked as an adventurer for them, they had sold their son into slavery to repay those debts, even though he risked his life as an adventurer.

I couldn’t fathom how someone could do such a cruel thing.

Uncontrollable anger surged within me toward the people who had nullified all of Ikkun’s efforts.

“Alright, enough about his parents. Look, the match is about to conclude.”

With visible frustration towards those who had now disappeared, Shoujou-san shook his head and gestured towards the ongoing match.

As we turned our attention, Hero-kun was preparing to strike Ikkun with a large sword of light.

It’s dangerous!

I almost shouted it aloud when…

“Disappear! Shining Bla—”

“I won’t let you involve my precious friends in your hero charade!!”

“—ueffet!? Gwaaahh!?”

Ikkun’s attack, which had somehow infiltrated without notice, not only intercepted Hero-kun’s strike but also slammed him into the ground. 

When the sand and dust, like a volcanic eruption, finally cleared, Hero-kun lay unconscious with his eyes rolled back.

Despite winning, Ikkun looked unperturbed as he gazed down at his fallen opponent. His demeanor was more than enough to convey the impression that Hero-kun had never been a match for him. 

Most people had never doubted Hero-kun’s victory, which made Ikkun’s triumph all the more astounding.

“Ikkun, you won… S-class adventurers are that strong, huh?”

I hadn’t doubted him, but witnessing his victory still left me in awe. Amidst the astonishment, Saku-chan clapped her hands softly and smiled.

“Isaya-kun, you won.”

“Saku-chan, aren’t you surprised?”

“Well, I believed Isaya-kun would win, after all.”

“What?!”

Hearing Sakuchan’s confident words about Ikkun’s victory, I felt a twinge of pain in my heart. It should have been obvious considering Saku-chan’s feelings, so why did I feel so unsettled…?

Before I could search for the answer to that question, Shoujou-san stifled a laugh and spoke.

“Heh heh. Although he usually doesn’t go all out against people, it seems he couldn’t tolerate that idiot’s antics.”

“Huh?”

“Well, it’s strange for someone like him to suddenly go all out. Most likely, it was for your sake, you idiot.”

“Lili’s sake?”

I couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of his words and contemplated it. 

Nonetheless, Shoujou-san continued his explanation without turning to face me.

“As I said before, Isaya intentionally saves the output of his body enhancement for battles against humans. However, there are two exceptions: when his own or someone else’s life is threatened and when someone he cares about is harmed.”

“Someone he cares about…”

“If you consider the words he used when finishing off the hero, it’s highly likely that it was to relieve your worries, which had reached a point where you were collapsing.”

“Because Lily was… worried?”

“While I don’t appreciate that it was a succubus, it’s precisely because of such a kind-hearted nature that Isaya is a suitable friend for my unicorn self. He doesn’t easily get angry about his own situation, but when it comes to his loved ones, he has a fiery temper.”

“—!!”

Despite his insulting words, Shoujou-san’s true intention came through, tightening my heart.

Despite his aversion to fighting people, he got genuinely angry because of me, who had cried. 

I recalled that he had also comforted and encouraged me when he had saved me before.

How much had I been saved by his kindness, even when sold into slavery by his own parents, he didn’t lose his kindness.

His cute panicky reactions when teased, and his serious and cool side when standing up for others – the glaring gap between these aspects of Ikkun made my heart race and my face blush uncontrollably.

Oh… I understand now.

The reason why I felt envious of Sakuchan and why my heart ached when I heard words of trust from her.

That’s why when I saw that topic, the first person who came to mind was Ikkun.

The ideal and lovely romance like Mom and Dad, the dream I had cherished since I was a child, even when my fellow succubi had ridiculed me.

The moment I found my first love I had been searching for to make that dream come true, my mind could think of no one but Ikkun.

I mean… Ikkun is so unfair.

He even managed to sweep away my worries.

I, Lili, I… I like Ikkun.