Chapter 31

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Cain, who was under house arrest, was having his meal in his room.

The kitchen staff would bring the meal on a tea cart to the front of his room, knock on the door, and leave it there.

Ilvaleno had several times brought the cart, which had been left in the hallway for a long time, into the room and called out to Cain.

"Hey, are you eating properly?"

A quick glance into the middle of the room revealed the cart, still covered with a cloth.

"I am eating... Even if you're depressed, you still get hungry."

Seeming to be disappointed with himself, Cain hung his head even lower. He stood up once, lifted the cloth from the cart, and saw that the bread had been half-eaten and the tomatoes from the salad were missing.

Ilvaleno sighed deeply and pushed the cart to the bedside.

"First, eat your meal. You’re not a bird on a perch; nibbling on a little bit of bread doesn’t count as eating."

The bird feeder Cain had made in the garden attracted many small birds when he placed breadcrumbs on it. However, only birds small enough to fit in the palm of a hand would come, so he never managed to get any feathers suitable for quills. Ilvaleno was using this as an analogy to tease Cain for eating too little.

Bringing the cart with the meal to the side of the bed, Ilvaleno sat on the edge of the bed again, grabbed Cain’s chin, and forced him to look up.

"Open your mouth. Eat your meal."

Saying this, he forcefully inserted a spoonful of soup into Cain’s dazed mouth.

As Cain coughed and his eyes widened, Ilvaleno continued to stuff beans from the salad into his mouth.

"Being alone and being hungry isn’t a crime, right? That’s what Sakae-bachan said, right?"

Cain wasn’t feeling unwell; he was just chewing the food that had been forced into his mouth. When he saw Cain’s throat move, Ilvaleno stuffed more food into his mouth.

"Compassion is not just for others, right?"

"You remember that well..."

That was the phrase Cain had said right after he found Ilvaleno. It was a famous line from a hit movie in his previous life and a proverb known to have two meanings.

Despite being injured and disoriented at the time, Ilvaleno had remembered it, which surprised Cain.

"At that time, you showed me compassion. So I will return it to you."

Stopping the force-feeding, Ilvaleno placed the spoon in Cain’s hand. He grabbed Cain’s shoulder, leaned in close, and stared into his eyes.

"Eat your meal. If you’re going to be alone and think dark thoughts, I’ll stay with you. I’ll even sleep with you at night if you want. I can read to you to keep you from thinking too much."

"Ilvaleno..."

"The other children are looking forward to when you’ll come. Selenosta is picking and polishing strong stones to give to Dianah. The orphans are on your and Dianah’s side, because you showed them compassion. This is what 'compassion is not just for others' means, right? Is this a failure?"

"If you lack strength, I’ll train with you. If you need more hands, I’ll lend them. If you’re scared, I’ll face it with you. Don’t look so pitiful!"

The face of the young Ilvaleno, who was only seven, overlapped with the image of a young man, the 17-year-old Ilvaleno, whose features were clearly visible.

"I’ll be by your side. I’ll protect you from everything that threatens you. I’ll remove those who belittle you. I’ll push away those who make you sad. I’ll return the same wounds to those who hurt you. Don’t look so sad..."

This was the final scene of the Ilvaleno route in the Unlimited Magic Academy game, the last scene of the massacre route. The surroundings were a sea of blood, and the other targets and the villainess Dianah were already dead. It was the scene where the mentally broken Ilvaleno tried to save the protagonist, to be by their side, and to confess his feelings.

The Ilvaleno from that scene and the Ilvaleno who was encouraging Cain now.

"Nothing has changed... The way you say things is the same."

The Ilvaleno who, in his broken state, could only protect the protagonist by eliminating enemies. But look at this. Just being there together can make such a difference. He’s willing to fight alongside me.

To avoid the massacre route, Cain had tried hard to prevent Ilvaleno from harboring darkness in his heart. He had picked him up, accepted him, and treated him as a friend. While his actions were partly to save Dianah and himself, the days they spent playing, studying, and doting on Dianah were genuinely enjoyable.

Even after ten years, this Ilvaleno would never kill Cain and Dianah. This was a certainty.

"Everything I did has borne fruit... The results are clear..."

This was a realization.

Nothing was in vain. There might be failures, but there was a clear path to a happy future, even if it was a narrow one.

The successful example right in front of him, Ilvaleno.

Cain hugged him and burst into tears.