EX rank supporting role’s replay in a prestigious school-Chapter 1099: At the end of a long fight (9)

Eungwang District was the divine realm of the Hojo family, and Eungwang High was the heart of that divine realm.

Especially the central area, Eungwang High, was protected by the firm barrier of the Twelve Zodiac Alliance and contained a powerful spiritual energy.

The protector of the divine realm, Hwang Ho, had the authority to know everything that happened within the Eungwang District, and this power manifested more strongly within Eungwang High. However, there were exceptions.

One of the spaces where Hwang Ho could not intervene was the Central Zone of Eungwang High, specifically the Total Clubhouse, the Chess Club's sub-room, Stalemate.

With this background in mind, Yong Je-gun, when Jo Yi-shin summoned him to talk about the Weeping Tiger in Stalemate, didn't question it much and simply came enthusiastically.

‘I know Yi-shin isn’t unaware of the typhoon news, but he called me out. This must be urgent.’

As a higher existence closely related to the weather, Yong Je-gun and his dragon tribe were greatly affected by it.

Of course, if someone like Yong Je-gun, a dragon whose power was not closely tied to the Five Elements, were strong enough, they could exert powerful strength regardless of the weather.

But Yong Je-gun understood Jo Yi-shin’s nature well.

If it hadn’t been something critical, Jo Yi-shin would never have summoned him out of the dragon tribe’s domain during a powerful typhoon.

It was exciting enough that Jo Yi-shin was carrying the nightmare, but for him to summon him like this made Yong Je-gun feel exhilarated.

Still, there was something troubling him.

‘I’m worried that Yi-shin hasn’t checked the message right away. Did I become someone like Hwang Ho to him, unread and ignored?’

Yong Je-gun couldn’t imagine that Jo Yi-shin had fainted after sending the reservation message. He arrived in front of the Stalemate room.

Expecting that the diligent Jo Yi-shin would have arrived early and be waiting, he found instead some unexpected figures waiting.

Baek Ho-gun and Kim Shin-rok.

“Shin-rok and Baek Ho-gun are here too. Where’s Yi-shin?”

Though Yong Je-gun spoke lightly, as soon as he faced them, he felt the sharpness of a well-forged blade coming near his throat.

The Hojo family’s anger toward the Wung tribe was immeasurably deep.

Especially the True Bloods of the Mythical Realm did not hide their heavy murderous intent toward the Weeping Tiger, who had used the love of the Red Tiger to cast her down into the abyss.

No matter the reason, if the relationship between the Weeping Tiger and Yong Je-gun became known, there was no way Yong Je-gun would remain safe.

But Yong Je-gun had no intention of running away.

‘If Yi-shin had set a trap to capture me, he wouldn’t have called me to Stalemate. Besides, Yi-shin wouldn’t think like that.’

Baek Ho-gun stared at Yong Je-gun with an indifferent look.

Though his thoughts were unreadable, it somehow seemed as if he could see through Yong Je-gun’s mind completely.

In truth, Jo Yi-shin in the dream was reading Yong Je-gun’s reactions through Baek Ho-gun and clearly following the flow of his thoughts.

[Yong Je-gun won’t flee. Go inside and talk right away.]

Baek Ho-gun, while considering how to block the exit if Yong Je-gun tried to escape, spoke indifferently.

“Let’s go in and talk.”

“Let’s do that.”

Yong Je-gun readily accepted Baek Ho-gun’s suggestion and entered Stalemate.

Inside the room were chess boards made of various materials, books, and data chips about chess strategy and problem-solving scattered around.

As Baek Ho-gun took it in, Jo Yi-shin in the dream could feel a slight dizziness and bitterness.

It wasn’t as strong a reaction as when he had first participated in the school tournament, trying to forcefully grab a chess piece in his hands to overcome it.

[Now I’m fine even seeing this. Let’s get to the point.]

Jo Yi-shin, grumbling that he didn’t need to worry, was a little playful, but Baek Ho-gun decided to follow his words for now.

In fact, Baek Ho-gun had been eagerly waiting for the moment when he would reveal the truth to the dragons, who had been babbling on about how they were the benefactors of the dragon tribe, with no clue about the real situation.

“I’ll speak directly. I had already granted the blessing to you, Yong Je-gun, long before you even knew Jo Yi-shin.”

At these words, both Yong Je-gun and even Kim Shin-rok, who had been silent, widened their mouths.

Yong Je-gun smiled excitedly, while Kim Shin-rok appeared surprised.

“Baek Ho-gun, the blessing was already with Yi-shin? He still seemed like he had some leeway, despite having imprinted that presence! Then, since we’re here, how about receiving the dragon tribe’s blessing too?”

“Yong Je-gun, I know everything that Jo Yi-shin knows. Do you understand what that means?”

[Are you sure? You don’t know everything. You know I sometimes wait for you to lose focus before reading your thoughts, right?]

Before Yong Je-gun spouted nonsense, Jo Yi-shin interrupted.

Baek Ho-gun didn’t like how Jo Yi-shin was acting as if he knew everything.

However, Jo Yi-shin, who was in the dream, could not intervene in reality or silence Baek Ho-gun’s mouth.

‘If you’re upset, get up and recover your body quickly and stop me.’

Thinking this, Jo Yi-shin’s thoughts became more hostile, but Baek Ho-gun didn’t care.

Instead, he faced Yong Je-gun, who was looking at him while gauging his intentions.

“Yong Je-gun, have you forgotten what message Jo Yi-shin sent?”

“Yi-shin thought it was necessary for me to speak on this matter?”

“Yes.”

Jo Yi-shin, who had played the Plumago and crossed over to this world, had clashed with Baek Ho-gun over several matters.

One of the most significant issues had been the Weeping Tiger.

Baek Ho-gun had wanted to capture the Weeping Tiger and send her into the abyss by mobilizing the Hojo family, rather than negotiating with her.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

By doing so, he believed he could resolve all the issues and obtain the information and items she held.

However, Jo Yi-shin opposed, saying that if they were to break the condition of “not interfering,” they should take the blessing as well, persuading him to be more cautious. In the end, Baek Ho-gun relented.

“Jo Yi-shin, after reading the game modeled after this world and my memories, formed a hypothesis. If that thought hadn’t been convincing, I would have already slain both you and the Weeping Tiger.”

“What? Baek Ho-gun, did you just...?”

Kim Shin-rok was shocked.

Kim Shin-rok, who had been startled by the possibility that Baek Ho-gun could have killed Yong Je-gun, was even more stunned upon hearing the mention of the Weeping Tiger.

Cold murderous intent appeared in Baek Ho-gun’s eyes.

“You know, when dealing with the Wung tribe and those who collude with them to harm the Hojo family, my constraints vanish.”

Baek Ho-gun had never tolerated the Weeping Tiger.

Had he not trusted Jo Yi-shin’s thoughts, he would have seized the opportunity on the day of the Dream Auction to wield the Sword of Wung.

Yong Je-gun, stunned by Baek Ho-gun’s murderous intent, the absent Jo Yi-shin, and the recently revealed blessing, widened his eyes in amazement.

“Then Yi-shin brought up the Weeping Tiger’s story knowing that everything was being relayed to you?”

“I granted the blessing to Jo Yi-shin while he was battling nightmares in the dream. Jo Yi-shin only recently recognized my blessing while awake.”

“Did Yi-shin also hide it from himself? He must have been angry.”

[Don’t let yourself be fooled by Yong Je-gun’s rhetoric. Ask the prepared questions.]

Jo Yi-shin, thinking back to the times he had been swayed by Yong Je-gun’s rhetoric, knew this wasn’t the time for that.

Baek Ho-gun, realizing Jo Yi-shin’s thoughts, let the words slip, which helped him ignore Yong Je-gun’s rhetoric.

“Now, tell me everything about the deals and locations you’ve had with the Weeping Tiger.”

“If I don’t tell you?”

“I’ll find a way to make you speak.”

[Why are you saying it like that? If needed, just use my wish power, didn’t you say you would? Do you plan to torture Yong Je-gun? Have your disciple do it?]

Jo Yi-shin protested, but Baek Ho-gun remained confident.

Baek Ho-gun hadn’t even resorted to threats yet.

“You’re discussing something this important, but where is Yi-shin? Didn’t he send a message asking to meet?”

“Yi-shin didn’t specifically say he would meet.”

The message Jo Yi-shin sent indeed lacked a subject or object.

“It seems Yi-shin can’t be here himself. If he had wanted to see you, he wouldn’t have sent Baek Ho-gun. He must be asleep. What does Yi-shin say?”

“He says, ‘Why are you saying it like that?’”

[That was aimed at you, wasn’t it?]

“Did you notice that what Baek Ho-gun just said also lacked a subject and object?”

Yong Je-gun skillfully pinpointed the flaw, but the momentum was already shifting.

He had to speak about the deal with the Weeping Tiger.

Yong Je-gun glanced at his only close friend, who was frozen, then at the Hojo family’s greatest warrior, who was glaring at him.

He then straightened up and stared back at the greatest warrior of the Hojo family, responding.

“If I speak wrongly, I may not only lose my position as a teacher at Eungwang High but could be dragged into the Hojo family’s abyss and tortured, and this might also plant the seed of conflict between the Hojo and dragon tribes... My only close friend and I could be forever estranged. Does Yi-shin not realize how dangerous this is?”

“Yes.”

Jo Yi-shin’s overwhelming sense of guilt was palpable, but Baek Ho-gun said nothing.

Instead of stopping Jo Yi-shin, he chose to listen.

Yong Je-gun hesitated.

‘If I speak, something very interesting is likely to happen.’

Despite knowing this, his mouth didn’t open easily.

Even after breaking his gaze from Kim Shin-rok, the worried face of his close friend lingered for a moment.

But soon, his heart leaned toward speaking.

Trusting Jo Yi-shin, Yong Je-gun finally opened his mouth.

“Do you remember when Je-ho was captured by the Wung tribe? At that time, Je-ho met the Weeping Tiger. Not long after, I too met her.”

Yong Je-gun took his time explaining everything.

The many times he met with the Weeping Tiger, where, and what they had exchanged.

When it became clear that Yong Je-gun had met with the Weeping Tiger not once or twice, but numerous times, Kim Shin-rok’s expression darkened.

Kim Shin-rok, his legs giving way, slumped into a nearby chair, as Baek Ho-gun and Yong Je-gun stood.

By the time Yong Je-gun’s long explanation finished, Kim Shin-rok had bowed his head so deeply that his expression was no longer visible.

Yong Je-gun’s smiling face remained unnaturally still, like a piece of sculpture.

“One last question. Do you have a way to summon the Weeping Tiger?”

“No, it’s always been the other way around. She contacts me, and if I feel like it, I respond.”

Yong Je-gun answered as if he had given up when Baek Ho-gun asked.

Jo Yi-shin had expected this, but he felt very disappointed.

Even as he felt the weight of guilt grow stronger, Jo Yi-shin said nothing.

‘This was something he would learn eventually. I thought it was better for him to know ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) before the events you predicted occur. Trust my choice. There’s no need for guilt.’

Jo Yi-shin was silent.

Instead of waiting for Jo Yi-shin’s reaction, Baek Ho-gun spoke.

“I have to take care of the task Yi-shin asked of me.”

“Baek Ho-gun, are you leaving just like this?”

“Yes.”

Baek Ho-gun left the Stalemate room, leaving the two behind.

Yong Je-gun, who had expected Baek Ho-gun to take Kim Shin-rok with him, widened his eyes in surprise when he turned his back and left him behind.

“If that dragon gives you trouble, I’ll strike him down for you. So don’t worry and have your conversation.”

Baek Ho-gun left these words to his disciple before walking out of the room.

Without hesitation, Baek Ho-gun headed to the location Jo Yi-shin had designated.

Jo Yi-shin’s next move was prepared in the 2nd-year Class 0 classroom.

Being a member of Class 0, Baek Ho-gun had free access without needing Hwang Ho’s help.

‘It’s my first time in the classroom.’

[...I see. If you come, Hyung Geumhyung will be happy, whether it’s the True Bloods or not.]

Jo Yi-shin, who had remained silent, finally spoke up.

Baek Ho-gun faintly smiled as he input the password for Jo Yi-shin’s locker.

Inside the well-organized locker, there was a holster capable of holding cards.

Before the third round began, when he had stopped by the school, Jo Yi-shin had placed equipment there.

Inside the holster was the item card labeled “Wealth and the Weight of Life.”