Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

While reflecting on the game, Jo Yi-shin only talked about chess.
Jo Yi-shin not only knew that Baek Ho-gun had studied famous games, but he also knew exactly which games he had studied.
Moreover, Jo Yi-shin could pinpoint Baek Ho-gun’s weaknesses.

Baek Ho-gun, too, could easily tell if someone was handling a sword for the first time or identify their weak points during a sparring session, so this wasn’t surprising to him.
However, even though he wasn’t surprised, it didn’t feel good to be on the receiving end of it.
Jo Yi-shin sharply pointed it out.

“I know you’ve studied famous games. But I’ve studied those too. So, of course, I know the counters to the strategies used in those games. Didn’t you think of that? Also, it seems you still don’t fully grasp the differences between Chinese chess and regular chess.”
Baek Ho-gun was about to argue that he wouldn’t have studied if he hadn’t understood the differences, but Jo Yi-shin moved first.
With a quick motion, the child captured and moved Baek Ho-gun’s white knight.

Seeing the movement of the piece, Baek Ho-gun’s dissatisfaction quickly faded.
“You’re mixing up the knight in chess with the horse in Chinese chess. The knight can move over other pieces unlike the horse, so if you move the knight like this….”
Jo Yi-shin’s tone wasn’t exactly friendly, but he chose his words carefully, offering exactly what Baek Ho-gun needed to hear.

Despite his youth, Jo Yi-shin seemed to have some experience in teaching others.
Had Jo Yi-shin explained chess to an inexperienced opponent before?
Baek Ho-gun casually asked, “Have you ever taught someone before?”

“I’ve taught my younger siblings how to play chess.”
As soon as the child mentioned his younger siblings, his expression softened noticeably.
The tiredness that had been built up seemed to melt away.

It seemed that one of the reasons this young child continued to fight such difficult battles was because of his younger siblings.
Though Baek Ho-gun saw Jo Yi-shin as still very young, there was someone younger and someone to protect in Jo Yi-shin’s eyes.
‘I understand that feeling.’
Eun Ho was Baek Ho-gun’s adopted younger sibling, but Eun Ho wasn’t just young and weak.

Eun Ho was the first leader of the Hojo family and possessed the wisdom and decisiveness to match.
If Baek Ho-gun fought using brute strength, it was obvious who would win, but if Eun Ho used strategy, Baek Ho-gun would have a tough time.
Baek Ho-gun knew this well, but he still wanted to protect Eun Ho.

Thinking of Eun Ho, Baek Ho-gun found himself struck by a thought.
‘If it were Eun Ho, he’d probably try to use this situation to his advantage. What if I were to play like Eun Ho in this situation? What would be the best move?’
Baek Ho-gun had come here to search for his younger sibling, resolve to fight the nightmare, and Jo Yi-shin seemed to be protecting someone dear to him—perhaps a younger sibling.

If Baek Ho-gun spoke of his younger sibling and Jo Yi-shin spoke of his, they could establish common ground.
Moreover, since Baek Ho-gun had come to this distant world searching for his sibling, if Jo Yi-shin learned of this, it might change his impression of Baek Ho-gun.
Once that impression shifted, it would be easier to ease Jo Yi-shin’s attitude and offer him the blessing.

With this shallow calculation in mind, Baek Ho-gun decided to mention his sibling.
“Well, I have a younger sibling too. Since you have one as well, we have something in common…”
“You don’t need to know about my sibling.”

Baek Ho-gun’s shallow strategy quickly fell apart.
He hadn’t even made his move properly, but already, it felt like he was getting caught.
Jo Yi-shin stared at Baek Ho-gun over his glasses.

“I thought there must be a reason you’re here, offering blessings with your true name. But why bring up your sibling? Is your sibling in this world?”
Until now, Jo Yi-shin had pretended not to listen when Baek Ho-gun spoke of his world or the nightmare, but after carefully listening and processing it, he came to his own conclusions.
Jo Yi-shin, despite his tired appearance, was collecting information and reasoning carefully.

On the chessboard, after the game was over, Baek Ho-gun’s king had fallen.
At some point, Jo Yi-shin had moved the pieces until Baek Ho-gun’s defeat.
“But even if I know your sibling is in this world, I’m sure you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» don’t know exactly where they are or what they’re doing. If you did, you wouldn’t have offered me the blessing with your true name; you’d have given it to your sibling or brought them back instead.”

Baek Ho-gun may have been careless because Jo Yi-shin was young, tired, or seemed to be dealing only with chess, but Jo Yi-shin had seen through his lapse in judgment.
Jo Yi-shin quickly pierced through Baek Ho-gun’s weakness.
After a brief conversation that didn’t really feel like a conversation, and after just one chess match, Baek Ho-gun realized that Jo Yi-shin had figured out the reason, purpose, and methods behind his actions almost entirely.

Watching Baek Ho-gun remain silent, Jo Yi-shin confirmed his suspicions and gave a suspicious smile.
“I’ll use anything I can to stop the nightmare. Whether it’s an unknown true name or a blessing, I don’t care. But if it seems useless, I won’t take the risk and grab that hand.”
Has anyone ever questioned Baek Ho-gun’s value before?

No one had ever dared speak so bluntly to him, and no one likely would in the future.
Phaaa…
As Jo Yi-shin spoke, white energy began to shimmer in Baek Ho-gun’s eyes.

Without realizing it, Baek Ho-gun activated his spiritual vision and began to focus intently on Jo Yi-shin.
Jo Yi-shin, merely sitting and speaking, didn’t know that Baek Ho-gun was using his spiritual vision, so it didn’t affect him.
Baek Ho-gun wasn’t sure whether he was seeing Jo Yi-shin as prey or if he wanted Jo Yi-shin to gain his spiritual vision, but he hadn’t quite figured it out yet.

Despite facing Baek Ho-gun’s spiritual gaze head-on, Jo Yi-shin remained unaffected.
“If I receive a blessing from your true name, does that mean you’ll be able to see into my mind? If I’m up against someone who can only make moves like this, it’s obvious you wouldn’t understand anything just by looking inside. If you want to give me a blessing, you’d better practice.”
After the reflection was over, Jo Yi-shin, as if it was time to wrap things up, told Baek Ho-gun to leave.

Hearing the command to leave, Baek Ho-gun didn’t realize the most important thing until he was far along his way back.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
‘If the nightmare succeeds in stalemating and wins, Jo Yi-shin becomes the incarnation of the nightmare. Then what are Jo Yi-shin’s conditions for victory? And what will he gain if he wins?’

It bothered him, but Baek Ho-gun didn’t ask.
Even though he had been scolded thoroughly by Jo Yi-shin, Baek Ho-gun was still arrogant in his thoughts.
‘Either way, Jo Yi-shin will receive my blessing. After that, I’ll naturally be able to read his thoughts, so there’s no need to ask.’

This wasn’t just Baek Ho-gun’s guess; it was a certainty.
Baek Ho-gun was proficient not only in martial arts but also in abstract strategic games like Go and Chinese chess.
Though he wasn’t yet accustomed to chess, Baek Ho-gun was confident that one day he would reach a level of understanding that would satisfy Jo Yi-shin.

With that thought in mind, Baek Ho-gun threw himself into studying chess and continued to meet Jo Yi-shin in his dreams, challenging him to matches, repeatedly failing.
When Jo Yi-shin saw Baek Ho-gun return without tiring, he spoke.
“You’ve gotten better. The nightmare’s momentum is still strong, so I guess you’ve gotten used to fighting and carving your way through it.”

Though Jo Yi-shin hadn’t given much of a glance, it seemed like he had been watching carefully.
Since Jo Yi-shin had recognized Baek Ho-gun’s value, it made sense he’d notice this improvement.
‘This must be some kind of test.’

The strength to cross over the remnants of the nightmare.
The unyielding will to challenge Jo Yi-shin.
The intellectual ability to grow through the game.

Just as Baek Ho-gun had assessed Jo Yi-shin’s abilities and will in the fight against the nightmare, Jo Yi-shin had done the same.
And about a year later.
“Check.”

This time, Baek Ho-gun lost.
But it wasn’t as devastating and humiliating as the first loss.
They had played a close game until the mid-game, but from the endgame, the gap started to widen, and by five moves before checkmate, the game had already tilted in Jo Yi-shin’s favor.

Baek Ho-gun couldn’t hold back his disappointment and knocked down his king.
Normally, Jo Yi-shin would silently reflect on the game, but this time was different.
Jo Yi-shin, sitting across from Baek Ho-gun, looked up at him, his small figure still looking up as he spoke.

“You can accept the blessing if you want.”
“……!”
Baek Ho-gun was caught off guard and jumped up from his seat.

He felt ridiculous for being so elated by the words of such a young child, but there was no denying his joy.
Baek Ho-gun immediately thought of giving Jo Yi-shin the blessing by retrieving his true name from this world, but before he could, Jo Yi-shin spoke again.
“There’s a condition.”

“Tell me.”
“I’ll help, but don’t interfere.”
An odd condition.

But Baek Ho-gun didn’t argue at all.
He was confident that he wouldn’t be a hindrance if he fought alongside Jo Yi-shin.
Without hesitation, he agreed, thinking Jo Yi-shin might change his mind before the moment passed.

“Understood.”
Baek Ho-gun would later regret agreeing to that condition, but he couldn’t back out now.
All he could do was watch Jo Yi-shin and keep his gaze fixed, ensuring he didn’t disturb him.

The condition, “Don’t interfere,” wasn’t as simple as it sounded. It was an excuse to prevent Baek Ho-gun from trying to forcefully help Jo Yi-shin.
Jo Yi-shin had known that Baek Ho-gun wouldn’t abandon him or try to harm him. The blessing was a test to make sure Baek Ho-gun would stick to that.
Baek Ho-gun only realized after he gave the blessing that Jo Yi-shin had become more reliant on him than he’d thought.

“Jo Yi-shin, cancel that condition.”
“No.”
Baek Ho-gun tried to persuade and even threatened, but it didn’t work.

Jo Yi-shin could already read Baek Ho-gun’s thoughts, and knew that no matter what Baek Ho-gun tried, it wouldn’t affect him.
The condition remained in place, never to be rescinded.
At first, Baek Ho-gun visited to check on Jo Yi-shin in this strange world and offer help when needed. However, when Jo Yi-shin coldly rejected his interference, Baek Ho-gun’s actions became more subdued.

Eventually, Baek Ho-gun refrained from speaking much, trying not to interfere.
Even when there were times when he had to deal with imitators of his true name or warn the mountain spirit who tried to obstruct Jo Yi-shin, he chose to stay silent.
In the annex of the Hwangmyeongho mansion.

The longer Baek Ho-gun spoke, the more Jeok Ho’s cursing diminished, and he only sighed.
Baek Ho-gun suddenly stopped talking and drank his tea.
Seeing Jeok Ho glare at him for an answer, but receiving no reaction, Eun Ho finally spoke.

“Baek Ho-gun, you’ve shared a lot, but you’ve left out many important parts. We’ve only heard a little about what happened just before the blessing and how it relates to the present. There must have been a lot more in between.”
“That's right. Why stop speaking in the middle?”
“Jo Yi-shin told me to stop.”

“Ha.”
“I promised not to interfere with Jo Yi-shin, so I’ll prioritize that.”
When Jo Yi-shin’s name was mentioned, the Hojo members fell silent.

Hwang Ho let out a deep sigh, and Jeok Ho’s surroundings crackled with tension.
“No, you’re really going to stay quiet now…!”
“If I force you to listen to me, it means I’m disregarding Jo Yi-shin’s will. Do you understand that?”

Baek Ho-gun, having no defense, took a sip of his remaining tea and gracefully finished it off.
No one refilled his cup afterward.