Ex Rank Supporting Role's Replay in a Prestigious School
Chapter 878: Selection (8)

When Unsa, Pungbaek, and Usa all volunteered to stay by the god’s side, everyone was amazed by their loyalty.

The three of them had left their divine ranks to come down to this land as administrators, and now, they were willing to sacrifice their lives to stay by the god’s side. It was truly remarkable.

Eunho didn’t question their decision to stay with the god.

"You three are trustworthy. I can rely on you," he said.

The only one anxious was Unsa.

Pungbaek and Usa didn’t show their true feelings unless they were alone with each other, making it hard to judge if they had truly defected.

Even among the closest of families, it wasn’t uncommon to feel hurt or say things out of frustration over small misunderstandings.

So, even if Pungbaek and Usa had shown slight signs of discontent behind the god’s back, it was hard to hold it against them.

They were Unsa’s old friends, after all.

‘If Pungbaek and Usa are neglecting the god, I’ll just serve the god more devotedly.’

Unsa hoped that, through this crisis, they would once again learn to trust and follow the god.

However, there was another element troubling Unsa’s mind.

It was the presence of the Bear Tribe.

"The defense line established by the Bear Tribe has collapsed in part. There are casualties," Eunho reported.

"Casualties... They were the first to propose a joint front between the aristocrats and the Bear Tribe," Unsa remarked.

Having met a powerful common enemy, those who sought peace between the aristocrats and the Bear Tribe had joined forces. But now, the peacemakers had fallen in battle, and a cunning enemy was scheming to sow discord between them, making it impossible to guarantee the alliance’s survival.

The invaders aimed to win over either the aristocrats or the Bear Tribe and provoke internal strife.

Though Eunho and the Bear Tribe leaders had uncovered and dealt with each attempt, the war could still drag on for an unpredictable amount of time.

As the anxiety spread, Eunho spoke firmly.

"As long as Jeokho and Eungnyeo are firmly united, the alliance between the aristocrats and the Bear Tribe will not break. These two, having received the Heavenly God’s power and achieved great victories on the battlefield, care deeply for one another. How could the aristocrats and the Bear Tribe turn their backs on each other?"

After the thirty-seven-day trial, the strength and stature of Jeokho and Eungnyeo had grown significantly.

The two heroes had repelled countless invaders on the battlefield, and they cherished each other deeply.

Even those who argued that the aristocrats and the Bear Tribe should separate couldn’t dare speak up in front of them.

Though Eunho’s words helped to calm Unsa’s anxiety somewhat, there was still worry lingering.

‘As Eunho said, as long as Jeokho and Eungnyeo are united, any issue that arises will be resolved. But if they turn away...’

Unsa, troubled by this thought, reduced his sleep and moved busily.

When he was with the god, he kept an eye on Pungbaek and Usa, and during his free time, he observed the movements of the Bear Tribe.

One day, he found himself surrounded by the Bear Tribe while observing Eungnyeo.

‘To have things arranged like this during wartime...’

Eungnyeo’s seat was covered with carefully groomed fur, and petals—out of season—were scattered around her. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t real flower petals but gemstones shaped to look like flowers.

It was unclear whether Eungnyeo had requested to sit there, as she was hiding an embarrassed expression behind a fan.

While looking at her, young members of the Bear Tribe flushed red and tried to court her.

After confessing their feelings, they tried to persuade Eungnyeo, who had chosen Jeokho.

"Eungnyeo, why did you choose that wild tiger?"

"Among all the people who admire you in the Bear Tribe, reconsider your choice."

"What is it about that insane tiger from the aristocrats that you find so appealing?"

Though Unsa knew many had feelings for the strong and beautiful Eungnyeo, he hadn’t expected so many to step forward.

Feeling awkward, Unsa didn’t know what to do—whether to intervene and take Eungnyeo away or retreat and call for Jeokho.

As the voices of the Bear Tribe grew louder, Eungnyeo closed her fan and stood up.

That simple movement was so graceful that even the shouting Bear Tribe members paused in awe, staring at her in silence.

"Let me tell you what I like about Jeokho and where you all fall short."

The Bear Tribe members were captivated by Eungnyeo’s alluring presence and voice.

Their minds only returned when her words, sharp as a slap, hit them.

"You are less attractive than Jeokho, so looking at you is painful. You walk slower than Jeokho and have bad posture, so it’s hard to walk together. And the one over there has such a foul energy that just being near him is uncomfortable."

Eungnyeo evaluated her suitors harshly based on various criteria, decisively rejecting them.

At first, Unsa was taken aback, but as he listened more, he could feel Eungnyeo’s deep affection for Jeokho, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

However, none of the reasons Eungnyeo gave had anything to do with her personality.

Though Jeokho was handsome and a formidable fighter, he had always acted like a wild beast to everyone except Eungnyeo.

"The tiger I chose is much more handsome and brave than any of you. Do you understand now?"

Eungnyeo, smiling, dismissed all of her suitors with cruel, truthful words.

Her demeanor was still regal, but there was a sense of relief in her expression.

It seemed that she had acted so harshly because the Bear Tribe had been persistent.

Despite being struck, the Bear Tribe members muttered that Eungnyeo was blinded by love.

Eungnyeo, still smiling, replied.

"Don’t you think my eyes are more accurate than yours? If you’re unhappy, try to beat me."

They say lovers resemble each other, and Eungnyeo had used words that Jeokho would say.

The Bear Tribe members hesitated, unable to beat Eungnyeo.

Then, one of them, the man whose energy had been described as disgusting, stepped forward.

"Eungnyeo, you must be unhappy with your choice, so I’ll fight you."

This Bear Tribe member had been one of the final candidates to face Eungnyeo during the trial.

He was certainly as strong as Eungnyeo, but she had no intention of losing.

Dangerous light flickered in Eungnyeo’s eyes.

She looked ready to reduce him to dust at any moment.

Before Eungnyeo could swing her fan, a red lightning struck between the Bear Tribe, splitting them apart.

Zzzzzzt!

The sound of lightning was accompanied by a barrage of insults.

Unsa almost fainted, questioning his ears after hearing what Jeokho had said, but quickly realized that it was something Jeokho would say and accepted it.

Jeokho, without hesitation, began hunting the bears.

"Has this bear lost his mind, daring to touch Eungnyeo? I’ll tear him into three parts and throw his body into the sea to lure the invaders!"

Jeokho was filled with fury.

Though some of the Bear Tribe resisted, Eungnyeo attacked them subtly and assisted Jeokho.

In the chaos, no one could withstand Eungnyeo’s ambushes.

After the Bear Tribe members were thoroughly beaten, Eungnyeo, with a sad voice, stopped Jeokho.

"It’s because of people like this that you had to speak those words..."

Only then did Jeokho stop, looking down at the fallen Bear Tribe members with regret.

Unsa thought that Jeokho might regret his actions, but that wasn’t the case.

Jeokho was only regretting that he hadn’t used more polite language in front of Eungnyeo.

"Eungnyeo, I’m sorry. I promised to speak only words befitting a lover, but I didn’t keep it."

"You don’t need to apologize. It’s all because of these trash. It’s been a while since I’ve heard such rough words from you, Jeokho. It’s refreshing."

The Bear Tribe, frustrated from being beaten, had to watch their love affair up close.

In any case, it became clear that no matter how much the Bear Tribe schemed, their love would never waver.

While Unsa was observing from above the clouds, he landed on the ground.

"You’ve finally come down. I’m relieved that Jeokho arrived just in time."

Eunho had been waiting for Unsa.

Eunho seemed to have seen through the entire situation.

Unsa, still perplexed, asked.

"Eunho sent Jeokho?"

"Yes. I figured you’d be worried about the two of them. I was too," Eunho replied.

Unsa couldn’t figure out what trick Eunho had used, but he knew Eunho had been aware that Unsa had been watching them.

Unsa felt a bit embarrassed.

Eunho offered Unsa some tea.

"I also know well how important the relationship between the two of them is to the alliance. I’ll always be mindful of it," Eunho said.

They spent a lot of time talking, sometimes pausing to silently savor their tea.

After talking with Eunho and drinking the tea, Unsa felt his anxiety begin to ease.

"Recently, the Bear Tribe has been researching ways to fight the invaders. The first person Jeokho defeated today was someone who had been leading this research. Now I know how strong they are compared to the aristocrats."

The Bear Tribe’s elite had gathered their strength, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Jeokho.

Eunho seemed to have used this situation to further solidify the bond between Jeokho and Eungnyeo and test the strength of the Bear Tribe.

What could have been a trivial anecdote had made Unsa feel compelled to think about it.

He had seen Pungbaek and Usa advising the Bear Tribe members.

When the story of Jeokho and Eungnyeo came up, the tigers fell silent.

Since Jeokho was present, they seemed to be trying to choose their words carefully.

But as the conversation continued, something nagged at Unsa’s mind.

‘Eunho said he would always care for Jeokho and Eungnyeo. But why didn’t he notice Eungnyeo’s betrayal?’

The moment Eunho realized Eungnyeo’s betrayal was when Jeokho came to him, having understood the meaning of his actions.

Had there been any reason Eunho was so careless?

There was a time gap between when Unsa spoke and when Eungnyeo betrayed, and many variables were involved, but it still seemed strange.

Of course, there was room for excuses.

‘Between the two incidents, Eunho must have opposed the Heavenly God’s will, handed the descendants over to the Tortoise Clan, and weakened. When Jeokho asked for atonement, Hwang Jiho was temporarily leading the clan.’

Given that Eunho had been in a weakened state and had to temporarily step down from his position, it was possible that he had missed Eungnyeo’s betrayal.

The aristocrats probably thought the same and accepted it, but Unsa couldn’t accept it.

‘Eunho was betrayed by the shaman. How could he not have noticed Eungnyeo’s betrayal? She had already betrayed once, and Jeokho knew she was blinded by love. He wouldn’t have trusted her until the end.’

If I were Eunho, I would have assigned someone else to watch over them.

Someone more trustworthy than Jeokho.

Someone who would not raise suspicion from Jeokho or Eungnyeo.

Someone who would never betray the aristocrats.

But who could have failed to notice Eungnyeo’s betrayal?

The conditions were clear in my mind, but I couldn’t pinpoint who.

‘No, maybe...’

I couldn’t pinpoint it, but that very uncertainty gave me a hint, though I lacked the evidence to continue.

I couldn’t share this thought with the tigers just yet. It would only cause confusion.

Instead, I focused on Unsa, who was barely speaking after exhausting himself.

"I remember the elite of the Bear Tribe who were torn apart by that bear. One of them must have been a fallen hero of the Bear Tribe."

At that moment, Jeokho added his words.

He seemed to intentionally change the subject to lighten the mood with the mention of Eungnyeo.

Unsa nodded in acknowledgment of Jeokho’s words.

"...Pungbaek and Usa were helping the fallen heroes of the Bear Tribe, known as the Jinwoongpalseon."