Chapter 80

After summoning Pier from the subspace bracelet, Simon opened his own subspace this time.

“Well, there’s no time. Please come to my side while no one’s around, Pier.”

Pier clicked his tongue.

[It feels suffocating! Do I have to go back in when I just came out?]

“We have no choice. Hurry before anyone sees.”

There was a reason for transferring the Legion in such a cumbersome way.

Before being teleported to the island, Kizen announced that they’d be inspecting everyone’s subspaces.

But for Simon, he had to somehow take Pier to persuade the new captain, ‘Big Krum’, so he pulled some tricks.

“Commaannddeerrr~”

Simon looked back in surprise from the sudden deep voice.

Assistant Teacher Brett was running towards him.

The appearance of that muscular, bald man with a rough look waving his arms to the side and running cutely evoked a sense of incongruity that would make one gasp.

“I missed you!”

Brett clung to Simon’s arm, speaking in a sweet voice.

Simon said while frowning from the sense of incongruity that was about to make him lose his mind,

“Why did you come here, Eliza? An assistant teacher was next to you.”

“I just told that woman that I have something to do.”

“Ugh…… Get back quickly before we get caught.”

So here’s what happened.

Last weekend, Simon won the duel that Brett first proposed, allowing Simon to order him to do anything.

So Simon went to the dormitory where Brett was staying.

At that time, Brett was packing things like a person who had given up on everything.

“Why are you doing this miserable thing? I have no intention of asking you to leave the school.”

Brett lifted his head and looked at Simon.

“Instead, you’ll be my chess piece from now on.”

Simon was clearly holding a sword over Brett’s head, and Brett opposed it immediately.

“Are you saying that a freshman like you is planning on treating me like a slave?!”

“If you don’t like that, I guess there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll go to Professor Hong Feng and tell her everything.”

At those words, Brett’s face immediately went stiff.

“You, who’s in the position of an educator, beat up a Kizen student for a bet. And what’s worse is that the condition for if you won was……”

A smirk formed on Simon’s face.

“Me becoming a direct disciple of Professor Hong Feng, right?”

“………”

“I’ll tell you clearly. That’s not for the professor. Rather, it’s an insult to the professor’s decision.”

Hong Feng had already accepted Simon’s rejection. However, Brett suddenly intervened and beat up Simon, telling Simon to become Hong Feng’s direct disciple if he won.

This was an act ignoring Hong Feng’s will.

“Professor thinks that what happened between us was just a mere quarrel. But I hope you do know how disappointed she’ll be if she………”

Simon’s smirk widened.

“…finds out the truth.”

“Kugh……!”

In fact, by forcing Simon to make such a bet, Brett had put himself in a situation he couldn’t get out of.

And just like that, Simon acquired a great chess piece called Brett. And just in time, Brett so happened to be selected as an assistant teacher who would enter the island.

Simon borrowed his subspace and then ordered him to remain hidden from anyone during the period of Island Survival.

“……You’re planning on impersonating me.”

“How did you know?”

“The tricks of Kizen students are beyond your imagination. Impersonation is common in this field.”

Brett scratched his head.

“Do as you wish. However, if you get caught, it’s not my fault.”

“Of course.”

And so, Brett hid himself, and Elizabeth came to this island while transformed as Brett instead.

Pier had entered the subspace of Brett’s bracelet and was able to safely cross over to the island, since the subspaces of the assistant teachers weren’t subject to inspection.

“Everyone was completely deceived by my acting!”

Said Elizabeth in Brett’s thick voice.

“……It’s turning me off, so please stop it already.”

“Anyway! You’re going to see Big Krum now, am I right? I wanna tag along.”

“Not a chance.”

Simon flatly declined.

“If Brett suddenly disappears from his position, the school will suspect him. Pier and I are enough for this.”

[Kuhehe! What the kid is saying is right! Get lost already!]

“Not even you, Pier?! You are all so mean.”

Elizabeth’s head sank as she became crestfallen.

“……I’ll return now.”

“……”

Seeing her drooping down, Simon felt a light prick in his conscience.

From recruiting Brett to impersonating him, it was no exaggeration to say that Elizabeth actually did everything for this operation. It felt like he acted a bit cold toward her.

[What are you doing, Boy?]

Then Pier spoke into Simon’s head.

[If it bothers you that much, give her a reward. It’s also the role of the Commander to praise their subordinates!]

‘What? Wh-What kind of reward?’

[You probably know what she likes even without me telling you.]

Of course, he was aware of it.

Simon let out a small sigh and lifted his head up. He could see a rough man bowing his head down with a sore expression on his face.

“……Eliza. Could you return to your original form for a moment?”

“What?”

She looked puzzled, but returned to her original form as commanded. Simon then approached her with a stiff gait.

[Commander?]

Then, he stretched out his arms and hugged her tight.

[……!!!]

Elizabeth was so surprised that she was stuck frozen in place. Simon whispered in a barely audible voice,

“Y-You did well, Eliza.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.

Her heart…

It had melted, turned to mush.

“Hmph hmph.”

Flushed, Simon hurriedly backed away.

“Now turn into Brett and go back to your position. After all, there’s nothing good about being suspicious.”

Simon disappeared like he was running, drenched in sweat.

Seeing this, Pier’s clone giggled loudly, leaving Simon wondering about what was so funny.

[……]

Elizabeth, who had been staring blankly at Simon’s back for a moment, gripped at her shoulders before covering her reddened face.

[……Truly a lovely person.]

She felt like affirming her loyalty a hundred, no, a thousand times wouldn’t be enough.

* * *

Translator – Ramen

Proofreader – Artethrax

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* * *

Night was approaching.

Kizen students gradually adapted to the unfamiliar environment and monsters, and now were moving toward the center.

However, as the day began to darken, they encountered a new crisis. Just like every tropical area, the daily temperature difference in Kera island was quite extreme.

The muggy weather suddenly turned cold enough to feel chills. Besides, it was common knowledge that monsters were more active at night.

“I think we’ll have to make a shelter to spend the night after all.”

“Let’s make a fire first!”

A situation where you had to make a shelter and a bonfire to maintain body temperature and good sleep.

However, the students had a hard time finding a place to stay. They were afraid of the monsters attacking them in the middle of the jungle, and there was a fear of being attacked by other students in a place with a river or on a flat area that was too open.

Some students tried to work their brains to make a shelter in a tree, but the problem was that they didn’t have the skills.

“Ow, my back. I’m actually gonna die.”

“I mean, isn’t this just for a single night? Wouldn’t it be better to not do this bullshit at all to save energy?”

Some of the students who were cutting down trees and dragging them decided to camp out after feeling a deep sense of doubt.

However, as the night went on, the temperature drastically dropped, and it seemed wise to at least block the wind.

Like that, as the students were progressing using trial and error…

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Wipe. Wipe.

Simon’s shelter was quickly approaching completion.

He laid down equally sized trees, wrapped them up with a durable stem several times, and tied the stem tight.

After raising the pillars and building the frame by placing the beginnings of a roof over the pre-prepared grooves, he took out large leaves from the subspace and covered it to finish the roof.

“You, tie the fence over there. Leave the trees you brought on the right.”

Thud. Thud.

The shelter was completed in a snap when one human and four undead joined forces.

It was too small to fit anyone else with Simon, but the quality was satisfying enough for a shelter to spend a day in.

The shelter was made close to the beach, so it was opposite to the progress of the Kizen students.

Also, because it was near the beach, it was slightly outside the territory of carnivorous monsters. It was perfect in many ways.

“It’s nice that I don’t have to be wary of other people.”

He made a bonfire without worrying about people before crushing up the herb that wards off insects and snakes, mixing it with a little bit of water and spreading it evenly around the house.

After all the work was done, Simon went straight into the completed treehouse. He thought that it was pretty cozy, even if he made it himself.

“Well, now then…”

Simon laid flat on his back and covered himself with a blanket of leaves.

“Let’s go to sleep.”

[What? You’re sleeping already?]

Said Pier in surprise.

[But it’s not even that late in the night yet!]

“I’m planning to sleep early and start working early tomorrow. Ah, right!”

Simon got up and took out Pier’s clone from his school uniform before hanging it outside the house like a decoration.

[What! What is the meaning of this, Boy?!]

“Please keep a night watch for me, Pier. Undead don’t sleep, right?”

[Kugh! Unbelievable! I’m a marshall of the Legion! How dare you use me like this!]

“I’m counting on you~ and I’ll put this here, so please wake me up at 4am.”

Simon placed the wristwatch down so Pier’s clone could see it, and went back to the shelter.

[How dare you use me as an alarm!!]

Simon even disconnected from the undead’s thoughts and covered himself with the leaves, preparing to sleep.

After tossing and turning for a moment, he quickly fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

* * *

[Wake up, Boy! It’s already the time you mentioned!]

At the sound of Pier’s clone shouting, Simon sat up. Then, he gripped his shoulders and sniffled from the coldness.

“Achoo! It’s pretty cold at night. Thank you, Pier.”

[I’ll make sure to remember this humiliation!]

“I’ll add more soldiers to the legion as soon as I have the money.”

[You do now know how to give a reward.]

Simon yawned while coming out.

He could see a beautiful morning sky colored in turquoise as the sounds of the sea floated into his ears. It was a pretty elegant sight.

“Then, shall we get going?”

Simon opened the subspace and took out four skeletons. 

“Now, lift on the count of three. One, two, three!”

Simon made the skeletons lift the whole shelter.

Because it was only made for one person, lifting it wasn’t that hard.

[What are you going to do now?]

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Simon grinned.

“I’ll get to the center in one go.”

——