Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!-Chapter 95: Coronation of a New Queen

King Meyers was now confirmed dead—so thoroughly that not even ashes remained. However, it was still not the time to relax.

Currently, no one was able to communicate with the Eclipse Sovereign. That was partly because we destroyed all the Information Centers, and partly because we decimated over half the bridge.

Thus, our priority right now wasn't to celebrate—but to deliver the news that the war was over.

"But first, Cassandra, grab that golden crown."

I urged her, seeing how she'd been staring at it for a while, wearing a complicated expression. After all, this was the object she had to take her father's life to obtain.

With her usual demeanor, there was no doubt that, despite King Meyers' hostility, his death weighed on her. Especially since it happened right before her eyes.

But her hesitation was brief.

She straightened her expression and floated forward, stopping an arm's length away from the crown.

Slowly, she reached out.

The moment her fingertips touched the metal surface, a shocking phenomenon occurred.

"W-What—?!"

"Casey!!!"

A blinding glow erupted from the crown—so intense, it was like a flashbang going off.

Eva and I both panicked, flinching at the sudden burst of light—

—before it vanished as if it had never existed.

"...!"

When our vision cleared, the sight before us stunned us into silence.

Cassandra floated motionless, but now—

—the golden crown sat snugly on top of her head.

However, that wasn't the part that left us speechless.

All around her, hundreds of holographic windows flickered in and out of existence, displaying parameters, graphs, and data streams at overwhelming speed.

The sheer volume of information was staggering, not something that a human's cognitive speed could catch up to. Cassandra herself was wide-eyed, her gaze darting around in awe and wonder.

The phenomenon lasted about a minute before gradually coming to an end.

"Casey!"

Eva rushed forward, concern flashing in her eyes.

I followed at a slower pace, still taking in what just happened.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Eva asked, frantically patting Cassandra down.

At first, Cassandra looked surprised—but then, her lips curled into a gentle smile, instantly putting Eva at ease.

"I'm fine," she reassured her. "It seems I passed the crown's screening. It just registered me as its new owner."

"Screening?" I muttered, brows furrowing. "Damn... so just having the crown doesn't automatically make you the next ruler, huh?"

Cassandra gave a small nod, her expression steadier than before.

"For now," she said, straightening her posture, "let's end this senseless war. It's pointless for both sides to keep wasting resources."

Of course, I agreed. That was our primary objective now that she had officially become Queen.

"But without the bridge's controls," I pointed out, "I can't send a system-wide signal to the rest of the Meyers Royal Family fleet..."

We had almost completely disintegrated the bridge, along with the mainframe that controlled the ship. Even the ship's AI was severely damaged, with most of its core functions locked away.

If we wanted to spread the news, I could only use public channels—but their range was too short to cover an entire solar system.

"Oh, Arthur," Cassandra said calmly, "you just need to focus on passing the news to the Astoria fleet. I'll handle relaying everything to my people."

"...Got it."

I nodded, taking in her words—she must've had a method of doing so now.

It was subtle, but something about her had changed.

The stuttering hesitation she once had? Gone.

She no longer seemed like a nervous girl clinging to survival—but a dignified ruler.

It was nice to see her grow into her role, though...

...in a way, it was also a little lonely.

Trusting her words, I turned my focus to President Anderson's ship, tapping into their communication channels.

This way, I could relay a feed to all fleets in the system at once.

At the same time, dozens of holographic windows appeared around Cassandra—no doubt a direct ability of the crown she now wore.

Judging by her claim, this crown must have the ability to transmit information to all Meyers forces, whether they were in the fleet or back in their home star system.

As if we had planned this in advance, Eva moved swiftly, setting up light sources to illuminate Cassandra's face while positioning cameras to capture her figure clearly.

Within seconds, preparations were complete.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "Let's end this war—and begin the coronation of the new Queen!"

With that, I pressed a button, launching the live broadcast.

In the next second, Cassandra's figure would appear across the entire system, and even beyond, to the Meyers Star System itself. An ultra-wide broadcast, practically covering two whole systems.

Cassandra closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Then, as she opened them, her gaze was no longer that of a frightened fugitive—

—but that of a Queen, carrying the weight of trillions of lives upon her shoulders.

Her expression was sharp. Resolute.

And when she spoke, her voice was clear, direct, and absolute—

"My father, King Meyers, is no more."

A brief pause, silence, as if to mourn his death. Then, she continued.

"And I, Cassandra Meyers, have taken it upon myself to bear the crown as the next ruler."

With a crisp, commanding motion, she waved a hand forward.

"As the new Queen," she declared, her voice steady as iron, "I command the entire Meyers Royal Family fleet—and all mercenaries under our banner—to cease all hostilities at this moment!"

---

At the same moment the broadcast aired, all troops engaged in battle fell into confusion.

"Is this a trap by the enemy?!"

"There's no way our King is dead!"

"What the hell—is this true?! A new ruler?!"

The people of the Meyers Star System reacted in divided ways.

Most were bewildered, unsure whether to believe it or not.

Some outright denied the possibility—while others rejoiced, celebrating the death of their tyrant king.

However, their doubts soon vanished. Because they noticed the one unmistakable thing atop Cassandra's head, the golden crown.

To any citizen of the Meyers System, this was not just an ornate trinket.

This crown was the proof of a ruler's appointment—the unshakable symbol of sovereignty.

More than just a relic, this crown was forged from the first King's Ability, condensed into an object that could only be worn by the rightful ruler.

And for those under its rule, merely seeing it through any medium triggered a unique phenomenon—

—a vision of the long lineage of kings and queens who had reigned over the Meyers Star System for millennia.

This was a targeted illusion, one that could not be replicated by any means.

Thus, the moment they laid eyes on the crown, any lingering doubts disappeared.

Cassandra had truly become their new ruler.

But her declaration was not yet finished.

{All troops of the Meyers Royal Family, including all mercenaries, retreat. The war is over—and it is our loss.}

Her voice carried strength, but beneath it was a hint of sorrow.

{After retreating, return to your posts and resume your duties. Protect our system until my return.}

She took a deep breath, then continued.

{To those still under my orders, I hereby release you from my control. Return to your usual posts—and forget everything that happened.}

In the next instant, every soldier who had been under her ability's influence—whether they were on the battlefield or stationed back home—suddenly regained their free will.

A wave of confusion swept through them.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

They looked around, lost, unsure of where they were—or how they had even gotten there.

Their memories were erased, forgotten, just as Cassandra had commanded.

And with that, she began undoing the chaos she herself had started... But little did she know, her real troubles had only just begun.

---

"President, what do you think?"

Inside a flagship, one of Anderson's aides asked, his brows furrowed in doubt.

President Anderson Phi Astoria sat deep in thought, his hand to his chin, his frown deepening.

"...There's no doubt. This video feed is real," another aide confirmed, scanning the analysis report on his tablet. "It's not edited or faked in any way."

Anderson remained silent.

If Cassandra's words were true, that meant Arthur had succeeded in his assassination of King Meyers.

Of course, he was already aware of this plan.

After all, it was inside one of his own military bases where the three of them had first discussed it—as they say, the walls have ears.

In other words, the enemy's leadership had changed mid-war.

As a ruler, and with his reinforcements about to arrive, Anderson could easily ignore the enemy's surrender. After all, Cassandra had not been the one to start this war. That had been King Meyers.

But as a merchant, he also recognized the enormous opportunity in front of him. And so—

"Order everyone to hold and fortify their positions," he commanded. "Do not initiate an attack unless provoked—or if the enemy attacks first."

In that moment, he chose to trust the young girl's ability to rule.

His orders spread rapidly across the entire fleet, and within moments—

—all hostilities came to a grinding halt.

Now, both sides could do nothing but glare at each other through their monitors, tension still thick with grudges.

Whether or not those grudges would be resolved would depend entirely on the post-war negotiations.

But considering that both rulers were now, essentially, on the same side...

"The Astoria Conglomerate is going to profit handsomely from this..." Anderson muttered with a smirk. "...Just as that brat predicted."

Soon enough, the public broadcast ended, and the war was, officially, wrapped up.

Within visible range, the Meyers Royal Family's fleet began to retreat—obediently, almost as if they were tucking their tails between their legs.

It was a satisfying sight, bringing a wry smile to Anderson's lips.

Then—

{Father,}

A private channel suddenly opened, and a familiar voice came through.

It was his son, Gerard—

No.

It was Arthur.

{We'll be returning soon for post-war negotiations. But...}

Arthur paused, as if hesitating to continue.

Anderson raised an eyebrow.

"...Do you have a favor to ask?" he asked, amusement in his voice. "What is it? Don't be shy."

Considering Arthur's role in all this, Anderson wouldn't mind granting one or two requests.

{We're on the enemy's ship right now. Can I claim it as mine?}

"Hmm?"

Anderson tilted his head, then let out a light chuckle.

"Well, you captured it yourself. Why not?" he answered casually.

A mistake he would soon regret.

{Great! I'll take your word for it, alright?!}

Arthur's excited voice came through, sounding almost like a child bragging about a new toy.

{Then, please send someone to tow this thing over. We ended up destroying over half of the bridge in the battle, so we can't control it.}

Anderson chuckled. "I don't mind. How big is the ship?"

{Oh, it's big—} Arthur replied, his tone still innocent.

{—It's the Eclipse Sovereign, after all!}

Silence.

Slowly, the meaning of Arthur's words sank in. Anderson's expression stiffened.

He realized his own slip of the tongue.

"...Fuck."