Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!-Chapter 39: Unwarranted Tension

The woman before me—the one who had just introduced herself as the Crazy Princess, Cassandra Meyers—tilted her head almost too cutely.

"I am Cassandra Meyers. Who else would I be?" she said, a slight pout forming on her lips.

That calculated gesture, perfectly complementing her angelic features, was classic Crazy Princess behavior. She always used her appearance as a weapon in interactions. And yet, for some reason, the usual undercurrent of madness I had come to associate with her was... absent.

’Did she get better at hiding her true nature now that this is reality?’ I mused, half-confused. ’Or maybe... No, that’s impossible.’

"Princess, sorry to interrupt, but the time..."

Just as the standoff between us stretched into awkward territory, Gerlain spoke from behind her, bowing respectfully. Cassandra turned, flicking her wrist to check the time.

"Oh, it’s true." She gasped softly before turning back to me. "Pardon us, Master Gerard, but we have some urgent business to attend to. If fate allows, let’s have a nice, long chat—just the two of us."

She smiled, a radiant expression so dazzling it was as if the sun itself had descended before me—but I wasn’t falling for her act.

I steeled myself, waved nonchalantly, and turned away. "Alright. I won’t keep you occupied, so do as you wish."

With that, we each pretended the other didn’t exist.

I remained seated, waiting for my papers to be processed, while the Crazy Princess took care of her business at the other counter.

But her matter took barely five minutes before she left. They must have been in a hurry.

As for me... The processing dragged on for hours, and I found myself growing bored beyond imagination.

’What’s taking them so long?’

Fortunately, the guild’s reception hall doubled as a tavern, so I ordered a drink to pass the time.

"A cold beer in this sweltering weather... perfection."

Of course, I had to shut my visor after every sip. I wasn’t a masochist who wanted to suffer under this heat and humidity, after all. I continued idling, mindlessly sipping my beer, when suddenly—the guild doors swung open again.

The usual routine followed.

The adventurers lounging around glared at the newcomer, as they always did. But this time… Their expressions changed instantly.

Their glares vanished. Cold sweat formed on their foreheads as they quickly averted their gazes. Some even stiffened, looking as if they regretted ever looking in that direction to begin with.

"Hmm?"

The door was behind me, so I turned out of curiosity.

What could possibly make these battle-hardened, arrogant adventurers—ones who even dared to intimidate a knight like Gerlain—cower like frightened chicks?

And then, I saw her. I understood their reasoning immediately.

"Eva! Over here!" I called, spotting her silently standing at the entrance, her sharp eyes scanning—or rather, glaring—across the room.

At the sound of my voice, she quickly made her way over and dropped into the seat across from me, heaving a short sigh. As always, a frown adorned her face—but I could tell. Her mood was at least ten times better than when we first arrived.

"Did it go well? Your mother’s situation, I mean?" I asked, starting with a topic she’d find easy to talk about.

Eva blinked. Then, her gaze awkwardly drifted away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

"... You better take responsibility for the things you said to her earlier." She muttered.

"Hmm?"

That reaction… Had her mother teased her to no end after I left?

I chuckled, then grinned. "Of course, I will. I promised her I’d take care of you, so I’ll do just that." I straightened proudly. "As your captain, I’ll make sure you’re treated fairly!"

"...What?"

For some reason, Eva’s tone darkened after hearing that. She stared at the table for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as if realizing something, her expression twisted in irritation.

"So that’s it… You bastard!" She suddenly snapped, her face turning beet red. "Stop saying misleading things...!"

After that, no matter how many times I asked what exactly I had said that was "misleading," she refused to answer. She just turned away, refusing to even look me in the eyes.

While curiosity gnawed at me… I didn’t have the time to dwell on the matter.

"Mr. Arthur? Your cross-registration is finished."

The lizardman receptionist returned and handed me a small badge.

"This is your Adventurer’s Badge. It serves as an ID and is valid across all Adventurer’s Guilds and Mercenary Unions in the universe. Make sure not to lose it."

I took the silver plate—matching our newly raised Mercenary Rank—and inspected it closely.

Beyond the basic information—name, rank, registration number, and date—there was an engraving on the right side: a strange-looking creature. It resembled a rooster but with colorful plumage and elongated, wide-spanning wings.

Of course, I recognized it immediately. A Bakhtak—a mythical creature from Persian folklore, said to have the ability to foresee the future and bring good luck.

’I still remember how the devs got flamed for this "lame" design—until players reached Chapter 16 and realized its importance.’

I chuckled at the memory. But more than that, this little silver card was our key to progressing the main quest. With the badge in hand, I walked over to the mission board, scanning the countless unfulfilled contracts pinned to the wall.

’Some of these rewards are pretty good… and this one’s along the way. Might as well take a few extras.’

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After all, side quests were essential in any game. And looking at the sheer number of available requests, my completionist instincts were kicking in. I carefully picked out a handful of commissions that aligned with our route before finally spotting the one I was searching for.

"This is it..." I muttered, pulling the post off the board and reading it again.

[---

Commission ID: AR-20146080185

Applicant: Blas Kariki

Title: Regular Inspection of the Kariki System’s Maze

Details: Conduct an inspection of the Maze for any changes or mutations. Monster loot gained during the inspection is subject to taxation as usual.

Mission: Report any anomalies discovered.

Reward: 1,000,000 Credits

---]

"Blas Kariki..." I whispered the requester’s name.

In this vast universe, many powerful entities controlled entire solar systems—but Blas Kariki was unique. Unlike the major conglomerates, he wasn’t affiliated with any organization. He was simply an individual—the wealthiest individual in the known universe.

Even wealthier than the president of the Astoria Conglomerate in terms of personal assets. After all, he owned an entire solar system.

Despite his immense wealth, however… he was an absolute cheapskate.

Case in point: the miserable 1-million-credit reward for this quest. That amount wouldn’t even cover the provisions and expenses needed to inspect an entire star system.

No surprise, then, that this request had been sitting untouched for months. Everyone was waiting for the stingy zillionaire to raise the reward before even considering taking it.

But for me? The payout didn’t matter. What mattered was that this quest permitted us to enter his private system.

I shrugged and turned back to the receptionist. "Excuse me, I’d like to take all these commissions."

The same lizardman from earlier took the stack and began processing them—until they reached the Blas Kariki request. Their expression immediately darkened.

"You… do realize this request will only put you at a loss, right?" They warned, eyes narrowing. "I’d advise waiting until that bastard Kariki raises the reward before taking it."

Their concern seemed genuine—just an experienced guild worker looking out for a new adventurer. But I had already made up my mind.

"Thanks for the warning, but I’ll take it anyway."

Normally, gaining access to the Kariki System required an entrance fee ranging anywhere from 10 million to 5 billion credits PER HEAD.

However, paying that fee meant every monster, material, and resource you obtained in the system would be yours—no strings attached.

As a result, that solar system had become a playground for the rich—a place where the nouveau riche held elaborate hunting contests for sport. And just from that, Blas Kariki earned trillions every month.

But, of course, such a lucrative venture came with risks.

If any arrogant noble’s son or daughter met an unfortunate end due to some unforeseen danger… Well, no amount of fortune would save Kariki from the consequences. That was precisely why regular inspections of his system were non-negotiable. It was the bare minimum measure to ensure his business remained viable.

And for us…?

This was the cheapest method to gain access to "that."

"...Don’t come crying to me later, alright?" The receptionist sighed, shaking their head as they processed the requests.

Minutes later, all the quests were officially filed and now appeared under the current mission bar of my Mercenary Union profile.

After double-checking everything, Eva and I headed out, intending to return to the Range Falcon—but fate had other plans.

"Mmph...!"

Just as we were passing by a random alley, a muffled scream rang out, causing both of us to halt instantly. My and Eva’s eyes met, silently confirming that we had both heard it.

Then—simultaneously—we spoke.

"Let’s ignore it and head back!" I declared.

"Let’s help her out!" Eva exclaimed.

—Our opinions couldn’t be farther apart.