The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

LET'S go back a bit in time, three days ago when this year's first quarter result of [Star List] was released.

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Astrid had just finished making dinner for himself and Reas when he received a message from Ellis informing him that the [Star List] had been updated. He sat down before opening his Terminal to check. And right off the bat, he saw Snow's name on the top 400.

A smile tugged at his lips as a wave of satisfaction settled in. His chest felt warm, and an undeniable sense of joy filled him at the sight of Snow's name on the list. This was definitely a great accomplishment on his friend's part.

He was about to call Snow to congratulate him when an incoming video call popped up on his screen. It was from Casey. Slightly puzzled, he accepted the call. The moment the screen lit up, he was met with Casey's frowning face, his brows drawn together in clear frustration. It was clear that he was in a bad mood.

"Uncle Casey, is something wrong?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, and it's a big problem," Casey said, his tone serious, edged with a quiet but unmistakable anger.

Astrid's breath hitched. A knot formed in his stomach as his mind raced. Was it the Lancasters? Had they discovered that his parents were still alive? His pulse quickened, and a cold unease crept over him.

"You only moved up two ranks since the last [Star List]!" Casey exclaimed, his expression dark with indignation. "This is completely unacceptable!"

The moment Astrid heard that, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. His shoulders loosened, and he let out a small breath. "Oh, I thought it was something serious."

So, he was now ranked 98th, huh? He didn't see it as a bad rank. Since this was only his second time on the [Star List], he was just relieved that he hadn't dropped from the top 100. Not that he ever expected a major drop, given the award he recently won and the popularity of [The Great War].

"What are you saying, Aster? This is absolutely serious!" Casey huffed. "How can you move up only two ranks after winning a Rookie of the Year award? Those people making this list are clearly underestimating you!"

Astrid smiled helplessly. "Uncle Casey, it's fine. Ranking 98th is not so bad."

Seemingly not hearing what he said, Casey continued his tirade, "Don't worry, Aster. I'll make sure the upcoming launch of EMMA's new collection is a massive success. By the end of the month, your face will be on every billboard across the Empire."

Astrid inwardly winced at the mental image. People might get tired of his face if that really happened. And he had no doubt Casey was truly capable of doing just that. He had to put a stop to it before it went too far.

"Uncle Casey—" Astrid started, but before he could say another word, Casey cut him off.

"Alright, no time to chat! I've got a lot of work to do to make this happen," he said briskly. "I'll give you update later."

And with that, the call ended before Astrid could even protest.

Astrid blinked before letting out another sigh. It felt like a storm had swept in and disappeared within seconds.

He was about to call Casey back before he could do something irreversible, but before he could even do that, another video call request popped up on his screen.

This time it was from Wulfric.

Seeing the name, he instinctively clicked 'accept,' and in an instant, Wulfric's handsome face filled the screen.

"Aster, have you seen the [Star List]?" were the first words out of Wulfric's mouth.

"Ahm, yeah?"

"Can you believe this?" Wulfric said, his tone sharp with disbelief. "They only bumped you up by two ranks! You should be in the top 50 at the very least!"

Astrid almost choked on his own saliva at Wulfric's words. It was a good thing he wasn't drinking anything, or he might have ended up spitting it out from sheer surprise.

"Wulf, I appreciate your confidence in me, but the top 50? It hasn't even been a year since I started my career," Astrid said in a helpless tone. "People would definitely think I bribed the ESRA members if that happened."

Some people had already suspected that Polaris had bribed the ESRA members when he made it into the top 100 last time. If he really jumped to the top 50, they might boycott Polaris entirely.

Wulfric looked as if he genuinely couldn't comprehend what Astrid was saying, as though he truly believed he belonged in the top 50. That thought made Astrid laugh. It was both amusing and oddly endearing.

"But still—only two ranks?" Wulfric muttered, frowning. "You should have moved up by at least 20. Maybe the people making this list were blind—or completely incompetent. Should I pay them a visit to make them see reason?"

Astrid couldn't help but recall his earlier conversation with Casey, and the thought brought a smile to his lips. Who would have guessed that the two of them would share the exact same train of thought?

But just like with Casey earlier, he needed to stop Wulfric before he actually acted on his words. Knowing him, Astrid wouldn't put it past him to go after the ESRA members and 'make them see reason,' exactly as he had just threatened.

"My current rank is fine, Wulf," he said firmly. "Please don't do anything, or I'll seriously be angry with you."

Wulfric frowned, clearly reluctant, but under Astrid's firm gaze, he grudgingly nodded. Crossing his arms, he muttered like a sulking child, "Fine."
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His brows knitted together as he tried to look serious, but to Astrid, the expression only made him seem even more unintentionally adorable.

"Do you promise?" Astrid asked softly.

"I promise," Wulfric mumbled, avoiding his gaze. His arms were still crossed, and he looked every bit like a child reluctantly agreeing to something he didn't like.

And that's how his call with Wulfric ended.

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Remembering the conversations he had with Casey and Wulfric, Astrid once again couldn't help but chuckle.