The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

ASTRID closed his Terminal, no longer interested in that. It didn't matter whether this Yujin Wells had the support of Kaleido. Even if the other already had a small foothold in this industry, that's also not important. The only thing that mattered right now was talent. Whoever had the talent would win this role. And that's the one thing Astrid wouldn't easily lose to.

"It looks like they would wait until all the auditionees are here before starting the audition," Ellis commented beside him. "What a waste of time if you asked me."

Astrid chuckled at the other's last comment. "Maybe not all of the evaluators are here."

Ellis nodded, thinking how possible that was. She couldn't really expect that everyone would be prompt. Especially if there was an investor among those who would evaluate the auditionees today.

"I heard that the original writer of [The Great War] had been present in every audition for this drama. The director seemed to put a lot of importance to their opinion," she thought of mentioning. "Even if the role you're auditioning now is only the 4th male lead, he's one of the readers fan favorites. The director would definitely take his casting seriously. The writer would most likely also be here."

Astrid nodded. That was understandable. After all, no one knew the characters better than the one who made them. The director asking the original writer for their opinion meant that he respected the original material. That's definitely a good sign.

[The Great War] was a novel published at one of the most famous online reading sites – Plum Blossom Literature. During the time that it's being updated, it retained its number one rank through the whole site. It was only dethroned half a year after it's completed. With just that, one could see just how popular it was.

It was written by someone with a pen name Pink Peach. With such a name, one would think that they would write teen romance or youth drama of some sort. But no, what they wrote was war, politics, and complex human nature. 

It was set on a European medieval-like world. The story was about the continent of Jaya – a place plague with constant war. The whole continent was made up of different kingdoms that were constantly fighting for territories. The main focal point of the story was a young king who wanted to unite the whole continent and become it's one true Emperor.

At first, the young king started that dream with a very noble intention. Growing up in a small kingdom constantly being attacked by others, he just wanted peace. For the killings to stop. And for his people to finally live without having to continuously fear for their lives.

It sounded good on paper, but fulfilling it was another matter altogether. The young king, however, was very determined. Step by step, he walked towards his goal. Leaving dead bodies on his trail. 

As he came closer to his dream, his humanity was also slowly vanishing. His noble intention at the start was already getting blurred. Even he didn't know if peace was truly what he wanted or if he was now only being driven by greed and power. 

He was a complex character that started out as good but slowly turned tyrannical because of the things he did and experienced. It's like a main character turning into a main villain at the end of the story.

Astrid read the original material and not the short script that was provided for the audition. Because he wanted to have a better understanding of the characters. After reading it, he understood why it became so popular. 

If he wasn't a newcomer, he would have loved to audition for the role of the young king. His character was simply a feast for actors who always wanted to challenge themselves. 

But that didn't mean that Astrid was dissatisfied by the role picked by Ellis for him. The fourth male lead was equally as complex. The only difference was, it wasn't as visceral as that of the male lead. The fourth male lead was like an always calm lake with depth as deep as the ocean. 

After reading the whole story, he could definitely understand why he was one of the fan-favorites. The character simply had that kind of charm. You know, the one where he wasn't the main character but readers were still attracted to him/her. 

If the right actor played the role, then, it would definitely bring him the same effect. But if that wasn't the case, then that role could only be considered as a background character with a few lines here and there. The actor should be the one to bring out the character's charm. If they couldn't do it, then the result would be the latter.

Astrid's train of thought was interrupted when he heard loud murmurs from the crowd. He could hear from most of them the name, 'Yujin Wells'. He glanced at the entrance of the waiting room and saw a young man with long black hair walking inside. He was followed by someone who seemed to be his personal assistant.

The other walked at the very front seat together with his assistant. He had a confident look on his face. But not the kind that was arrogant. That's why people wouldn't feel annoyed looking at him. They might even feel admiration because of his confidence.

Astrid took back his gaze and no longer observed the other. 

"That's the kid Kaleido is endorsing for this role," Ellis said. "I've watched a few episodes of that drama he starred in. He's quite good for a newcomer." She then turned to the teenager sitting beside her and whispered, "Not as good as you though."

Astrid chuckled and said with an amused tone, "Thank you for your confidence in me."

Soon, all the auditionees arrived. 

After that, it didn't take long before an AI robot came and told them that the audition would now start. 

The first auditionee stood up and followed the AI robot towards a door connecting the waiting room to an adjacent room.