— Cecilus Segmunt is a “Star Reader.”

This is not to be confused with the position within the Volakia Empire where Vincent Volakia first employed Ubiruku, but the true meaning of “Star Reader” — a being who has received a divine mandate and sacrifices everything to fulfill that ultimate proposition.

The coercive force upon those who become “Star Readers” is immense.

It grants even a mere male prostitute the influence to voice opinions to the Emperor, makes him forget the love for the daughter his weak mother bore at the cost of her life, and can even lead one to abandon a lifelong purpose that had once driven them to contemplate suicide.

Many “Star Readers” find their lives distorted by destiny, forced to shift their life’s direction. They do not even consider this a tragedy.

No matter how abnormal or unfortunate it may seem from the outside, that is the way of things.

Among such “Star Readers,” Rauan Segmunt stands as the lone exception.

The divine mandate bestowed upon him closely aligns with the grand ambitions and paths he had sought, and while it may have seemed he was coerced into a new way of living, he did not appear to be so to those around him.

How he reconciled his lifelong dream with the divine purpose he was given and established his current principles has already been mentioned, so I shall omit that.

What should be discussed here is that Cecilus Segmunt, born as a result of Rauan Segmunt’s divine purpose, is also a “Star Reader” —

— and within the “Star Readers,” Cecilus Segmunt is uniquely an outlier.

With the wind blowing fiercely, Cecilus watches the distant scenery while shielding his forehead with his hand.

This is Al’s proposal for the strategy to breach the five vertices of the star-shaped walls surrounding the Imperial Capital.

To draw in reinforcements from outside, they will create openings in the solid defenses of the Undead. From Cecilus’s perspective, having more leading actors on stage and more audience to witness his exploits is more than welcome.

If this is said to be a foreshadowing for the exciting developments that will follow, then quietly engaging in this mundane work doesn’t feel bad at all.

“That said! Just remember that this is only because we have promised proper rewards for the efforts afterward!”

In both theater and warfare, there is always a place for the right person to fit the task.

In this world, everywhere is a stage — and while Cecilus could go on about his philosophy, there are surely people suited and unsuited for various tasks, and he is more of a miscast when it comes to meticulous tasks and steady accumulation of effort.

It would be utterly foolish to put the star performer, who attracts the audience’s eyes, in a role that veils him with a worse-than-black cladding.

“Surely the audience would agree with that, right?”

Tilting his head and gazing at the sky, Cecilus spoke to an unseen counterpart.

Ordinarily, if one were to do such a thing, the gloomy clouds overhead would not return a word to the grounded people below. — Yes, ordinarily.

However, Cecilus was no ordinary person; he was the star of this world.

— And unlike anyone else, the voices of the audience returned only to Cecilus.

It was a whispering roar, too solemnly rash, and reverently almost oblivious to etiquette, speaking to Cecilus with divine clarity.

That voice went —

“■■■■■■■■,” “■●■●■●■,” “――■■,” “●●●●●!!,” “■■■■●●■■,” “●●■■●■■●●,” “■■!!,” “●●●■■■,” “■■■●■●●■■●●,” “●●■●■●●●■■●――,” “●●……■,” “●■●■●■●■.”

From the overwhelming vigor and abundance, it showered over Cecilus.

The fervent cries of the audience, responding to the star performer Cecilus’s address — no, not merely that. These are voices that rain down upon every single action he takes.

They have echoed in Cecilus’s mind since he was aware of himself, compelling his every word and deed, and then —

“Hahaha, you all seem to be having a great time today! I understand, I understand. Because I enchant everybody with every gesture! And there’s still an exciting showcase ahead, so don’t you dare take your eyes off my performance!”

Those fervent cheers from fans fell on deaf ears to Cecilus.

— As mentioned earlier, Cecilus Segmunt is a “Star Reader.”

And for the majority of “Star Readers” — no, even Rauan Segmunt, who stands in an exceptional position, has had their lives warped to fulfill the mandate given to them.

The divine purpose holds that much coercive power, and the lives of “Star Readers” are governed by it.

Except for Cecilus Segmunt, the uniquely outlier of “Star Readers.”

“Thank you for your enthusiasm! I still don’t have a clue what you’re saying and won’t listen anyway, so don’t worry! I shall surprise you! I will meet your expectations! That’s how I, the star performer, live my life!”

“—Hey, you idiot! Don’t make a ruckus; it’ll be a hassle if you get found out!”

“Oops!”

Bursting with the typical fanfare, Cecilus was spun around by the voice of the bearded beastman — Guruby, approaching from behind.

Guruby’s eyes, laden with caution, resting his hands on his hips, made Cecilus awestruck.

This beastman warrior, equal in height to himself, Guruby was quite impressive.

First of all, there’s charm and elegance in his appearance. His abilities rank among the top five of various beings Cecilus had seen since getting to this island. Surely, he seems to have an interesting combat style that can’t be measured by mere swordsmanship alone.

“Unfortunately, the problem is his choice of words. If you keep spitting out filthy language, you’ll just bring down your dignity! If that happens, even someone with commendable skill will lose their status. If we are to walk the path of fighting and killing together, I would like my partner to have a suitable standing!”

“Shut up with your crap! Who’s going to fight and kill with you, anyway? That idiot Chisha is meddling too much…”

“Oh, I heard a name just now. It’s quite troubling to get such a terse reply, but what relation do you have with that person that’s been mentioned?”

“That idiot who made you shrink—it’s all his fault, you know.”

Hearing Guruby’s retort, Cecilus hummed, “Hmmmm.”

The frequent remarks about his shrinking condition seemed to still not fully register with him. Whether he shrunk or not, to Cecilus, his current existence is all there is.

Of course, he did feel some persuasive power in the fact that Rauan had aged during their brief separation and that the infamous title “The Blue Lightning” would soon shake the world.

“But to say that Chisha made me smaller, that’s just hard to believe…”

“Huh? You think it’s crap to claim that people can’t shrink, coming from you?”

“No, no, that’s not it at all. The realm of human imagination is limitless, and what one envisions can indeed come to pass. That’s precisely why I enjoy this world; it’s filled with fair chances, allowing even the most bizarre occurrences like shrinking can happen. What I find hard to believe is simply this — who could ever exploit such a gap in my defense?”

“——”

With his hands clasped behind his head, Cecilus posed a question that seemed to flummox Guruby.

Even the adorably wrinkled expression worn by Guruby suggests he is one whom one would desire for lively banter upon a stage, but Cecilus’s question hit him harder than he anticipated.

Cecilus, too, does not believe himself to be invincible or immortal.

If his heart were pierced, or his slender neck severed, or if nearly half the blood coursing through his body were to pour out, he would die. Humans die.

Yet, even so, who would ever dare commit such an act against him?

It seems Guruby might catch onto that one point: no one could shrink Cecilus, regardless of who they are—

“Maybe that idiot Chisha has been thinking too hard, or you just let your guard down, huh?”

“What!? You’re saying you see me like that!?”

“Yeah! It’s definitely true!”

“Well, of course! Ahaha, dirty but you got me good!”

Clapping his hands in laughter at Guruby’s comments, Cecilus shook his head, “Wait a minute!”

What an affront that such a terrible assessment would make him want to bury his face in shame. No, to think that someone who understands Cecilus’s capability could still harbor such doubts.

“As it stands, there’s no getting over how unremarkable I truly am, is there? I can’t allow myself to be thought of as ‘that guy’! Just you watch what I’ll become in ten years!”

“Who’s going to indulge your growth for another ten years!? Quit ranting and just go back to your original size!”

“Even if you said so, I genuinely don’t wish to return much… Plus, Guruby, do you even know how to revert me back?”

“I don’t know, but that idiot Chisha who caused this must know, right? Such ninja techniques usually have restrictions on time or conditions. It must be a condition involving Chisha.”

“Oh? So this Chisha person is a ninja, is he? Are you friends or relatives of that lively old man?”

“I don’t know, and Chisha isn’t a ninja! He uses ninja-like methods, but ugh, what a pain.”

Scratching his head, Guruby slips into a knowledgeable rant.

Indeed, he seems to know a lot about various matters, which prompts Cecilus to think that knowing the identity of Chisha is less critical than understanding the conditions he’s set.

“So, what do you think is the condition for me to return?”

“I don’t know!”

“You see!?”

Just as he had expected, he relished the sparkle in Cecilus’s eyes as Guruby growled in annoyance.

Just then, as the two were engaged in their discussion—

“Sorry to interrupt the lively conversation among friends, but could we wrap up the fun time for now?”

“Oh, Al!”

The one with a fatigued voice and a tired demeanor staggered onto the rooftop where Cecilus and Guruby stood.

Showing himself from the uppermost stairwell, he tapped down the stairs, saying,

“Please, I’m beggin you. When you leap up to the rooftop here, it leaves me stuck only using the stairs, and that’s pretty exhausting. Guruby, you too.”

“My bad. I got roped into this idiot’s talk.”

Guruby, who had been left waiting below, sincerely apologized with a furrowed brow.

During their trio’s expedition, having mentioned a concern about what lies beyond the street, Cecilus agreed to check the view from the building but had lost track of time.

In any case—

“Now, now, Al, don’t be so angry. Guruby is also regretting his actions, so don’t you want to forgive him?”

“I won’t fall for your going-my-way character again! Anyway, did you find anything while watching?”

“Well, it seems that the defenses at the third, fourth, and fifth points are quite sturdy. It makes sense, given that it’s a natural countermeasure based on the direction the bosses retreated.”

“Those three places…”

Securing the clasp of his helmet with his one remaining arm, Al contemplated Cecilus’s answer.

The numbers Cecilus spoke refer to the names assigned to the peaks of the star-shaped walls encircling the Imperial Capital.

With the sparkling castle at the northern point, the southernmost peak is referred to as number one, the southeast as number two, the southwest as number three, then northeast as number four, and the northwest as number five.

The defenses at the northern and western points are solid enough to be termed ironclad, but conversely, the other two locations could be prime targets—

“Even aiming at obvious holes seems fishy.”

“Can Guruby’s nose really sense such malicious schemes too?”

“It doesn’t have to be hilariously conspicuous! It’s simply a decision as a ‘General’! Don’t make excuses for shrinking, it’s pointless.”

“What gives? When you suddenly drop that bomb phrase, it leaves me curious!”

“It’s because our idiot of a friend never did the job of a ‘General’ even before he shrunk.”

Guruby’s bitter words prompted a shared “Ahhh” of understanding from Cecilus and Al.

To Cecilus, it held no impression of disdain, merely a statement of fact. If Cecilus truly shrunk due to carelessness, he couldn’t picture himself leading or comforting someone in the past.

Thus, he had no particular disagreement with Guruby’s viewpoint.

“But I can agree that it seems glaringly obvious. However, if that’s the case, it reveals you, Al, to be unexpectedly cunning!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, one and two seem easy to drop but are traps pulling you in…you sent dad and his friend there together, so that makes you quite the strategist.”

“——”

Coming to discuss the two absent members, Rauan and Heinkel, Cecilus smiled at Al, who proposed the formation.

Before Cecilus’s smile, Al quietly held his breath and fell silent.

Currently, Cecilus’s party divided into two teams of three and two, each team dispatched to tackle the five peaks within the strategy.

And it was Al who instructed Rauan and Heinkel to engage at south and southeast, the first and second peaks, clearly with his own reasoning.

“It’s wise to use expendable troops, provided it’s with no significant loss, to draw the enemy’s gaze. You might think I’m being modest, but a strategist like you is undeniably clear!”

“…Do you have a problem with how I use my father?”

“No? It’s better than complicating things with too many of us, and as a performer, that is absolutely a proper consideration, right? Although, I shouldn’t say it, but expecting cooperation from dad is utterly futile!”

“That’s definitely a case of you saying it!”

Concerns regarding cooperation could easily be attributed to the inherent faults of the Segmunt family.

In any case, Al furrowed his brow to devise an effective use of their limited strength. Analytical reasoning or strategic intuition ought to provide insight as to what roles were needed.

“There’s no way we can leisurely take one point with five people. If that red middle-aged idiot and those two blue middle-aged men fail to realize this, I can only expect that even as expendable troops, they fully complete their tasks.”

“Indeed. It wouldn’t do to create a ruckus at one location, gathering their forces there.”

“Hence, we must consider a divided tactic… Yet, I found that surprising. From how you spoke, Al, I thought you were pretty chummy with Heinkel.”

“I’m no hero! I know how to prioritize.”

His self-deprecating remark felt less about Heinkel’s utility and seemed more about Al’s self-assessment.

While Cecilus’s impression of Al remained unaffected by that reply —

“—I see. So you are different from the boss, then.”

“——”

Al turned to Cecilus, who spoke what came to mind.

Hidden behind his iron helmet, Al’s expression was a mystery, but the sharpness of his gaze, his intensity, and what he poured into them spoke louder than words or unaffected face.

“Well, that’s only sometimes. This doesn’t mean it’s always like that.”

“…What am I even talking about? That’s fine. I may not be like my brothers.”

“Huh? Being different is totally fine! I think you’re stronger than the boss, Al!”

Those words carried a tone of implying inferiority, which had Cecilus tilt his head in confusion.

Strengths and weaknesses, beauty and ugliness, like and dislike, all of them mirror the waxing and waning of the same moon. They have their value in delight and dismay, but none hold the weight to tip the scales of life dramatically.

Not even right or wrong is absolute.

“The boss struggles desperately, dirty as can be, yet chooses an elegant way to shine on stage. In contrast, you, Al, can also dive into dirty, desperate scuffles that would make anyone want to turn away. It’s not about superiority or inferiority, that’s the difference between you and the boss.”

“——”

“Ah, unless we’re setting aside superiority and inferiority for a moment, it’s another matter of how one wishes to be perceived. How one wishes others to see them is a personal endeavor… I think of excrement as ugly, but I also want to present it beautifully!”

“And here I was trying to reevaluate you a slight bit…!”

“I apologize; Guruby’s mannerisms stuck in my ear.”

Nonetheless, while the conversation leaped in every direction, there was truth to what Cecilus stated.

The mark of a star performer is precisely the addition of a reason to even the ugliest of behaviors that turn heads away.

“So? Is the useless chit-chat over now? Life advice is pointless. Let’s have a post-mortem discussion at your gravesite after this mess is sorted.”

“…With that said, it will indeed leave an impression.”

“Right?”

With Guruby’s unending retorts, Al slumped his shoulders while Cecilus laughed.

Even after all that talk of futile reasoning, Cecilus held no objections regarding Al’s plans. He wouldn’t mind if Rauan and Heinkel ran into significant trouble provided it went as planned.

The only concern Cecilus had about Al’s strategy that he genuinely felt might pose an issue was this.

“Will that super self-centered father of mine actually move as Al suggested?”

Interestingly, Cecilus didn’t mutter such thoughts aloud, indicating he had completely given up on seeing defined traits in his father.

Rauan only does what he wishes and avoids what he does not.

It was a trait Cecilus had inherited; however, the differences between Rauan and Cecilus were stark. This was akin to his prior discussion with Al regarding Schwarz, the boss.

It was not about right or wrong. It was a matter of approaches to living and dying.

“So, what’s your plan, you stupid helmet? From where do you intend to advance?”

“— I’d like to avoid the area with the sniper at point three. Thus, I’ll either take point four or five on the northern side…if I have to pick a point with the slightest chance, then it’ll be the northeast point.”

“Eh!? I want a piece of revenge!”

“Quit spouting lame nonsense at a time like this! Do you even know who our opponent is—”

“Geez, fine, I get it!”

Shouting at Guruby, Cecilus pouted and reconsidered his suggestions. In response to his reaction, Guruby’s eyes grew wide as he lowered his raised fist.

When Cecilus asked, “What’s wrong?” Guruby lowered his arm and replied,

“You actually followed my words. You’ve been a lot worse since you shrank.”

“Oh, is that a compliment I’m feeling here?”

“Shut it! We’re running short on time! Let’s get going!”

While jerking his chin forward, Guruby turned toward the area of point four. Then as Cecilus prepared to follow with a, “Yup, yup,” the instigator Al interjected with, “Is that really alright?”

“I responded because you asked, but between me and you two… no, you know the Imperial Capital better than I do.”

“I wouldn’t nod along to any ridiculous proposal either. I have no issues with your stance… I don’t want to deal with that idiot Barloi either.”

“…A fellow comrade, huh.”

“That’s part of it, and also, he’s super strong. If I’m going against this guy, it absolutely has to be Moguro. You can’t lose!”

Strong — Guruby insisted on the sniper’s proficiency.

Even though Cecilus had passed by him repeatedly in the Imperial Capital, he had yet to confirm his appearance. He was undoubtedly strong. That nod earlier truly may have been a mistake. With time to reconsider, could he not instigate a change of heart? Of course not.

“Let’s get this done swiftly. Our aim isn’t to just keep this hole open, after all, so we shouldn’t waste time.”

“Be careful. This idiot wants to wrap things up quickly and search for Barloi.”

“…Once the main act comes in, please do exactly that.”

“How dare you speak of a main act in my presence!”

Shaking his head lazily, Al let out an exasperated sigh, prompting Cecilus to lift his voice tautly in frustration.

— The road to point four was surprisingly smooth.

Along the way, it wasn’t that they didn’t encounter undead scavenging for survivors. However, the beings that obstructed their path faced only obliteration; if they offered no hindrance, they were merely extras passing by.

What actor would willingly see a minor role receive a spotlight for the sake of a lively stage?

“Unfortunately, the audience’s attention span is limited. While I won’t say there are no brilliant side roles helping to boost the overall quality of the stage, how sought after they are is another matter… Still,”

Enjoying their straightforward journey, Cecilus furrowed his brows.

Naturally, he was all for alleviating unnecessary efforts and didn’t think poorly of the idea—to avoid winding up dealing with insignificant infantry, nor did he wish for a charge that took too much effort.

Yet, the way Cecilus’s party appeared at the moment was unusually clumsy, wasn’t it?

For, Cecilus was piggybacking on Al’s back while Guruby clung to his front—effectively wrapping Cecilus and Guruby around Al like a sandwich.

Why were they in such a state, you ask? Because without doing so, Cecilus and Guruby would outgrow the confines of the cloak Al wore over his head.

“But this looks ridiculous! This isn’t how I’m selling myself, Guruby!”

“Shut it! While you might conceal your presence, your noise and scent haven’t vanished! It would be a major hassle if the surrounding idiots realize and surround us!”

“You two are shouting too loudly…! And stop jostling, you may make me fall…!”

As he complained, shaking Al’s shoulder, both he and Guruby scolded him for being wrapped up in the same cloak.

This skin garment Guruby had ready was truly impressive. Apparently, when worn, it camouflages its wearer from nearby attention. Rauan, Heinkel, and Guruby had used this skin to sneak into the Imperial Capital.

Actual encounters aside, it likely was greatly attributable to that skin that the trio had yet to be discovered.

“Given our size difference, it’s stewing hot enough; I can’t even imagine how those three entered the Imperial Capital together. By the way, where did you get this eccentric cloak?”

“I didn’t buy it. I made it. You forgot, you idiot, but I melted your ‘Evil Sword’ down and reforged it into a blade.”

“Oh! ‘Evil Sword!’ What a cool name! I want to see it, know it, and revere it!”

“Yeah, that sword is yours!”

Displaying the remarkable skill of shouting with a quiet voice, Guruby retorted.

Putting aside the argument of whether he shrank or not, listening to stories of himself that Cecilus wasn’t aware of intrigued him greatly. Especially the blade-related discussions were lovely.

“To refashion it into a blade is fascinating. Guruby, are you a blacksmith? So you’re a ‘General’ and a blacksmith too; quite the busy fellow!”

“I’m not just a blade smith. I forge blades, weave clothes, and also tinker with magical tools.”

“So, this strange cloak of sorts is also a type of magic tool?”

“Nah, this is just plain beastman hide.”

At Guruby’s reply, Cecilus was struck with admiration, while Al seemed to quiver in surprise. Cecilus closely inspected the appearance of this hairy garment.

“Beastmen are quite rare, you know. I’ve heard of them but haven’t had a chance to meet one.”

“To be fair, those damn hard-to-find ones… They get the same blessings as the entire race, like Earth Dragons or the Ulha of the Holy Kingdom. If you skin them alive, they retain those blessings within their hides. They are tricky to sneak up on, given that trait.”

“Ah, ‘Blessing of the Hidden Cloud’…”

“Huh? You know such an old-fashioned term? ‘Blessing of the Sneak Attack’ is more common… though generalizing the story about those beastmen is heavily implausible.”

Upon hearing Al mutter under his breath, Guruby shared his insights.

Naturally, beastmen are disliked within the Empire, stemming from an ancient tale. However, because the story is rooted in historical facts, it is closely tied to the present.

Cecilus held no particular enmity towards beastmen or lycanthropes —

“To think you’re saved by a beastman’s hide, considering the treatment beastmen face within the Empire, is quite a twist of fate indeed. Ironically so, if you will.”

“——”

“Oh? Ignoring me now? Did you not find my comment exceptionally clever?”

Just after Cecilus spoke regarding the hide, both Al and Guruby shot him a dispassionate look, but soon enough, Cecilus realized it wan’t aimed at him.

“—— ■■■■■■■”

Not due to the usual rowdiness of the extraneous actors around them.

The suddenly taut visage of Al, whom Cecilus was so tightly connected with, and the ripple of tension coursing through Al’s entire body transmitted an unmistakable feeling to Cecilus.

It was something capturing Cecilus’s heart, not dwelling on the argument of whether he had shrunk or not.

— Grey thorns twisted and coiled around Cecilus’s heart.

“Could this be felt by both of you?”

“…Yeah. Guruby, this cloak should conceal us, right?”

“Damn it…! Who dares play such a fool’s trick…!”

Seemingly, Al and Guruby were caught in a similar situation, especially Guruby’s intensity of agitation soared.

Perhaps due to his prized skin’s effectiveness being seen through? — No, that didn’t add up.

If their adversary pinpointed Cecilus’s location, they wouldn’t neglect to eliminate the three of them tightly packed together. There’s also the aspect of alertness from the thorned warnings.

“Looks like that can’t be the case. What’s the issue?”

“—It’s a mass indiscriminate area attack. Which dumbass is flinging their absurd sorcery everywhere…!?”

Guruby quaked with rage through his throat, cursing the outrageousness of the unknown master of the thorns.

In that instant, the thorns around the trio’s chests began to slowly writhe, their sharp edges slipping through their hands, ready to strike against the effects of the curse.

And then—

“— This world just won’t acknowledge that I’m slipping in and out quietly, huh? Well then, let’s ride through this new adversity with flair together!”

It was just before the soul-gripping agonizing pain shot through that the cheeky exclamation of a laughing outsider spilled forth.