What do I do now? Should I do what Ciel was doing? …That seems to be the most logical course of action if I don't want to get caught. For some reason, my gut is telling me that I should never get caught. Never. Not even by Ciel's family.
I took out my phone and made a to-do list.
Look into the Winslows
Look into the Academy
Look into this world
The last one is too vague.
Backspace. Backspace.
Study history, current affairs, etc.
Figure out Ciel.
This last one was more important. I need to know the role I'm playing. Especially her priorities in life.
…Maybe I can look into it right away?
I went through the phone thoroughly.
Ciel is a very private person. Very private.
No posts or pictures on Aethernet (the equivalent of the Internet) or Alter (the equivalent of social media).
No friends or chats either.
All Aether-mails (Email), sent or received, were work emails or promotions.
Every document was academy related.
She did have a lot of online pictures, videos, and stories saved, but no comments anywhere.
Even the family group chat was non-verbal on her part. She only reacted, or sent GIFs and stickers, except they were called Snippets and Doodles. No "Aether" footprint whatsoever.
I was able to learn the basics thanks to the personal folder I unearthed while cleaning the house. Same birth date and time. Why am I even surprised?
Her Academic life looks ok. Known public schools. High school degree at the age of fourteen. Two associate degrees at sixteen. Double honors at twenty. Two Master's degrees are on the way and she's only twenty-one.
Not bad, I guess.
Looking at the subjects, I might need to study. History, Mana, Array, Structured Math, Aura, and many other things. Ciel has two associate degrees in Appraisal and Crafting respectively, two Honors in Non-attribute Mana and Deviation, and two ongoing theses in Geometrics in Mana and Study of the Abyss.
No extra-curriculars? That's a bummer. Even I published a book or two and earned random certificates. Was she not serious about her portfolio?
Asthmatic, like me. Immune system issues… Nothing major. Do I have enough medicine at home?
I got up to check the medicine cabinet. All I could see were bottles of sparkling blue pills labeled "Air". …That's hilarious. Well, an asthmatic does need her air.
I went back to the living room where my "investigation" was ongoing.
No friends or colleagues. Living on scholarships and grants. Savings from a previous internship and research assistant position. The Winslows are sending money as well. Looks like the family didn't cut her off for separating.
No journals.
…Is that it? This hits way too close to home. …Did I really leave behind so little of myself?
…
…It's not like I was trying to leave a mark on the world. On second thought, this is better. My family will be able to get over me easily, with so little to remember me by.
…Let's keep looking at Ciel.
Ciel's family. The Winslows.
Her father, Neil Winslow, Neutral Attribute, E ranked Alchemist, social class Mediocre.
Her mother, Aria Winslow, Non-Attribute, F ranked Healer, social class Poor.
1st born son, Caelum Winslow, Lightest Attribute, S ranked Sword master, social class Genius.
2nd born, Ciel Winslow, Dark Attribute, Rank Unchecked, unregistered Sorcerer, social class Anomaly.
3rd born son, Celestine Winslow, Darker Attribute, A ranked Assassin, social class Elite.
4th born daughter, Celine Winslow, Least Light Attribute, D ranked Monster Tamer, social class Average.
Let's break it down.
The attributes represent one's talent. It helps people decide what path would suit them better. For light attributes, "hero" work is better fitted. And for dark attributes, the "anti-hero" theme works better. Non-attributes aren't particularly good at either, but they have the choice to try out either.
Next, is social class. It basically refers to the talent cap. Sometimes, wealth and influence are taken into account. There are poor, mediocre, average, elite, and genius. And a separate category called "anomaly". Anomaly refers to people whose talent cap doesn't match their performance, be it a downgrade or an upgrade. For example, Ciel is an Anomaly because she didn't Awaken (until very recently), yet her achievements in the field of research couldn't be ignored.
As for why it's referred to as social class… one's rank determines the treatment they received from others. It's a pretty humiliating behavior for humanity and it's like they've socially regressed to the point it's embarrassing.
It doesn't look like she was too close to her family. Amicable, I think. With Father, a respectable relationship. With Mother, a silent understanding. With Older Brother, forcefully distant. With the younger ones, almost motherly, or rather like a nanny. Not different from my family dynamic.
…The more I look at her life, it's like looking at mine.
What about her social life- right. Non-existent.
I put back the documents in their rightful places. What is else there to look into? I checked my checklist.
Look into the Winslows
Look into the Academy
Study history, current affairs, etc.
Figured out Ciel.
…The Winslows. I figured out the basics, but not enough to pose as their obscure daughter.
Neil Winslow. A fifty-something-year-old hardworking man. The owner of a Potion Crafting store. It got popular after Caelum was born. Before that, the store did well enough to feed a family.
Aria Winslow, a forty-something lady, had a dedicated counter in the store as a healer. It didn't bring enough money because of her rank but she was somewhat well-known among the poor and the mediocre since they couldn't afford treatment despite having to raid continuously just to make a living.
…I'll come around to the concept of raiding in a bit.
What is raiding?
Caelum, age 25. Awakened as an S-rank at the age of five and dedicated his life to Swordsmanship. He is the youngest Sword master. He worked alone, sometimes contractually.
Then, Celestine, an A-rank 15-year-old teen boy. He's going through his "eighth-grader syndrome" phase. He picked Assassination as his job because it's cool. He's set to complete his high-school graduation in another year.
Celine, the 10-year-old little girl, always liked animals. So, she chose to be a monster Tamer. That is a good choice for a D-rank since there's not much competition in that field. And with an S-rank brother who can look out for baby monsters, I'd say it was a good call. She's going to be in middle school next year.
Is that it? Yeah. I think that's it.
Looked into the Winslows
Look into the Academy
Study history, current affairs, etc.
Figured out Ciel.
What is raiding?