Dr. Ratio

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Dr. Ratio 25
Alias(es)	Professor Ratio, Ratio, Veritas Ratio, Doctor of Truth, Director Dr. Ratio 26 41 43 44
Species/Race	Cygnian 27
Gender	Male 43
Affiliation	Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation; Intelligentsia Guild; Differential Universe research team 25 41 42 43
Occupation/Role	Senior IPC executive, professor, researcher, co-developer of the Differential Universe 25 40 41 43
Status	Active; visits the Astral Express before Stelle departs for Omphalos 41 44
First Appearance	Chapter 25, through messages to Stelle and a Penacony auction 25

Background / History

Dr. Ratio is a Cygnian and once described himself as a Cygnian slave with a product code on his neck 27. His past left him distrustful of others; he believes many people praise him publicly as an excellent IPC executive while mocking him in private 27.

Despite claiming not to care about human opinion, he is deeply lonely and is drawn to Stelle because he sees her as simple, kind, and sincere 27. He first noticed the Trailblazer in the Seclusion Zone and later offered her one-on-one knowledge education and academic Q&A, which he later realizes was not simple professional generosity 43 44.

By the time Stelle begins actively pursuing him, Dr. Ratio already has significant affection for her; Aha states his affection was already at 50% before the pursuit began and had reached 100% by the time of the Astral Express confession arc 44.

Appearance

Dr. Ratio is described as a pale adult man with night-purple hair, with his skin compared to Belobog's perpetual ice and snow 42 43.

• Night-purple hair 42
• Very pale skin 43
• Product code on his neck, tied to his past as a Cygnian slave 27
• Red earlobes when flustered by Stelle's affection 28
• Uses a plaster head to avoid seeing or reacting to Stelle during an intimate confrontation 43 44

Personality

Dr. Ratio is sharp-tongued, exacting, and openly contemptuous of foolishness. He tells Stelle he has a cleanliness fetish and cannot stand "idiots, fools, morons" 43. His familiar biting tone reassures Stelle because it confirms he is acting like the professor she knows 41.

He is generous toward Stelle but not financially reckless. At auction, he calmly spends thirty million credits on gifts for her, while internally noting that even though his liquid assets could support a hundred-million-credit bid, wasting money on the auction house would be foolish 25.

He is emotionally guarded but has low defenses where Stelle is concerned. He misses her, calls her his only "friend," watches her gamble because he knows her habits, and becomes visibly embarrassed when she kisses his cheeks 25 26 29.

Abilities & Skills

Academic Expertise

Dr. Ratio is a professor associated with the Intelligentsia Guild and the First University of Truth 42 43.

• Teaches fifty-two courses at the First University of Truth 43
• Provides Stelle with free one-on-one lessons and academic Q&A 43 44
• Judges Stelle's room as tasteful enough to reflect well on his teaching 41

Research & Development

Dr. Ratio works with other geniuses on advanced Simulated Universe technology 40 41.

• Co-develops the Differential Universe with Herta, Screwllum, Ruan Mei, Stephen, and others 41
• Volunteers to visit the Astral Express to discuss the Differential Universe terminal interface with Stelle 40
• Presents the access documents to Stelle and obtains her approval to connect the system to her Trailblazing account 41

Corporate Power & Wealth

Dr. Ratio is recognized as a senior executive in the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation 25.

• Wins three luxury auction items by clarifying that his bid is ten million credits per item, for a total of thirty million 25
• Buys all the gifts rather than forcing Stelle to choose 25
• Gives Stelle expensive items, including an aventurine necklace later identified as worth eight figures in credits 29

Observation

Dr. Ratio understands Stelle's habits well enough to anticipate her behavior in Penacony 26.

• Finds her at the arcade because he knows she cannot resist luck-based games 26
• Watches her spend every Aidion Token before making his entrance 26
• Reads her rapid expression changes and realizes she is overthinking 26

Emotional Defense

Dr. Ratio often uses composure, sarcasm, and props to protect himself emotionally 27 43.

• Lies smoothly about having "just arrived" when he had actually watched Stelle from a distance 27
• Uses a plaster head to avoid seeing Stelle and to hide his own reaction 43
• Loses his usual negotiation-level composure when Stelle directly promises to be good to him 28

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Phone — used to message Stelle about gifts, meetings, and the Astral Express visit 25 26 41
• Bidding paddle — used during the Penacony auction where he buys gifts for Stelle 25
• Pure-gold aventurine necklace — auction item worth eight figures in credits; given to Stelle and placed on her by Dr. Ratio 26 28 29
• Silk pajamas / nightgown — luxury auction gift given to Stelle 25 29
• Pots, pans, bowls, and utensils — expensive practical gifts bought for Stelle after her request 25 29
• Aidion Tokens — used to refill Stelle's wallet at the arcade, with a joking request to split any winnings fifty-fifty 26
• Differential Universe documents — carried to the Astral Express for Stelle's approval 40 41 44
• Plaster head — worn to avoid looking at Stelle during the bathtub confrontation 43 44
• Book — associated with his habit of reading while bathing 42 44

Relationships

• Stelle — his only "friend," student, and romantic interest; he buys her lavish gifts, understands her habits, confesses that he likes her, and visits the Astral Express before her Omphalos departure 25 26 28 29 41 44.
• Herta — collaborator on the Differential Universe project; she remains at Herta's office while Ratio volunteers to visit the Astral Express 40 41.
• Screwllum — collaborator on the Differential Universe project 40 41.
• Ruan Mei — collaborator on the Differential Universe project; she leaves before the Astral Express visit is assigned 40 41.
• Stephen — named as one of the Differential Universe co-developers 41.
• Aha — no direct interaction, but Aha pushes Stelle to pursue Ratio and later reports that his capture progress has already reached 100% 41 44.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Penacony Auction

Dr. Ratio messages Stelle from a Penacony auction, offering to buy her practical luxury goods 25. When she takes too long to choose, he buys all the listed items, raising the bid to thirty million credits and planning to give them to her personally 25.

Golden Hour Reunion

Stelle invites Dr. Ratio to meet in Penacony, and he agrees to see her in the dream 26. He finds her at the arcade after correctly predicting she would spend all her tokens on luck-based machines, then refills her wallet with Aidion Tokens 26.

During their walk, Stelle buys him ice cream and swaps their cones after noticing he dislikes the Soolada flavor 27. Dr. Ratio interprets the swap as an indirect kiss and begins persuading himself that Stelle is interested in him 27 28.

Confession and Gifts

Stelle directly tells Dr. Ratio she wants to be good to him, and he reciprocates with "I like you, Stelle" 28. He gives her the aventurine necklace, then later hands over the rest of the auction items before leaving for work 28 29.

Differential Universe Visit

Herta, Screwllum, and Ratio discuss the Differential Universe, and Ratio volunteers to board the Astral Express with the project documents 40. In Stelle's room, he explains that the new system will connect to her Trailblazing account so she can test it more conveniently, and she grants the team landing access to the Astral Express 41.

Astral Express Confession

Stelle gives Ratio a tour of her room and offers him the use of her large bathtub, knowing he enjoys bathing and reading while bathing 42. Under the effects of calming flowers, he falls asleep in the bath, after which Stelle confronts him with her feelings 42 43.

Ratio initially tells her to get out, then uses a plaster head to avoid looking at her while permitting her pursuit of "truth" in his own roundabout way 43. He realizes that his feelings for Stelle began long before her confession, and Aha confirms that his affection had already reached 100% 43 44.

Before leaving, Ratio warns Stelle not to speak as if she might die on Omphalos, tucks her blanket around her after she falls asleep, and takes the signed Differential Universe documents with him 44.

Notable Quotes

"Ten million is not the total price for these three auction items, but... Ten million for each one. A total of—thirty million." 25

"Of course. I've already bought it. After all, you are my only 'friend.'" 25

"I like you, Stelle." 28

"Knowledge should be circulated and shared, and so should truth." 43

"Don't talk such nonsense. 'If something goes wrong'? How dare you say such self-cursing words?" 44

Trivia

• He dislikes Penacony's glittering, decadent atmosphere, but smiles when he remembers it as the place where he first met the Trailblazer 26.
• His greatest hobby is reading while bathing, and his second-greatest hobby is bathing itself 42.
• He dislikes Soolada's sweetness, yet eats the vanilla ice cream Stelle gives him because she bought it 27 41.
• He has seen Stelle lose all her game tokens in Golden Hour more than once 26.
• Aha describes him as "high attack, low defense" after revealing that his affection for Stelle was already high before she began pursuing him 44.