Trapped in a Gal game

Summary: A story in which Leon was granted his wish and reincarnated in a Gal game instead of an Otome game. AKA, everyone is gender-bent.

Introductions

I had just finished shopping for supplies for the upcoming tea party event and decided to grab a few skewers to tide me over until dinner. A hooded woman surreptitiously glanced around and stood next to the store in the alleyway. I would have thought she was some mugger if it were not for the fact that her wrist was adorned with expensive-looking accessories.

"This has got to be the saddest attempt I have ever seen someone trying to be discreet," I said with a bored tone as I walked up to the noble girl.

Despite her keeping a lookout, she yelped in surprise. She was awful at this. A noble girl indeed.

"If you want to keep people from noticing you, you should act as though you belong. Covering yourself up and frantically looking around will only draw attention to yourself."

She stared at me incredulously in silence. That was odd. I was expecting her to talk down to me. The game setting was cruel to men.

Not wanting to test my luck, I decided to walk away.

"... What should I do to blend in better?" she softly said.

"For one, you could pull off the hood. Most people get antsy when someone is trying to hide their identity."

"I cannot afford to be seen," she muttered darkly.

"Because of your station?"

She merely nodded.

"I doubt you are so well known that people on the street will be able to point you out from the crowd."

Though I couldn't see her eyes, I saw her mouth open in shock. She was looking at me incredulously.

"Well?" I prompted.

After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and bitterly said, "It would be far too scandalous for me to be seen entering this establishment."

"That's a shame," I lamely said.

The girl looked down morosely, and a sour feeling settled in my stomach.

Sensing that the conversation was over, I left the alley and entered the shop. The shop had a heavenly aroma, yet I could not enjoy it. The situation outside just left me unsatisfied. As silly as it was, the girl's sad demeanor kept distracting me. Why did I care so much about some senseless girl? It seems my original sister had a point about me being weak to girls.

Looking around, I noticed that they were having a sale. I snorted in amusement. It brought memories of the game. It was events like these in which the protagonist could stock up on gifts for the crown prince. To think that skewers were the most cost-effective gift to raise Julius's affection level. Funnier still was that the item never spoiled. You could hold on to it for months before handing it over. Just imagining that pretty boy devouring rotten meat made my grind more bearable.

Perhaps my mood from reminiscing about the game convinced me to buy more than I could eat alone. I was doubtful that this was an actual romance flag for a mere mob character such as myself, but I could at least enjoy the thought of being the protagonist of some equally trashy Gal game.

Walking back to the alley, I saw that the girl still hadn't left.

With very little thought, I handed her a bag of skewers.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"It's what you wanted, right?"

"It is, but why would you buy a suspicious stranger something?"

"When your clandestine activity involves buying street food, it's hard to find you suspicious," I snorted.

"I am still a stranger, am I not?"

"Then let's change that. I'm Leon, and you?"

"... I'm Julia," the girl said as she reluctantly removed her hood.

She was a rather beautiful girl despite how her nervousness marred her features. Her heart-shaped face was free of blemishes and was framed by glossy blue hair. Her eyes were a brilliant blue hue. All in all, she had the beauty associated with a beloved heiress.

"It's nice to meet you, Julia."

"... Is that all?" she asked hopefully.

"Uhhh... Congratulations, I don't know who you are," I said in jest.

Why was she so concerned about me recognizing her? Was she that high up in the noble ranking? No, she was probably ignorant about how little people cared about nobles. The girls at the academy were self-centered enough to think that everyone should know and worship them. At least this one seemed naive rather than arrogant.

She giggled before promptly clamming up. With a light cough, she said, "I must say it has been a pleasant surprise to find someone such as yourself."

"The pleasure is all mine," I said with surprising honesty. She was the most pleasant girl I have met since reincarnating. Her being a beauty was the cherry on top.

"Oh, where are my manners?! I must repay you for the food. How much did you pay for them," the girl said as she pulled out her purse.

"Don't bother. It was on sale."

"I insist, Leon."

"And I insist, Julia. My teacher would never forgive me if I accepted payment for presenting a gift."

"And my etiquette teacher would never forgive me if I did not repay you for gifting me something I had greatly desired."

"Greatly desired? They're just skewers that were on sale," I said incredulously.

"The value of an object is only as valuable as what an interested party deems it to be. While you and the proprietor may not value these skewers, I certainly do. Thus the act of you gifting these to me has such value that I must repay you," Julia said rotely before blushing as she realized she had gone into a mini-lecture.

"... Heiress training?"

She nodded sheepishly.

"Thought so. In any case, you overlooked one thing. That line of thought is meant to be used when selling something to someone else. You want to maximize your profit by using what they believe the value is. The roles are reversed in this situation. It would be best if you viewed the value relative to how I and the rest of the world see these skewers. It wouldn't do for you to be tricked into paying substantially more when I and the rest of the world see a simple skewer."

"That seems quite wise. Wait... That was oddly well-informed. Perchance, are you a merchant, Leon?"

"Much to my chagrin, I am a noble."

"To your chagrin? How odd for a noble to think of their station as anything but an honor."

"It was a recent promotion. Unfortunately, the change in my status was significant enough that I now have certain responsibilities."

"Ah, so you've become a Baron. My condolences," Julia said with a wince.

Somehow the acknowledgment of my plight by the woman made the weight of my situation heavier. Even a ditzy woman was aware enough of my predicament. I wanted to cry.

"It wouldn't be so bad if not for the obligation of finding a noblewoman willing to marry an unestablished rural Baron," I said weakly.

"Welcome to the world of nobility," the girl mirthlessly chuckled.

"Arranged?"

"Since we were children. I never had the luxury of dreaming about finding the love of my life."

"If I may ask, what is it about the guy that is putting you off?"

"There isn't anything particularly wrong about him. He is from good stock, lives up to his name, and has treated me well."

"Sounds like a good match, but if that's all that mattered, you wouldn't be here complaining about him."

"I suppose... he's too rigid. Angelo cares about decorum and our image far too much. He is always on about how I should be mindful of my station. It feels that he's spent more time scolding me and putting me in a role rather than trying to get to know my interest. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if he is simply after my family's name."

This sounds like the plot of a romance novel about aristocrats. I guess there was some truth to those stories, or maybe the game affected the populace more deeply.

"I suppose sitting him down and explaining your frustrations is not in the cards?"

"I've done it multiple times, and he always says he is merely acting for my benefit. That I need to be strong as befit my station."

"I can see how that is grating."

"It's as though he doesn't respect my concerns. He thinks he knows best, and I'm just a doll to criticize."

"Sounds like an ass. No one would like being treated that way."

"Exactly! No one... huh?"

"You thought of something?"

"Just thinking that Angelo wouldn't like the same treatment."

Oh, bother. I did not want to be associated with a nasty fallout. I should nip this in the bud, or at the very least, have the excuse of not supporting the idea.

"Uh... whatever you're thinking, you might want to put a pin in it. That can get ugly real fast."

"... You're probably right. If anything, rather than listen to my input, Father is more likely to side with Angelo. He dotes on him," Julia sighed.

Yup. This was the plot of some romance novel. The only thing missing now was the fiance planning to murder her.

"Perhaps we should talk about something else. I'm sure you don't want to only think about your fiance."

She gave me a grateful smile and quickly asked, "What did you originally want to be before your promotion?"

"I wanted to be a simple farmer," I lamely said. It was a mundane dream, and I knew it. No one wanted to grow up to be a farmer, and I couldn't explain the reason without raising some red flags. The only people I knew in this world that wanted to be farmers were old veterans that wanted to fade into obscurity. A young man in a society that praises adventurers shouldn't want to settle for being a farmer.

"That sounds lovely," Julia said with a beaming smile.

"Truly?"

"Farmers are the backbone of any society. Their existence allows others to develop the skills necessary to establish and advance our world in all other avenues since the basic need for food is taken care of. The kingdom would crumble in days if no one took up the occupation."

"Are you sure you are a noble of this country and not Alzer? They certainly have a better appreciation for farming," I teased. It was such a well-thought-out response that I couldn't help it. She was treating my ideal future with such respect. It was nice to have someone in my corner for once.

"Is this not your dream? Why are you teasing me for defending your aspirations?" she said with a cute pout.

"I apologize, Julia. It's just that seeing you defend my mundane dream so fervently was a rather interesting contrast to your inability to enter a skewer shop. Though I suppose par for the course given your reverence for street food."

"There you go with your teasing again! Are you a bully, Leon?"

"Sorry. Sorry. I'll mind my tongue to appease your noble sensibilities," I said with a hearty laugh which she joined.

After a few moments, I noticed that it was getting late. I mentioned this to Julia and asked her if she wanted to be escorted back home. She merely looked down at the skewers, and her apprehension became transparent. She couldn't bring back commoner food with her.

Nodding in acceptance, I made my way back to the academy alone.

Side Story:

Master certainly has taken his knowledge of the game for granted. He has yet to notice the discrepancies between reality and his delusions. It is as though he holds the game's content as prophetic knowledge. His zealotry is quite amusing as it is reminiscent of old Old Humanity.

Though I can't deny it, the ramblings of my Master do mostly align with what my scout drones have found. Most of the behaviors of these ' heiresses' are a one-to-one match. The slight differences appear mainly due to the switch in sexes. The kingdom's structure is also aligned with what Master has mentioned. It (admittedly) makes more sense in the current context since the capture targets are now in the so-called 'dominant' sex as presented in the game.

I wonder what else has been affected in this world.

Current objectives:

1) Collect more information before informing Master Leon. Despite the errors, Leon's knowledge is indispensable in planning for the future. Revealing the discrepancies may cause him to cease using his knowledge. If enough events align despite the sex changes, Leon may still rely on his memories. Having a guideline for the future is far better than acting on no information.

2) Assessment of Oliver's magical talents shall be put on hold. Testing for the presence of light magic in Master shall commence shortly. For all of Master's insistence that he is a mob character, he may very well be the protagonist of an equally trashy Gal game.

3) Assess the nobilities' genetic stock. While placing Old Humanity's offspring as the future rulers of this world is a worthy endeavor, the nobility system in place is a concern. Genetic defects from inbreeding are a distinct possibility. Corrective therapy may be necessary.

4) Convince Master to breed with a harem... Removing completed objective.

4) Assess the state in the other kingdoms and eliminate threats to the Holtfort Kingdom until a suitable armada can be constructed.

4a) Seek out ruins. There are potentially other AIs to aid in this endeavor.

4b) Assess the functionality of the AI in question. AI may have gone maverick due to dormancy and may endanger the re-establishment of Old Humanity.

AN:

1) This was not included in my Trapped on the Drawing Board because I can see where I would want to go for this. Anything I post in that collection of brain ooze is more of I had an idea, but I don't know how to write it, or they are attempts to change up writing styles to see what sticks. Maybe with some polishing, something in that collection will be good enough to warrant further exploration.

2) As for updates, I plan to focus on Villainess, Marie-less, and A Little Closer to Home. Updates for this and Friendzone will be sporadic as I plan to use these to chug out content when I'm on writer's block for my main three. I'm also thinking of writing the Alzer Arc for Speedruner but planning on making it a series of references instead of Speedrunning (Examples: instead of doing the plot of an Otome game, I make it a death battle akin to Fate/Stay Night for the role of Sacred Guardian or make Sergei a Broly character due to his hate boner for Leon). I am thinking of updating Marie-less soon.

3) I wonder if the Gal game version would be better or more trashy than the Otome version.

4) I don't know if I would have only the main cast's gender-bent or all the characters.