A.N : So yeah, this is just an idea that floated in my mind. Probably be a two shot unless I feel otherwise. No longer a one off.

Now has a TV Trope page

Thanks to Exiled for commissioning the cover art. Art is by skylight022. Cover is technically from the next game because this story starts from Trails of Cold Steel 3. So it'll be a while until then, but we'll get there.

Have you ever been in that situation where someone is throwing a lottery with everyone's name and you're just sitting there praying to whoever would hear that your name wouldn't get picked? So yeah, I was in that situation about probably 17 years ago…except I did not even know a lottery was being thrown.

So long story short, 17 years ago—from my perspective of time, at least—I was a doctor, died, and promptly got isekaid because the god I met said, and I quote, 'Yeah, I want to put someone in the role of a character in this JRPG franchise I'm playing. You know for shits and giggles, and out of around 120 people that died in the same minute as you, your name was picked randomly'

You'd think as an anime/manga/light novel/general otaku culture enjoyer I'd be excited right? Well, you see, first of all, Truck-kun couldn't even be bothered to show up, Covid-chan showed up in his place, though maybe she had a grudge against doctors because we prevent her from isekai-ing some random high schooler.

Secondly, I do not know the JRPG he's talking about, so no forewarning or future knowledge to navigate through the game plot, which I suppose is a historical event in this life, like that civil war two years ago. I was born in a sort of magitech world, people have this technology which they call the Orbal Technology that could allow them to cast magic among other things, such as having modern conveniences like cell phones and vehicles.

The orbal revolution is an incredibly rapid upending of society. Apparently, just 50 years ago our technological level was around the early Victorian Era, and four years ago landline phones were still a rarity. Today, we have mechs in the military, the cellphones equivalent is common among middle to upper-class citizens, and I heard they're even developing the internet right now.

Anyway, rapid technological development and my lack of foreknowledge aside, they're not really a dealbreaker, I can work with it. But the third reason is a dealbreaker—if that god had given me a choice anyway—and why that god is a troll and not in an amusing way.

You see, the only information about this world I get from that god is that the character I'm replacing will play a part in the games that have harem elements. Harem elements are annoying, especially in JRPGs because you know damn well most of them have the preferred heroine that takes precedent so the 'choose your girl' feature is essentially BS.

But whatever, at least like Isekai protags I would be the harem protagonist, right? Nope. That shitty god reincarnated me as a girl and judging from my silky blue hair, well-proportioned body, and beautiful face…Pretty sure this girl is supposed to be a member of the harem instead. Well, just my luck.

This girl's name—or well, I suppose my name, rather—is Jessica. Jessica Schleiden, heiress to the house of Schleiden, a noble of the Erebonian Empire. Our family, the Schleiden ruled over the town of Valdrand and its surrounding area. If you're wondering why there were some german sounding names, that's because the Erebonian Empire is basically fantasy not-Germany. Our Chancellor is even called the Blood and Iron Chancellor. Yes, that's right, maybe he'll announce that he's secretly Bismarck that got isekaid.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm inside a harem anime/JRPG, I'd definitely welcome being reincarnated as Jessica, yeah my gender changed, but the trade-off is easily worth it. I mean…this girl is both attractive and physically gifted from her martial noble lineage, which I wasn't in my previous life. I'm not exactly ugly, just average I suppose, certainly not to Jessica's level. I'm rubbish at physical activity though. So yes, Jessica is definitely a step up.

And I don't know how smart the original Jessica is but considering I was a doctor, my consciousness made this girl quite gifted academically as well. Relatively anyway, not genius MENSA level or even a prodigy but suffice to say good enough to get by. Though I don't actually know the metaphysic of how soul and brain interact, so it's possible Jessica is smart in the first place. Wouldn't surprise me, considering her other waifu-like qualities.

So yes, I pretty much won the genetic lottery, and that's not even counting the fact that I'm a noble. Due to the orbal revolution, nobility no longer holds the same influence they used to have in society. In fact, the noble faction lost the civil war two years ago, so the commoner faction is the dominant force in the current Erebonian politic. That being said, nobles still hold some degree of respect, especially within their domain. And…nobles are also typically well off financially.

Unfortunately, she's also probably a harem member. And I really don't want to deal with anime harem bullshit, especially on the receiving end of it as a harem member. Not to mention, considering the magitech setting, and that Jessica was born into a martial noble family famous for their spearmanship, the plot is probably going to be dangerous. Knowing JRPG, it'll probably end up in killing a god or something.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I'd love to teach the god that reincarnated me a lesson, but I'm no Tanya von Degurechaff, I'm not going to pick a fight against a being of immense power if I can help it. Besides, they worship the goddess Adios here, and the god that reincarnated me said that he was a guy. But then again, he did crossdress as Nocticula from pathfinder among other fictional female deities at some point. Eh, whatever. I don't care. As I said, I'd much rather just live a comfortable life away from the plot.

Well, luckily I managed to identify the protagonist so I know whom to avoid. I had several suspects, but I ultimately settle on this one guy. Rean Schwarzer, the Ashen Chevalier, heir to the Schwarzer Barony, and national Erebonian hero that ended the civil war when he was still a student among other things. And of course, like many harem protagonists, a dense romantically-inept guy surrounded by hot girls that want to bang him.

I first met him two years ago when he visited his sister in St. Astraia's Girl School. His sister was close to the Imperial Princess, whom I managed to befriend due to strings of lucky coincidences. He was visiting with the rest of his classmates from the prestigious Thors Military Academy, and yeah just among them I already see the harem members. The blonde-haired twin-tailed tsundere, the cool composed blue-haired lady knight type, the nerdy glasses girl with a big chest, the white-haired petite catlike girl, and of course his non-blood-related little sister, heck probably even the princess.

If I had to guess, Jessica was probably supposed to be the kouhai type in his harem? Considering she was slated to attend Thors due to being a martial noble, that would place her a year below him, making Rean her senpai. I would have to skip a year to attend alongside him, considering Thors is a two years program instead of the usual three years in Japanese High School. But it's not unheard of—I actually had some plan to not go to a military academy, before it was ruined anyway, but I digress.

Anyway, the next day terrorist attack happened. Mr. Harem Protag and his classmates were instrumental in dealing with the attack, which cemented him as the protagonist to me. From that point on, I tried to steer clear of him to avoid the plot.

Unfortunately…because of my friendship with the princess, I ended up somewhat involved in the civil war, which probably would be a climactic arc of one of the games? This is probably where Jessica was supposed to join the protagonist's party. Fortunately, I managed to convince them that 'my spear is sworn to protect the princess' and avoided joining them in liberating cities and whatnot. I only had to participate near the end to help free the rest of the Imperial Family at the princess' request, which I suppose made me a guest party member. Not ideal, but better than actually being a full-time party member.

So yeah, close call, but I managed to avoid being involved too deeply in the plot so far. I'd call it a win. The bad news is due to the commoner faction winning, they decreed that nobility should not have the privilege of guarding the Imperial family, and that duty will be taken over by a newly formed royal guard from the army.

So there goes my plan to be hired as the princess bodyguard to avoid being a military cadet. I have no chance at that point, considering they also dismissed the Vanders, the noble family traditionally charged with guarding the imperial family.

I considered just applying as her handmaiden instead, they only decreed it forbidden to be the imperial family bodyguard, not a handmaiden. Hurray for loopholes…except it's not an option considering I'm a martial noble.

Our family prided ourselves on being the Spear of the Empire. Our noblesse oblige creed is to defend our people from the enemies of Erebonia. Being the princess bodyguard is one thing, but outright just being a handmaiden? Nope, not going to happen.

When I brought it up, my father said that he's glad that I found a friend in the princess, but the decree doesn't forbid me to continue being her friend, even without being part of her official entourage. On the other hand, refusing to serve militarily would mean that I neglected our family duty to our subjects and the Empire. And that is how I'm currently on a train ride to attend Thors Military Academy, narrating my life because I was bored.

Unfortunate, but thankfully I managed to mitigate the situation. First, I managed to convince my father to wait a year since at that point I was in my final year in St. Astraia anyway. I did this to ensure my enrollment would be after Rean Schwarzer's graduation. Secondly, I had elected not to attend the main campus that he attended and instead opted for the newly opened branch campus.

Yes, this way I'll minimize the risk of me involved in the plot. I had thought the plot was over after the civil war, but considering the political situation just got worse after that, and Rean was involved in the North Ambria war last year, probably not. By enrolling in the branch campus, hopefully I can avoid the plot train. If Thors Military Academy is going to be involved, logically that would be his alma mater, the main campus right?

At worst, probably I'd only be tangentially involved similar to back during the civil war. Everything should be fine.