Chapter 2: Jack of All Trades

Chapter 2: Jack of All Trades

OG Victoria was rich and spoiled.

Everytime Tori was reminded of this, it brought a feeling of exasperation and bitterness.

Victoria was very well loved by her family. She was the adored youngest and only daughter of Marquis Gregorio de Guevera and Marquess Antonia. There were also the two older brothers Tori read about in the wiki article.

Sebastian, the eldest, was twelve years older and Kasen was nine years older. The large age gap between them made the brothers dote on Victoria to the point where they not only visited her every day when she was unconscious, but once she woke up the first time, they and their parents would take turns watching over her in case she woke up again.

They brought over their work and moved a desk and chair into the space between the window and her bed so they could be there if she needed anything. When she woke up feverish, her mother wiped her sweat with a cool wet towel. Her eldest brother personally fanned her. Her father even had a doctor staying across the hall in case she had another episode.

How many noble families with the responsibilities the Gueveras had would do that? Tori doubted there were regular families who would do that.

To her, Victoria was ridiculously lucky in terms of birth. There were plenty of messed up villain origin stories that started with the villains family being generally terrible, but Victoria didnt have that problem.

She just made dumbass decisions.

This idiot body had a good thing going and it was thrown away for some royal rando. Who wouldnt be pissed? It was like watching a friend get into a trainwreck relationship.

In a way, Tori was glad she transmigrated when she did. At the very least, she wouldnt make the same decisions as Victoria. All she needed to do was go to school and graduate without clashing with the protagonist and her harem. She was sure if she avoided conflict with the protagonist, the chance of her bad end would be greatly diminished.

The countdown to the start of the game had begun and so Tori got ready. First thing: she had to pack.

When Tori thought back to her closet in her original world, she always felt she had accumulated a lot of clothes. She didnt think that in a past historical scenario, albeit fictional, someone would have even more clothes at only fourteen years.

And once more, she was wrong.

The pile of clothes on her bed was taller than her; the most recent reminder that Victoria was painfully spoiled. It wasnt a small bed either.

Is this...all of it? Tori asked as she stood at the foot of her bed, staring at the mountain of clothes. She had to admit, she was a bit impressed. Behind her, two maids wiped their brows as they came out of her walk-in-closet with another armload of clothes each. Tori narrowed her eyes. Walk-in-closets shouldnt even exist here, but whatever. This was just a fantasy world loosely based on a hodge-podge of European periods.

These are all of your gowns, outerwear, and day-to-day wear, my lady, one of the maids said. This doesnt count your sleep wear, undergarments, shoes or accessories.

Tori drew her lips into a tight line and nodded slowly. It was time for the art of tidying up She took a deep breath. Im going to sort through these. Whatever I no longer plan on using, we will resell and donate the profits to schools in the march.

Should we ask for additional hands, my lady?

No, Ill do this myself. Just prepare the trunks to sort the items into. Tori walked to her desk and picked up a few sheets of paper. Each sheet was a specific list: sleepwear and undergarments; shoes and accessories; school supplies; toiletries and make-up; miscellaneous items; and finally clothes and outerwear.

Essentially, packing lists for moving into the dorm at Lyce.

She moved aside four of the lists and brought over the list of clothes broken down by occasion, weather, and estimated frequency of use. Luckily, the Lyce required all students to wear uniforms and specially designed seasonal outwear. Those garments could be purchased in stores near campus and her family had already put in the orders.

All she had to do was pick them up.

What she had to pick out now were clothes to wear when she wasn't attending classes.

Her maids dragged in large trunks to fill. Each was enough for two of her to hide in. Tori was determined to use only one, but the others were for things she planned to get rid of. Victoria mustve just bought whatever she thought was fashionable and expensive. From a glance, Tori could see that not all the colors would look good on her. Victoria was pale with cool undertones and blue eyes; a classic cool winter.

Tori was originally a warm autumn and had to consciously push aside her bias for colors that went well with her original complexion. She was both lucky and unlucky that Victoria had so many clothes as she first sorted the dresses on the bed by color. She just finished when a knock came from the door.

I heard you had questions? an amused voice of a man said from the open doorway. Tori glanced up and smiled at the man who shared the same hair color and eyes as she. He was well dressed and looked to have just come back from an errand outside.

Kasey! Good, youre here. I do have some more questions and since you just spent the last several years in Horizon, I figured youd be the person to go to.

Her second older brother was, as the wiki article said, a scholar. A tall, good-looking, and gifted swordsman scholar who patiently answered all of her questions, of which she had a lot.

Tori had gaps in her memory, or rather, there were things that Victoria either didnt pay attention to or didnt know. Everything Tori really knew about the world came from reading the wiki pages on it and for obvious reasons, she didnt finish reading them.

She found that when she tried to remember something, either a quick, sharp shooting pain in her head would bring a memory or nothing came up. Since she had hit her head and had a fever, it was just easier to admit to her new family that she was a bit amnesiatic.

Impossible! Sebastian had grabbed her hand and lowered his head to meet her eyes when she told them. You remember me, dont you? How could you forget your favorite brother?

No, no...I remember you...I remember all of you. Tori had tried to explain without worrying them further. Her parents had looked horrified, with her mother on the verge of crying again. I just cant remember...bits and pieces of things. I might have redundant questions, so, please dont be alarmed.

Kasen had pulled Sebastian away and took his seat beside her. All right, he told her in an understanding voice. Then, whatever question you have, you can ask me. Ill answer everything for you.

Tori wouldve been lying if she said she wasnt touched. She knew she needed the support and knowledge bank. A relieved smile had filled her face . Thank you, Kasey.

Sebastian had gasped and a look of panic filled his handsome face. Tori...our brothers name is Kasen.

Shit.

Kasen wasnt a popular name in her original world, but Kasey was relatively common. Shed heard his name being called before and read it on the wiki article, but mustve fallen back on what she was familiar with. Kasen just smiled warmly and held her hand, as if noticing the doomed look on her face.

Its fine. Tori can call me Kasey.

She called him that ever since.

When the headache and body pain were tolerable enough for her to at least sit up in bed and focus, Kasen spent hours at her side answering all her questions, no matter how simple and strange they seemed.

I can bring you some general books on the history of the empire.

That would be great! She had perked up and Kasen rushed out to get her some books immediately, but her excitement was short-lived. When she opened her mouth, she could speak the language that she intrinsically knew wasnt one in her original world. When she listened to others speak, she understood what they were saying. The ability to communicate was inherited from Victoria.

However, being able to communicate through speech was different from literacy. Kasen brought her a suitable book to read. It wasnt thick, but he assured her it was detailed enough. Toris heart had pounded in her chest as she accepted the book and put it on her lap. The thick, leather bound cover had no writing on it and she felt her chest tighten.

In her travels in her original world, she had been to places where she was illiterate and the feeling of being so ignorant and helpless that she couldn't even read the simplest signs always made her anxious. And those were in places where she was just visiting; if she lived in a place where she couldnt read, she didnt know what shed do.

Tori had stared at the book, unable to bring herself to open it. If she were lucky, maybe the written language was in Japanese. After all, it was a Japanese game. She was no expert in kanji and often had to look up characters, but some literacy was better than none.

Tori? Kasen had looked at her and frowned when she didnt move. Are you all right?

She swallowed hard. Fuck it, Tori. You can learn to read again if you need to.

She opened the book to a random page and looked down. Immediately, her lips pulled into a wide smile as she let out the breath shed been holding. With a look of utter relief, she looked back at her brother. I can read....

Kasen had looked at her strangely, but she ignored it.

She only had a few weeks before she left the safety and comfort of the Guevera Fortress and ventured out into the world. She needed to cram everything she could find out about this game world before she set foot outside. She felt her survival literally depended on her ability to navigate the in-game world without causing problems.

Tori read like she was cramming a semesters worth of readings the day before finals.

Even Kasen told her to slow down and not read too late into the night, worried that shed get dizzy and trigger her headaches.

It seemed that learning didnt make her head hurt, so she habitually stayed up reading by candlelight and writing questions in a notebook that she would show to Kasen the next morning. He didnt hand her random books, either. He curated material to build a foundation, as if he was teaching her about their world from scratch.

At one point, Tori wondered if her brother thought she had gotten dumber after her accident.

He gave her maps, charts of noble families, reviewed their own extensive family tree, and then started touching on the sciences of their world. While there was some overlap, Tori was excited to find out that many of their sciences would be considered magic to her. She was then grossly disappointed that despite the presence of magic - no matter how mundane Kasen made it sound like - there were no amazing magical beasts.

In addition, most magic was limited to things like lights, communication, and healing. Normal, everyday things in her world were just made magical by the use of crystals. Lame.

Her next massive disappointment came when she realized that she was a transmigrated soul in a foreign body, but had no sudden, extra perks. She hoped that there was something special about her that was the result of her transmigration. She read web novels and manga, she knew how this worked: a girl travels to another world; is special and has an overpowered gift she uses to save the world or build a business empire or get revenge or whatever.

Did she have super powers like speed or strength or reading minds? No.

Tori had been working on that by lifting books, doing barre exercises, and stretching with yoga in her room at night. Part of it was because she had a lot of hobbies that were physical and wanted to continue them here. Another, more practical reason, was that she wanted to have some ability to fend off enemies. While she planned to avoid conflict with the protagonist and her harem, Tori didnt know what this world would throw at her.

Better to be prepared.

The more skills she had, the more adaptable she was. In her original life, shed learned practical things from sewing and cooking to more physical things like dance and exercise classes. She tried to learn new languages, new instruments, and got into several arts and crafts. While her skill level in each varied, she could confidently say she was a jack of all trades, but master of none.

Before she left for her business trip to Tokyo, Tori had just started her horseback riding lessons. A lot of good that did her now; she had only three so far. Her equestrian skills were probably lower than Victorias, who had fallen off a horse.

Ugh...I knew I shouldve signed up for those classes a few years ago.

There was never a cure for regret.

Young lord, young lady. A gruff guards voice pulled Tori from her trance and she slowed to a stop. She opened her eyes and turned towards the merlot and black uniformed guard a few steps away. The Marquess has sent me to remind you that dinner will be had in the formal dining room.

Kasen lowered his sword and looked towards her. Go and wash up for dinner. Ill take your sword. Tori handed it to him and headed back inside. She made it a few steps in when she heard her name.

Tori, did you finish packing? Her father was walking down the corridor and looked up from a folder he was skimming. A warm smile filled his face as he looked at her.

Almost. Nope. Kasey helped me pick out some clothes.

Oh, thats good. If you need anything, you just tell Papa, okay? He lifted his large, calloused hand and patted her head of unruly curly black hair she inherited from him. His hair, however, was cut short. If it wasnt for his neatly trimmed beard, hed look like an aged version of Kasen.

Okay, Papa. I know. Tori continued ahead and rounded the corner.

Tori, did you go out to practice? Another voice called out to her. She glanced to her right and saw Sebastian coming out of his office. He seemed to almost pout. Why didn't you call me? I wouldve come. You know Im a better swordsman than Kasen!

While in her heart, Tori considered Kasen her favorite brother, Sebastian openly insisted that he was instead. He was much more extroverted than their brother and resembled their mother more with his wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. He still had the Guevera height and build, though. He wasnt lying when he said he was a better swordsman. None of the guards his age seemed to be able to match him.

I was just stretching out before dinner. Are you done for today? she asked as she prepared to walk up the stairs.

Yes, I have to be. Sebastian frowned, annoyed. I cant believe I have to leave so early. Are you sure you dont want to leave with me tomorrow to go to Horizon? My work will only take a few days and then I can take you around the city.

Even if she wanted to, she had a pile of clothes on her bed that prohibited her. No, Kasey and I are going to leave in a few days. I have a few more things to prepare.

Sebastian looked disappointed and shuffled a few steps away. He looked back at her with big, despondent eyes. Are you sure?

Yes.

He groaned and seemed to slink back into his office, defeated. Tori chuckled and ran to her room. She quickly washed her face and hands before changing into a fresh dress for the meal. She followed the scent of dinner wafting through the fortress to get to the main dining hall and saw her father step inside as she rounded the corner. Before she reached the door, she heard a pleased squeal from within.

Stop it, Gregorio, were about to eat! Her mother sounded as if she were admonishing her father, but there was a hint of joy and teasing in her voice.

Good, Im quite hungry for you.

Gregorio!

Tori stood outside, in the hall, counting a few seconds before stomping her feet to give them warning. Nowhere on Victorias wiki article did it say that her parents were as affectionate as they were. Everytime they passed in the hall, the couple would kiss. Her father had no qualms with hugging his wife whenever he could and they openly flirted to the point that it seemed everyone was numb to it.

Even in the short time Tori was exposed to them, shed started ignoring their public displays of affection.

Mama, is dinner ready? Tori called out before she even appeared at the doorway. She gave them another second to compose themselves before she walked in.

Youre just in time, darling. Were just waiting for your brothers now. The Marquess abandoned her husband to get to Tori and personally led her to the seat next to her. The first time Tori had come down for a meal, she stood to the side, trying to figure out where to sit. Her mother had figured this out at once and brought her to her seat.

Im starving. Where are those two? The Marquis was already in his chair at the head of the table.

What about Gramps? Tori asked as she pushed her chair closer to the table. The elder Marquis usually joined them at dinner, but not always. He was a surprisingly social old man and constantly hanging out with his old man friends.

Hes out with his war buddies again, her father said.

Tori wrinkled her nose. Sebastians leaving tomorrow. He didnt want to stay for dinner?

Just as she said this, her brothers entered the dining room. Her father snorted, as if such a reason was worthy. Why bother? Its just Sebastian.

Her eldest brother came to a halt and narrowed his eyes. What kind of....

Sit down, the Marquess said. Lets have dinner. Sebastian, dont forget that when you pass through the towns, to make reservations for your siblings at the inns.

I know, Sebastian said as he took his seat across from their mother. Kasen sat on his other side, across from Tori. Ive already mapped out the route.

Were taking the Andreas Pass, Kasen said. Itll save us two days of travel.

Good, good. Itll give your sister more time to familiarize herself with the city, the Marquis said with an approving nod. The servants came in with their dishes and placed them in front of each person. Kasen, make sure to stay with her. Its easy for a newcomer to get lost in Horizon.

I know, Papa.

It wouldve been better if Kasen was still going to school there, Sebastian said as he began to cut through the steak on his plate. If only he was a year younger. Tch...so useless.

Yes, if only I controlled the circumstances of my birth better, Kasen said in a droll voice.

Exactly, you.... Sebastian lowered his utensils and turned to give their brother a glare. Shut up, Kasen.

Enough. Their mother shot them both a look. She turned to Tori, her face softening. Your brothers only have a limited time to stay there with you, so take advantage of them while you can, all right?

Go to your Auntie Lucia if you need immediate help, her father said, looking at her pointedly.

Lucias home isnt too far from Lyce. The Marquess nodded with confirmation.

The Marquis seemed to think for a moment. If its an emergency and during school hours, contact your Uncle Maurizo. The Universit where he works is closest to Lyce.

Papa, Uncle Maurizo is a research professor there. I cant always bother him. Thinking of doing so made Tori feel bad, especially when her uncle, her Auntie Lucias husband, studied medicinal plants.

Her father simply brushed off her concern. Its fine. You are more important than whatever plant hes researching now.

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

Though Tori couldnt help but feel a bit exasperated at this, she was still moved. She sighed to herself and continued to eat as her new family happily chatted around her.

In this sort of loving, doting environment, Victorias personality in the game made total sense. Victoria was not only born into power and wealth, but was so loved and pampered, it made her spoiled and expectant, resulting in the arrogant young woman who easily became envious and succumbed to her darkest impulses.

It was the literal fatal character flaw that made Victoria have so much conflict with Alessa. Because of that envy, and fueled by her pride, Victoria did things that ruined her.

Tori looked around the warm, loving family that was laughing around her and surprisingly felt that she was a part of it. Maybe it was because of the affection they showered on her or their consideration for her recovery and their unquestioning acceptance to the obvious changes in her personality that made her feel comfortable considering her situation.

It had been just a few weeks since she woke, but she had real affection for the Gueveras. She wasnt sure if it was her own that she had developed or if it was Victorias lingering feelings connected to her fond memories of her family, but Tori counted herself as lucky to have transmigrated into their home.

She quietly ate, her mind assessing her situation once more.

Victorias original actions led to the eventual downfall of her entire family, if the wiki articles on the game sequels were anything to go by. Her death made her brothers villains and a centuries old marquis family just an entry in a history book.

Tori couldnt allow that to happen.

This was her family now. Even if they didnt know that the soul inside had changed, this body belonged to this family and they loved her. They treated her well and did their best for her.

Tori knew what she had to do: go to Lyce and be a good student. Lay low. Dont have any conflicts with the protagonist and her love interests. Be the most forgettable NPC she could.

At the very least, that should allow her to survive and none of these kind people would suffer.