Very Wrong Reincarnation: Isekai with Game Nation

Prologue

Federal Territory of Palus
Federation Era 7/ ECC 725

In a small village nestled amidst medieval-style architecture of stone, straw, and thatch, lived a family of four. Anna and Thomas, the children, were currently in a hurry. Clad in tattered rags that barely shielded them from the chill of dawn, they wore distinct arm bands on their left wrists, embroidered with the pristine logo of Central Palus Federal Elementary School. The insignia starkly contrasted with their worn-out attire.

"Anna, Thomas, hurry up! You'll be late!" Their mother's urgent voice echoed through the narrow cobblestone streets between the houses, her worried eyes darting between her children. The siblings immediately followed suit, shouldering their small backpacks before bidding their mother a brief farewell.

"We're going!"

"Your lunches?"

"Already here."

As they hurried through the labyrinthine alleys of their medieval village, the heavy sound of a bronze bell resonated in the morning light, spurring everyone into motion as they saw other children running.

Emerging onto a wide thoroughfare that cut through the heart of their village, Anna and Thomas stepped onto the smooth, seamless asphalt road. It stretched endlessly in both directions, wide enough to accommodate eight carriages abreast, a marvel they can't possibly have in their village just a few years ago.

"Anna, quickly!"

"I know!"

"If we miss it, the next one won't be until 10 am! We'll miss three classes!"

They quickened their pace towards a raised platform ahead, where two sturdy metal beams spanned the asphalt expanse. Here, the railway tracks shimmered in the early morning light.

"The train is here!" shouted a village guard, signaling with his distinct yellow banner whether they would stop or not.

Moments later, the resonant hum of a locomotive reverberated as the passenger coach approached and slowed down. Anna and Thomas scrambled aboard, finding their seats amidst a mix of bustling commuters and fellow students from Central Palus Federal Elementary School. The train jerked forward, leaving behind the cobbled stone station of their village.

In the open coach, with no walls but seats lined up like in a normal passenger coach, it wasn't ideal during hot weather, winter, or rain. Their only protection from the elements was the thin iron roof.

"Thomas, where's my pencil?" Anna asked urgently.

"I thought I put it in there..." Thomas replied, rummaging through their backpack.

"It's not there." Anna's voice quivered as she paled. "I'm going to get punished!" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"You can ask the soldiers at the city gates to exchange a pencil! Give them my lunch in exchange!" Thomas hurriedly suggested to his little sister.

Then, they fell silent as the uninterrupted thrum of another train became audible. It was continuous, a sound typically illegal for slower, community trains like the one Anna and Thomas rode. This noise was reserved for high-speed trains, which were beyond the affordability of commoners like them due to their speed and potential danger to passengers in open coaches like theirs. Nonetheless, the free community train was their only means of reaching major cities near their destination.

The high-speed trains cost 500 credits per ride, almost half of their family's monthly income. Only the wealthy, government officials, and federal nobles could afford such luxury. The other type of train was military, used for transporting soldiers who were often repositioned in a hurry, capable of speeds over 100 kilometers per hour—nearly three times faster than the current community train Anna and Thomas were on.