After an indeterminate passage of time, Lin Yu's slightly weary voice resonated through the formation:
"We should depart now."
Glenn opened his eyes, as did Hermione, who had been resting peacefully against his shoulder.
The two rose from their folding stools and, peering over the crowd, discovered that a convoy of carriages had mysteriously materialized at the formation's front.
Well, calling them carriages wasn't entirely accurate, since the creatures pulling them bore little resemblance to horses in the conventional sense, and what they were drawing hardly qualified as traditional carriages either.
Moreover, their physiques were remarkably robust—approximately two or three times larger than ordinary horses.
"These appeared in books about mechanical arts... um, Wooden Flowing Cattle and Horses?"
"Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses."
Hermione raised an eyebrow slightly. Having perused countless volumes in the North China Academy of Sorcery's library, she immediately recognized these constructs upon sight. However, the somewhat awkward pronunciation caused the girl to stumble over the name, prompting Glenn's gentle correction.
Glenn possessed some knowledge regarding Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses. These were ingenious tools invented by a legendary sorcerer particularly gifted in sorcery and mechanical arts during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient Dragon Kingdom history, originally designed for transporting grain and other supplies. Modern sorcerers had since modified them based on the original blueprints, transforming them into transportation vessels for Dragon Kingdom sorcerers during their travels.
Utilizing intricate mechanical arts as their structural foundation, sorcery as their energy conversion medium, and spiritual power as their driving force, though Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses remained mere mechanical constructs, they bloomed with genuine spiritual vitality under Dragon Kingdom sorcerers' masterful hands.
At this moment, the mechanical constructs kneeling before the formation—resembling curious hybrids of ox and horse (let's simply call them ox-horses)—would actually turn their heads toward the young sorcerers, nod with dignified acknowledgment, and exhale twin streams of white vapor from their nostrils.
Dragon Kingdom mechanical arts proved truly extraordinary.
Glenn, who studied alchemy, naturally grasped the profound significance of this achievement.
The former involved transforming matter, creating entirely new substances to achieve specific objectives, while the latter employed ingenious methods—such as mechanical force—to control matter and produce miraculous effects. Alchemy and mechanical arts shared certain commonalities yet remained fundamentally distinct disciplines.
Glenn had selected mechanical arts as one of his Dragon Kingdom subjects, but due to overwhelming commitments, he had temporarily shelved this elective course at the Dragon Kingdom Academy of Sorcery without delving deeply into its mysteries. However, witnessing the wonder of these mechanical constructs firsthand sparked thoughts of restructuring his study schedule to prioritize mechanical arts education.
Studying similar yet divergent subjects often provided learners with expanded perspectives, broadening their intellectual horizons, or enabling them to synthesize both approaches for even superior results.
"You're genuinely impressive—you even recognize Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses."
Peiheng, who had been positioned in front of Glenn and Hermione, also rose from his folding stool, brushed off his pristine white Daoist robes, gathered his portable seat, and remarked with an amused smile:
"Seems I needn't explain their function to you?"
Glenn and Hermione nodded confirmation. Observing this, Peiheng cheerfully shrugged before taking the lead, following the advancing formation.
"Then let's proceed. Board the Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses—we're prepared for departure. Each construct accommodates two passengers, so I'll bid farewell for now?"
Waving goodbye to Peiheng, Glenn and Hermione followed the example of the young sorcerers ahead, opening the door of the carriage trailing behind their assigned Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse and stepping inside.
"This is considerably more spacious than I anticipated. I expected the two-person compartment to feel more cramped, but you can actually stretch out completely and lie down, with substantial space remaining in front."
Opening the carriage door revealed an interior space of approximately sixteen cubic meters in rectangular configuration, constructed from light brown wooden materials emanating a subtle, refreshing fragrance. Small windows adorned both sides, seats occupied the rear section, and facing the seating area hung a large mirror—apparently designed to prevent passengers with claustrophobia from experiencing discomfort. The wall-mounted seats featured plush cushions that felt exceptionally comfortable against one's body, and when seated properly, passengers could fully extend their legs forward without experiencing any uncomfortable restriction.
After Glenn secured the door and settled into his position, Hermione knelt upon her seat, having already opened the small window on her side and was peering out with the unbridled curiosity of a kitten discovering fascinating new territory.
"Ah, it's moving, it's moving! The Wooden Flowing... Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse is rising!"
Sensing their Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse transition from its kneeling posture to standing, Hermione pressed her face against the window with childlike excitement, desperately attempting to observe the exterior.
"It's Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, but Hermione, you should sit properly and secure your safety harness. Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses achieve remarkable speeds—exercise caution to avoid falling."
"Oh, alright."
Heeding Glenn's counsel, Hermione temporarily subdued her playful enthusiasm, seated herself correctly, and extracted the safety belt that had been trapped beneath her, fastening it securely.
"But this truly is remarkable. If memory serves, Dragon Kingdom sorcerers apparently constructed specialized roadways exclusively for Wooden... Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses to traverse, interconnecting all regions throughout the realm."
"That represents no trivial undertaking—Dragon Kingdom's territory spans vast distances, encompassing 9.6 million square kilometers... Merely contemplating such engineering magnitude proves daunting!"
"Indeed, Dragon Kingdom operates that way. Although in my previous existence I remained unaware that Dragon Kingdom possessed transportation tools like Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses, during that era Dragon Kingdom's transportation infrastructure ranked globally supreme. When executing missions within Dragon Kingdom, reaching any destination proved remarkably convenient, conserving enormous amounts of time."
"The only drawback involved excessively stringent security inspections—transporting certain items via public transportation required considerable effort."
Glenn also secured his safety harness while reminiscing about his previous life's Dragon Kingdom, with its comprehensive transportation network featuring the world's most extensive high-speed railway system, highway network, and world-class port clusters.
Genuinely convenient.
"Although your recent comments seem to have incorporated something rather ominous, I'll interpret them as praise for Dragon Kingdom."
Hermione's eye twitched slightly, but having grown somewhat accustomed to Glenn's occasional startling revelations since he had confided in her, her reaction remained relatively mild.
"But perfecting transportation infrastructure proves genuinely beneficial. Although undertaking such massive projects demands enormous resources and effort, the subsequent convenience provides exponentially multiplied returns."
"Most crucially, your posterior doesn't ache when riding transportation along smooth roadways."
Hermione nodded with earnest conviction, gingerly touching her bottom with lingering apprehension. During their return journey to school in Britain via carriage, her posterior had endured countless painful jolts.
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