However, ordinary passengers like those who simply apply to travel between the Kingdom and the Material Realm, or as in the case of the current Fangting City squad of newbie Magical Girls who don't even have an identification badge, find their access to additional service carriages extremely limited. They are essentially limited to paid services such as bars and shops, along with a designated scenic car.
Emerald Sparrow was headed for the scenic car.
Given that the train utilized a space-expanding spell, most of the carriages were actually entirely indoors with hardly any external windows, which was why the train operators had specially added this scenic carriage to allow passengers who enjoyed viewing landscapes to appreciate the scenery along the way.
For Emerald Sparrow, this carriage was probably the only place on the entire train that made her feel somewhat nostalgic.
The interior of the carriage was decorated like the old-fashioned trains, a narrow rectangular space with benches along the walls and large windows. However, in this special carriage, the aisles were filled with colorful flowers, as if a spring flower sea had extended here.
Roses, daisies, lavender, and baby's breath... Pink, purple, yellow flowers intertwined, the gaps filled with lush green grass, and the soft sunlight from outside made the colors of the flowers even more vivid, blurring the line between natural and artificial.
Perhaps because the space was elongated, there weren't many passengers, and from where Emerald Sparrow entered the carriage, there were only four or five passengers taking photos and enjoying the view. The benches were covered with exquisite cushions, decorated with simple and fresh patterns. The tram's handrails were entwined with green vines and small flowers, the ceiling lights emitted a warm yellow light, and the whole space appeared like a frozen moment taken from a dream, familiar yet strange.
It was still the same as twenty years ago.
Emerald Sparrow thought, treading lightly to avoid stepping on the flowers and grass, then picked an unoccupied bench and slowly sat down.
She still clearly remembered her first train ride to the Kingdom with Fangting City's four-member squad: After applying for help from a neighboring city to solve the issue of being unmanned and seeking aid from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for the travel expenses, they had finally embarked on their journey. Tired from the long journey, they had somehow led her to this carriage.
Back then, Emerald Sparrow had been so tired that she was fighting sleep and only wanted to return to her own carriage to rest. Nevertheless, An Ya had dragged the reluctant her into the carriage, and after that, the beauty of this carriage had deeply imprinted in everyone's memory.
Furthermore, An Ya, because of her clumsy movements, had trampled too many plants and was scolded by the fairy managing the carriage; Asou Haruka had opened the carriage door and nearly got thrown out while shouting outside; Emerald Sparrow herself, too tired, had eventually fallen asleep on the bench in the middle of the journey; Su Shengzi had taken this opportunity to take a series of photos of her, entitled "Alice in the Land of Dreams," winning a prize at a later photography contest...
Among these memories, there were numerous foolish acts that would make one feel embarrassed under normal circumstances, but recalling them now, Emerald Sparrow didn't feel embarrassed at all, only nostalgic.
With this indescribably nostalgic feeling, she lifted her head and looked at the window opposite her, watching the landscape that sped past as the train moved forward. The train was now about to leave Yannan City, so the view outside was vast fields, echoing the flowers inside the carriage, as if merged into one.
Just as Emerald Sparrow was sinking into her thoughts, the sound of a door opening came from the transfer layer entrance beside her.
She looked to the side as the door opened and closed, and the one who walked into the carriage was the Magical Girl previously known as Tu Dinggui.
This Magical Girl named Tu Dinggui had a well-proportioned figure, neither tall nor short, her skin fair with a rosy tint, appearing well-nurtured and graceful. Her facial features were slightly sharp, yet delicate and gentle, suggesting a mix from different regions.
What caught the eye most was her grayish-white hair, which was quite rare in Donghua State, where most people had black or brown hair. Her hair was tied up in a pair of half ponytails, loosely hanging at the back and also tied at the sides, giving her a sweet and fresh initial impression.
Dubbed Tu Dinggui, the Magical Girl entered the carriage, carrying the book "Shape Energy System High-Efficiency Spellcasting and Spell Positioning" she had been reading earlier. Her deep blue skirt swayed among the flowers, and then she stopped in front of a bench diagonally across from Emerald Sparrow.
The girl slightly tugged at her white shirt to smooth out the wrinkles formed by walking, then adjusted her top's light-colored knit vest, and sat down on the bench, pressing her skirt. Throughout the process, her gaze seemed oblivious to others, perhaps because she was entirely lost in thought, failing to realize there was another person diagonally opposite her.
Emerald Sparrow also had no intention of initiating conversation with the stranger, and thus both sat in their respective seats—one reading, the other daydreaming—without any interaction.