"You two, stop arguing! We're here!" Emma sternly said.
We'd come to a complete stop, but I couldn't see anything special through the window.
*It does seem less dense and cleaner around here, though.*
"Is this the royal library?" I asked.
Emma followed my gaze and giggled. "Over there? No. It's on the other side."
*The windowless one. Perfect.*
"I'm not sure what we're going to do about you, to be honest," she continued. "It's supposed to be an exam completion ceremony and we're only allowed to let people in that have been approved ahead of time."
"Uh huh..."
"We shouldn't let you wander the streets, so we must make some other arrangement," Riche said.
"Really?" I said incredulously.
*Despite his chutzpa, I suppose he does have morals.*
The wall suddenly rippled and Ruby stepped inside.
Her getup was quite a bit different from before - earlier she was wearing almost lab coat-like attire, likely due to the fact that it could get dirty easily, but now, she was wearing a sparkling black dress.
"Wow, Ruby, that looks so pretty!" Emma exclaimed.
"Hmph. How many times must I to remind you to not call me that in public?" Ruby chastised.
"Erm. Sorry, Teacher."
"There will be many eyes on us. Act with grace."
"Is that what you'll be wearing during the ceremony?" I asked Emma. It seemed a little odd - Ruby's clothes were much fancier than Emma's.
"Of course not," she said. "This is what I'll be wearing before it starts, but I'll change into something nicer later."
"I see. So... Ruby, will I be able to come watch?"
"Hrm..." she muttered, furrowing her brows. "Ordinarily, that is not permitted, and I don't see any good reason to make an exception for you."
*So she *can* make exceptions.*
"By the way," I added. "Do I look like a boy or a girl?"
...
The silence was deafening, but I didn't care. All I wanted was an answer.
"If you won't answer, do any of you at least have a mirror?"
"Hmph. Of course not. Someone like you should never ever have access to a mirror."
*Whoa, does that mean I'm actually ugly?*
"What do you mean by that?"
"Young boy, you never cease to amaze me with your ignorance. Mirrors are highly advanced magic tools. You, with no magic ability, will never have any use for one."
Emma's eyes widened. "Teacher-"
"Hush, Emma. You, on the other hand," Ruby continued. "Will not be permitted entry. Understood?"
"I see," I said, pondering her words. "I look like a boy to you. Interesting."
"..."
"So if mirrors are so special, what do you use in the morning to check your reflection? Do you just leave home by guessing that you look presentable?"
Mirrors easily had to exist by this time period - at least in the world I came from - so I wasn't sure what was going on.
Emma giggled. "It's a looking glass, not a mirror. I can't believe you don't know things like this, haha!"
"Okay, so do any of you have a looking glass?"
"No, such a thing is not permitted during the ceremony," Emma said.
*How contrived.*
"Can we just go?" Riche complained. "I feel sick listening to all of you."
"Very well," Ruby said. "We should indeed get moving."
Ruby was the ultimate authority for these kids, so they obediently followed her outside. And, since I had nothing to gain by staying here, did just the same.