Youya's POV:
"As you saw earlier, in this world, there is an abnormal ability certain people have" Hina-san started to explain. " In this kingdom, we call it magic. The magical abilities vary from magician to magician, but basically it's about controlling and changing your aura to a useable power". I listened in silence with my stupid what-the-hell-are-you-saying face. I opened my mouth in an attempt to say something. Anything. But there weren't any words left, so I decided to continue listening to what Hina-san had to say.
"But there is a limited amount of how much a magician can use of his magical abilities, and it depends on pure genetic" she said. " If you're born to a magic user father and a non-magic user mother, then you can use up to 40% of your aura, those are classified as the "greens". If it's the opposite, meaning that the mother is the magic-user one but not the father, their children will be able to use up to 60% of their auras, and those are classified as the "blues". And if both parents are magic users, then the child will be able to use 90% of the aura, and for some really strong and well trained "pure-blooded" magicians it could reach 100% and those are classified as the "golds".
In some really rare cases, even if you're born from one magic-user parent you won't be able to use magic at all, but that doesn't happen to those with both parents as magic users".
"Wow", was the only word I could say, it was strange, exciting, and in a weird way dangerous to know. I thought it was cool to have such strong powers, but I understood that it could bring consequences, a lot of them. "Then, that boy who saved me earlier was a magician?" I asked. "Yeah" Ayane-san interrupted the conversation, I thought she wasn't even listening, but guess she was.
"Then why did everyone get mad at that magician even though he saved my and their lives?" The question popped in my head even before knowing all of this stuff about magicians, but now that I know, it doesn't make sense even more. Based on Hina-san's reaction due to me not knowing about magic, I think that everyone in this city (if not the whole kingdom but somehow not my village) knows about its existence, then what was that hateful reaction towards the poor magician?!
"It's because of those damn nobels" Ayane-san said in slight anger. "No offense, Hina-chan" she added after realizing what she said.
"What do you mean?" had I to ask of course. "Well, you see, since the magic appeared, the nobels made sure to keep it exclusively for them by keeping marrying magicians to transmit the ability (of using magic) to their children. Which made the already mighty political power owner more powerful. And they...kind of misused... their new powers?" It came out like a question more than an explanation. Hina-san was talking now with guilt filling her tone, and her shy eyes became even shyer.
"You did nothing wrong, Hina-chan, it's not your fault that you were born to a noble family" said Ayane-san in an attempt to erase Hina-san's guilt. "Wait, you are noble? Does that mean you're a magician as well?" I asked with a little excitement, which I tried to hide, but my shining excited eyes probably revealed it.
Hina-san didn't say anything. Instead she looked around to check if someone was watching, then she released a thin blue thread from her finger that reached a stone from the ground and lifted it up to my hand. "Awesome" I whispered to myself. Hina-san had a gentle smile on her face, I guess that helped her forget her feeling of guilt. I leaned a little to the right to get to see Ayane-san. "Are you also a magician?" I asked.
"Nah, I was born to normal parents" she answered.
I looked back at Hina-san, " You're aura thread was blue, does it mean your a "blue" magician?" I asked innocently. Both Ayane-san and Hina-san looked surprised, they gave each other a quick glance and looked at me again. "You can see it?" Ayane-san asked.
"Mmm...yeah, isn't that normal?" I wondered.
"No, only magicians can see it" said Hina-san.
"You forgot about the familiars, they can see different auras too" corrected Ayane-san.
Ayane-san looked thoughtful for a while before she gave me a glance by the side of her eyes and smiled.
"Kid, would you like to join us on our journey?" Said Ayane-san with a big wild grin that almost gave me shivers...
******
??? POV:
He was using his hand as a support to lean on the alley wall. His other hand clutching his chest as he tried to intake hollow heavy breaths.
"Again...it... has worsened" he maneged whisper to no one in particular betweenthe gasps. "I hope I still got *cough*.... enough time. Soon. Soon this kingdom will be all cleaned"
A coughting fit stopped his voice from leaving his mouth. Repeatedly, his body shook with every cough and every fiber in his muscles trembled.
He slid down along the wall as his legs couldn't bear him any longer, the painful coughs never subsiding. A hot red liquid managed to escape through his thin fingers and dripped onto the ground.
"Shounen (young boy), are you alright?" A man's voice came from behind. His voice made an echo in the narrow alley. Though the boy thought that no one came to this abandoned part of the city, he was clearly wrong.
He was barely standing at that point while leaning on the left wall of the alley, resting his bloody left hand that gave the wall a handprint-shaped bloodstain on it.
Suddenly pain stroke his chest again and he dropped to his knees, strongly coughing nonstop. He just couldn't breathe, it was suffocating.
"YOUNG SHOUNEN!!" was the last thing he heard the old stranger shout before everything went pitch black...