194 The Maozi Jewel

"Maozi jewel... Finally, it's returned to the Hartmann family...," Dad muttered.

"Are you sure it's genuine?" Mom asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I can feel it. Here, Cass, feel the jewel's energy," Dad handed over the jewel to Mom.

Mom held the jewel and gasped, "This feeling is...?!"

Dad nodded, "Yeah. It's exactly as you think."

"Mom, Dad, what's that? What makes it unique?" Alt-nii was the first one to lose his patience and asked the question I had in my mind, too.

Dad and Mom stopped "being in their own world" and perhaps they finally remembered that their kids were here, too?

Dad took a long breath before his face showed a determined expression.

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"Alright, it's explanation time. Look at this jewel, kids," Dad said as Mom handed over the jewel to him again—then Dad proceeded to show the jewel in front of me, Alt-nii, and the twins.

"This jewel is called Maozi jewel, the Hartmann family's heirloom," Dad said, "Do you want to try touching it? Be careful."

He then let Alt-nii hold the Maozi jewel.

"Wow, beautiful!" Alt-nii said as he gently caressed the jewel on his hand.

"Hmm... And it emits a weird feeling somehow," he commented before passing it to me.

"Eh?"

When I touched the jewel, I felt something odd. I felt someone else's presence peering deep into me. Like a cat's sharp eyes, examining someone.

However, the feeling didn't last too long. I took a long stare at the jewel. Beautiful white jewel with this weird bluish light wavering about inside.

"Pretty...," I muttered.

The twins—the original owner of this jewel—nodded enthusiastically.

I looked at them and was about to hand them the jewel, but they lightly shook their heads.

Alright, I'd just give it back to Dad.

"If it's originally our family's heirloom, is there something special about it?" I asked Dad.

After all, I already knew the Grabberton family and the Fumitsuna family's heirlooms. Both of their heirlooms were weapons, so it was easy to tell.

As for this jewel... I imagined it having some kind of magical attribute, befitting a family or a clan of magicians!

Dad took back the jewel and gazed at it.

"Hmm... Yes. If we were to use our special arts while holding this jewel, we would be able to transform into a... cat beastman—or werebeast, to be more exact. And using their power to the fullest extent," Dad explained.

"Eh? C-cat werebeast, transformation, using the power to the fullest extent?" Alt-nii was startled.

That seems like a nice power!

But at that time, I suddenly remembered the limitation of our Transformation art.

It's hard to do and we shouldn't be able to transform into a dragon or werebeast's form, let alone using their power to the fullest extent. We can only transform our appearance, yet the power we have will depend on us. To transform into a bird and fly, we can actually do that by incorporating our magical power.

That alone is already a cheat for us as transformation magic is dangerous and hard in nature.

But this...

Dad just said we could actually transform into a werebeast and use the power freely...

"Dad, how could this jewel let us do that?" I asked for an explanation I could accept.

"This... how to put it?" Dad scratched his head.

"Remember how normal magicians would often need medium such as sacrifice or life force to transform?" Dad asked.

"Yes... eh...," I had a hunch.

"See this blue light over here? It's said to be a cat werebeast's fragment of soul," Dad explained.

"EH!?"

I was startled.

How did our ancestor manage to get a cat werebeast's fragment of soul trapped inside this jewel...?

I shivered imagining some cruel happening in the past... Ah well, it was a cruel period full of wars and death, so I guess...

Now I'm not sure if I want to try using this jewel's power anymore.

"Ah, don't worry, Lyra. I heard that our ancestor didn't do any evil deed such as making a sacrifice or killing a cat werebeast and trapping its soul inside... It's said to be a voluntary sacrifice that was... necessary at that point," Dad explained the history behind Maozi jewel.

"Uuu... really? I'm glad...," I heaved a sigh in relief.

But then, I remembered.

History was written by the winner—and they could actually alter anything there... was that really the truth or the matter, or...?

However, I want to believe that it was exactly as Dad said.

Still... Necessary sacrifice... That would surely make a sad story...

I looked at the Maozi jewel in sympathy. As if the blue light—the soul inside sensed it, it wavered several times to me.

"That's actually awesome, Dad! I want to experience transforming into a cat werebeast...," Alt-nii said.

"Yes, but let me try it first just to make sure it's safe for your kids. We haven't heard anything about this jewel ever since... the twins' paternal grandmother escaped from the Hartmann home," Dad said with a bitter smile.

"Oh, did she take the jewel with her, and that was how the jewel was in the twins' hands?" I asked.

The twins were looking at Dad earnestly, wanting to hear the full story, too.

Their paternal grandmother must have been a wondrous woman! To run away from the corrupted household, smuggling the family heirloom while at it?

"The Maozi jewel originally belonged to her, that was why she kept it, I guess," Dad said.

"Originally belonged to her?" I tilted my head in confusion.

Isn't this the family heirloom, meaning it should be passed from generation to generation in the Hartmann family, not to be in the possession of someone who separated herself from the family?

"Ah, that's where the Maozi jewel's significance comes out. This Maozi jewel is an indicator to who will inherit the Hartmann family," Dad said.

"Huh? Do you mean...," Alt-nii caught the meaning behind Dad's words as well.

"Yes. The Maozi jewel at that time didn't chose Boris. It chose his sister instead, making her the rightful owner of the family heirloom," Dad explained.

...Ah.

The Maozi jewel didn't choose the wrong person...!

Still, how could the Hartmann family get involved in such wrongdoing for some generations if it were to choose the rightful heir? Or did some shady matter happen?

"T-then, Dad, does the Maozi jewel choose you now? I mean, with you being the duke and all...," I was excited to see how the Maozi jewel chose the head of the family.

"Well... While it's highly likely that the jewel will choose the direct descendant of its previous holder... Sometimes it's possible... Hmm, that's right. Shall we try it out?" Dad asked. His eyes showed curiosity as well now.

The twins eagerly nodded. Looking at their expressions, it seemed to me that they didn't really understand the whole matter fully, but they were curious.

"Okay... If I'm not mistaken... This is how we should do it," Dad said as he caressed the Maozi jewel and seemed to be emitting his magical power.

"Maozi jewel, tell me, am I worthy enough to be the current head of the Hartmann family?" He asked.

The blue light that was only wavering slightly—suddenly moved more vehemently. The blue light enveloped the whole jewel before it shone beautifully and brightly.

The light dimmed after a while, leaving the Maozi jewel in its original state.

"This is...?" I asked.

"...It would seem that the Maozi jewel said I was worthy enough for my title as the current head," Dad smiled.

"Right? So you don't need to worry if the nobles were to criticize you and your origin," Mom said.

"Well, I'm prouder of my maternal origin than my paternal origin, sadly," Dad bitterly smiled.

"Can it select the next heir, then?" Alt-nii suddenly asked.