-441- Kids these day

To acquire jujutsu, one must first possess the talent for Spirit Sight.

This is an unbreakable barrier in the path of learning jujutsu.

Without the ability to see spirits, no matter how gifted one is, they cannot ultimately learn jujutsu and become an Onmyouji. This is widely recognized in the world of jujutsu.

However, individuals with the talent for Spirit Sight, who can actually see spirits, are exceedingly rare in this world.

Except for the renowned aristocratic families who have this ability passed down through generations due to genetics, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to give birth to someone with the talent for Spirit Sight.

In this regard, it is similar to the magical families in the Chaldea, where only those with a long lineage can better inherit the mysteries. It's rare for an ordinary person to have magical circuits.

Rozen possesses the talent for Spirit Sight partly because he has practiced magic himself, allowing him to sense life force and reiki.

Additionally, he has the "Spirit Vision" skill, which, through immersion, has gradually enabled him to see spirits.

Natsume, on the other hand, belongs to the category of those with the talent for Spirit Sight, which is why she was adopted by the Tsuchimikado family.

Interestingly, Harutora, Rozen's brother from the branch family, despite being born into the Tsuchimikado family, does not possess the talent for Spirit Sight, which is quite unusual.

Perhaps it's precisely because Harutora lacks the ability to see spirits that the branch family considered adopting Natsume. After all, the family needs an heir, and without a doubt, Natsume will inherit the branch family.

In this context, learning jujutsu becomes a necessary pursuit for Natsume's future.

However, it seems that Natsume isn't very fond of learning jujutsu.

Well, saying she doesn't like it might be an exaggeration; it's more about a fear of the unknown, causing her to instinctively shy away from it.

Nevertheless, Natsume's sense of responsibility and pride contradict her shy nature, making her quite determined.

"I'm planning to ask Mom to teach me jujutsu in the near future!"

Natsume said, summoning her courage.

"Is that so?"

Rozen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had anticipated that Natsume would eventually learn jujutsu, but her decision came quicker than he expected.

"You don't have to force yourself,"

Rozen advised.

"In general, even jujutsu families start training their descendants when they're around ten years old because younger children often struggle with the complexities of jujutsu. So, waiting until you're ten to learn jujutsu would be perfectly fine."

Natsume replied, "But Dad said that you started learning jujutsu when you were two years old, and it's been several years now. You must have learned a lot."

Rozen rolled his eyes.

"Are you comparing yourself to me? I'm an exception."

Rozen wasn't a typical child; he loved learning and had made it his life's goal to excel in it.

However, his early start in jujutsu at the age of two was also due to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's influence.

Normally, even prestigious families waited until their offspring were around ten before introducing them to jujutsu. From an outsider's perspective, Yasuzumi's approach might seem strict or even borderline abusive.

Various factors made Rozen an exception, but Natsume still insisted on following his path.

"Then I'll be an exception too."

This determination gave Rozen a headache.

Natsume was usually a very introverted and well-behaved girl who rarely opposed others' wishes.

She often went along with Rozen and Harutora's whims, happily following the two boys around without complaints.

But at times, Natsume could become exceptionally stubborn.

However, when Natsume became like this, she wouldn't listen to anyone no matter what they said.

In such situations, Rozen had no choice but to ask, "Are you sure about this?"

Learning jujutsu wasn't a trivial matter. If something went wrong and her spirit energy was affected, she could end up like Rozen, with a lifelong frail constitution.

But it seemed that Natsume had already made up her mind.

"Dad said we're from the branch family, and the main family needs us," Natsume replied softly. "We're destined to become the main family's shikigami."

Yes, Shikigami.

In the Tsuchimikado family, branch members were meant to become shikigamis of the main family.

This was a tradition dating back centuries and a family rule.

While Shikigami typically referred to spiritual entities like youkai, demons, ghosts, or monsters, in modern times, with the development of Onmyoudou, there were artificial Shikigami, and some individuals chose to become Shikigami, serving their masters like a servent.

The Tsuchimikado family had a rule that branch members must become Shikigami of the main family and not defy this.

Due to this rule, Natsume's parents served Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, which was one of the reasons why the Tsuchimikado main and branch families had always been close.

However, in this day and age, very few people adhered to such outdated family rules.

For instance, Harutora, that fool, had never considered the main and branch family issues.

He lived each day like a wild child and enjoyed it immensely. This was partly because Harutora couldn't see spirits.

If one couldn't become an Onmyouji, becoming a Shikigami meant being a mere errand runner, and nobody wanted such a role.

Rozen, too, had never considered having Natsume or Harutora as his Shikigami.

After all, he wasn't the legitimate heir of the Tsuchimikado family; he had been adopted.

However, for some reason, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi had never made this information public.

Moreover, for unknown reasons, he intended to pass the entire family legacy to Rozen, an outsider.

Rozen still hadn't figured out why. But it was Yasuzumi's decision, and Rozen saw no reason to comply. If it ever came to inheriting the family legacy, he could simply run away.

That had always been Rozen's plan.

Natsume, however, was different.

"Since it's a family rule, I'll follow it," she said, her eyes determined as she gazed at Rozen. "I want to learn jujutsu, become an Onmyouji, and then serve you as your Shikigami."

After leaving these words, Natsume blushed, looking as if she had said something incredibly shy, and then she turned and ran off.

Rozen stopped in his tracks, staring at Natsume's departing figure for a while before muttering to himself in a strange tone.

"Kids these days grow up too fast...."