Chapter 68: Advantages

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Advantages

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Folami returned to the courtyard a few minutes later.

Nothing about his expression suggested that the conversation with his grandfather had happened.

He walked back into the training yard carrying the same wooden practice sword he had picked up earlier, his dark robes moving gently with each step.

Tolu and the others were already waiting.

Tolu had his war hammer resting against his shoulder.

Akin stood beside him with the great sword planted against the ground.

Temi was holding both short swords, occasionally rolling one around her wrist.

Ore had her bow strapped across her back and the strange three-way staff resting horizontally across her shoulders.

Folami stopped in front of them.

"Good. You didn’t run away."

Temi snorted.

"We were waiting for you."

"That’s unfortunate."

Folami glanced toward Tolu.

"Ready?"

Tolu nodded.

"Yes."

Folami was about to speak when Akin suddenly asked,

"What was that about?"

The courtyard went silent.

Tolu slowly turned his head toward him.

Temi stared at him.

Ore’s eyebrows rose.

Even Tolu seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Why would you ask that?

Akin looked around at them.

"What?"

Temi gave him a look that could have cut steel.

"Seriously?"

"What?"

Ore sighed quietly.

Tolu shook his head.

Folami, however, didn’t seem bothered.

He simply looked at Akin.

"Apparently, I’m engaged."

There was a brief silence.

Temi’s mouth opened slightly.

"You’re what?"

"Engaged."

"To who?"

Folami shrugged.

"The second daughter of the Oriyomi family head."

Akin blinked.

"The Oriyomi family?"

"Yes."

Tolu’s expression became more serious.

"Why?"

Folami gave them the summarized version.

"The two families have been enemies for a long time. My father died during one of the conflicts between them. Their family lost someone too."

He spoke casually, but the others listened carefully.

"Now both families have an opportunity to make a considerable amount of money by working together. The Oriyomis proposed a marriage to show that they genuinely want to put the old conflict behind them."

Temi slowly lowered one of her swords.

"And you agreed?"

"I didn’t."

Folami looked at her.

"My family did."

"Ah."

Temi glanced at Tolu.

Tolu said nothing.

Ore’s expression softened slightly.

"How do you feel about it?"

Folami shrugged.

"I haven’t met her."

That answer seemed to catch them off guard.

Akin frowned.

"So you’re just going to marry someone you’ve never met?"

"Apparently."

Folami looked down at his wooden sword.

"I’ll meet her eventually."

There was no bitterness in his voice.

No excitement either.

He seemed almost indifferent to the entire matter.

Tolu studied him for a moment.

Then Folami suddenly raised his wooden sword.

"Enough."

He pointed it toward them.

"Unless one of you intends to give me marriage advice, we’re wasting training time."

Temi immediately raised both swords.

"Definitely not."

"Good."

Folami stepped forward.

"Then let’s talk about your weapons."

He looked at Tolu first.

"Tolu."

Tolu straightened.

"Yes."

Folami pointed toward the massive hammer.

"Tell me why you think I gave you that."

Tolu looked at the weapon.

"Because I’m strong?"

"Partly."

Folami walked around him.

"You have earth affinity. Your body is naturally suited to forceful, stable movements. You don’t fight like someone who wants to dance around an opponent."

Temi laughed.

Tolu frowned.

Folami continued.

"You plant yourself."

He tapped Tolu’s leg with the wooden sword.

"You absorb impact."

He tapped his shoulder.

"And when you attack, you commit your entire body."

He stepped back.

"A hammer rewards all three."

Tolu looked down at the weapon.

"Your earth affinity also gives you another advantage."

Folami pointed at the head.

"You can reinforce it."

Tolu’s eyes sharpened.

"With earth?"

"Yes."

Folami nodded.

"You already know how to manipulate earth through your foundational spells. The same principle can be applied to the weapon."

He raised his wooden sword.

"Imagine the hammer’s head is already strong."

He brought the wooden sword down.

"Now imagine you surround the striking surface with a thin layer of earth energy."

Tolu listened carefully.

"You aren’t simply making the hammer heavier. You’re reinforcing its structure."

Folami looked at the ground.

"More importantly, you can shape that reinforcement."

He crouched and picked up a small stone.

"Your hammer doesn’t have to remain exactly as it was made."

He squeezed the stone.

"You can create a thicker striking surface."

The stone changed slightly beneath his fingers.

"Or reinforce only one side."

His fingers shifted.

"Or create a raised edge."

He looked at Tolu.

"Eventually, if your control becomes good enough, you could even form a dense earth layer around the head at the moment of impact."

Tolu’s expression slowly changed.

"So my hammer can get stronger with my affinity."

"Exactly."

Folami nodded.

"But don’t mistake that for a shortcut."

He pointed the wooden sword at him.

"If your weapon technique is poor, reinforcing a bad swing simply gives you a stronger bad swing."

Tolu laughed.

"Understood."

"Good."

Folami moved to Akin.

He looked at the great sword.

"Now you."

Akin adjusted his grip.

"Why the great sword?"

"Your body can handle its weight."

Folami walked toward him.

"But more importantly, your affinity makes it particularly useful."

Akin looked at the blade.

"Ice."

"Yes."

Folami tapped the flat of the sword.

"Your ice can reinforce the weapon."

Akin nodded.

"But there’s more."

Folami took a piece of chalk from a nearby table.

He drew a rough line in the dirt.

"The great sword has a broad blade. That gives you space."

"For what?"

"Shape."

Folami pointed at the blade.

"You don’t have to cover the entire sword with ice."

He drew several small triangles along the line.

"You can form ice along the blade in specific shapes."

Akin’s eyes narrowed with interest.

"Spikes."

"Exactly."

Folami smiled.

"You can combine the physical strength of the sword with the sharpness of your ice."

He pointed toward the edge.

"Imagine striking someone with the great sword normally."

Then he moved his finger along the imaginary spikes.

"Now imagine several small ice spikes forming along the blade immediately before contact."

Akin looked down at his weapon.

"The attack would have more points of impact."

"And more penetration."

Folami nodded.

"Power and sharpness together."

He stepped closer.

"But don’t make the mistake of covering the entire weapon in thick ice."

Akin frowned.

"Why?"

"Because you’ll make it heavier and slower."

Folami tapped his chest.

"Your weapon has to remain an extension of your body."

He pointed at the sword.

"Use your affinity where it gives you an advantage."

Then he pointed at the edge.

"Not where it gets in your way."

Akin nodded.

"Understood."

Folami moved on.

"Temi."

Temi immediately raised her twin swords.

"Mine?"

"Obviously."

He examined her stance.

"You chose a sword before I even selected them for you. Sword can be said to be one of the best weapons for fore affinity users."

Temi smiled.

"I knew what I wanted."

"That’s because your fighting instinct is simple."

Temi’s smile disappeared.

"Simple?"

"Fast."

Folami corrected himself.

"You like getting close. You attack aggressively. You don’t want an opponent to have time to think."

Temi nodded.

"That’s true."

"Then long weapons would interfere with you."

Folami stepped around her.

"A spear gives you reach, but it forces you to manage distance."

He shook his head.

"An axe gives you power, but it sacrifices some of the freedom you need."

He pointed toward her twin blades.

"Short swords allow you to change direction quickly."

Temi watched him carefully.

"One hand can attack while the other defends."

He raised his wooden sword.

"One can create an opening."

Then he moved it sideways.

"The other exploits it."

Temi’s eyes followed every movement.

"And your fire affinity makes the style even more suitable."

Temi’s expression brightened.

"Because I can coat the swords with fire."

"Yes."

Folami nodded.

"But again, don’t simply surround the entire sword with flames and call it a technique. If the swords aren’t strong enough they’ll melt or bend mid fight which could be very dangerous."

He looked directly at her.

"Your flames should follow your movement."

He made a short cutting motion.

"A fast slash can have a thin flame edge."

Another motion.

"A thrust can concentrate the fire toward the tip."

He swung the wooden sword sharply.

"And when you’re fighting at close range, you can let the fire erupt at the instant your blade makes contact."

Temi’s eyes widened.

"So the fire becomes part of the attack instead of just covering the sword."

"Exactly."

Folami smiled.

"Your fighting style is based on speed. Your fire should enhance that speed, not slow you down."

Temi looked at her swords with renewed interest.

"I like that."

"I know."

Folami finally turned toward Ore.

She was standing quietly with the three-way staff.

Folami’s expression became more serious.

"And yours is the most unusual."

Ore looked down at the weapon.

"I figured."

"This isn’t a normal staff."

Folami reached toward one of the heads.

The weapon’s construction was strange.

Instead of being a solid cylindrical head, each end had been deliberately filed halfway through.

Two large semi-cylindrical surfaces surrounded the smaller central cylinder.

The flat surfaces were perfectly smooth.