When he faced ordinary people, even common nobles, Renard could afford to look down on them. But when it came to a powerful warrior like Colliver, all he could do was listen and learn.
Colliver once again launched into one of his long-winded lectures. "The most important thing for a warrior is learning to control his emotions. A good warrior never lets his feelings get in the way. Ideally, he should be able to keep a straight face even when the mountains crumble before him."
Renard nodded quietly. "How do I learn to control my emotions?"
"You can't run before you can walk." Colliver glared at him and pointed to his eyes. "The moment you attack, your eyelids twitch upward against your will. It must be a bad habit you picked up while practicing Martial Arts."
Renard fell silent again. He did have that habit, but he hadn't picked it up while practicing Martial Arts. He'd developed it while playing video games.
At critical moments, his eyes would unconsciously flick upward. Since the opponents on the other side of the computer couldn't see him, he'd never bothered to correct it.
In fact, every gaming addict picked up one bad habit or another, like snapping their fingers, cracking their knuckles, or twisting their necks.
Colliver pointed at Renard's right leg. "You just moved your right leg. You were obviously going to use it to put power into your attack. Judging by your stance, you were aiming for my right side. So I only needed to guard half my body."
"That's right." Renard drew a deep breath. He hadn't expected Colliver to spot so many flaws before he'd even made a move.
But Colliver wasn't finished. He picked up Renard's longsword, gripped the hilt with both hands, and swung it several times