It couldn't last forever. Eirika was certainly a thorn in his side and she was well aware of it. She'd said she was as much and she knew he absolutely didn't like her getting in his way. Maybe it was because she could make a difference if he couldn't silence her. Maybe he understood her potential. Maybe he just didn't like the idea of giving her free reign.

Or he just didn't care for the idea that she was completely ignoring his orders. That was a good reason to be pissed.

"I'll make it a lot more convenient for you if you come to me directly instead of roundabout methods," Eirika offered. "If you best me, I'll even go willingly, a free surrender and everything. And you won't have to worry about losing anymore of your precious scraps of metal."