and how come we are ordered around by a little boy?

[DarkMasamune]

I am the 1% who really likes Alphinaud. He's been one of very few characters with a notable, continuous character arc.

Same. He's one of the few that actually grows with the story. In the beginning, he might seems annoying, but later on, he really grows as a character, which is enjoyable.

That being said, you're getting rusty on your troll threads Sean. This one lacks imagination