Who said anything about fondness? Back at the academy, he used to talk about poisoning other classes' food before a mock battle, but he only made non-lethal poisons and he never actually did it. Tsk. It would have been a sure way to win if he had followed through.

[Is he disappointed that Claude didn't use underhanded tactics to win a battle he was on the other side of? Maybe.]

We were. Gather your team.