"I know not what I'll do," he admits. "Mayhap circumstances will conspire to force my hand... but in the meantime, I have offered Howl another chance."

He'd sensed enough doubt and despair in the man that it felt unlikely that he was entirely in control of himself, but he isn't going to tell Emet-Selch about Howl's fragile loyalties. He'd offered mercy only because he had the luxury of doing so, and because he thought there was a chance it'd be more constructive than the alternative.

"Make no mistake... unlike some of my comrades, I do not intend to prioritize the Kenoma's redemption over the Pleroma's survival. If you intend to scold me for my sentimentality, you've found the wrong man."