Okay, that makes sense. I confess where I started to become confused is where he's going to great lengths to still be buds with Elicia (making that anti-lying stone (which struck me is odd for me to do because it would entrap him? Maybe I'm reading too much into that), dealing with Stark&co, making a somewhat pleading argument to Elicia's guardian (Winry) ) and when he's making the argument to Molly that her being in the village was endangering the children. While I was like "oh, cool" about him liking kids (though I still wondered where it came from) when he was going to such lengths for kids, I felt a little baffled by it.

Put into the context of the troll story it does make more sense you went in that direction though.