That's... a good point. Maybe it really is just names out of a hat. Lucky us.

[It's kind of hard to tell if he's being sarcastic or not.]

Oh, yeah, I knew alchemy was for me since I was really little. I'm pretty sure my dad would have rather I done something else, like the knight stuff maybe? Or... I dunno. Probably something safe and boring, like staying a farmer forever.

[Quirin didn't want his son to be in harm's way and the fact Varian consistently did exactly that was no doubt a constant source of stress for the man. He hates to think how his dad would have coped with the two deaths and the lost leg here. Not well, he imagines.

Anyway, Yuri is speaking his language, and he brightens considerably, nodding enthusiastically.]

Yes! Exactly! That's what we need! Helping the common people. And sometimes you have to do that from higher up. Change things from the inside and make sure they can ripple out to people who actually need it. That's what I was doing back home too.

[He has given up his position here. But he managed to give the people hot, running water and that's... something. ]

Well. That means we can focus on making this place better instead, right?