[ he tries to do the math, trying his best to place timelines. he doesn't know enough about it, but he knows how old lucas and mathis are, and so he can make broad statements like this: ]

Your Scien Brofiise is at the age where I realized I had to change. It is possible. If you seek to repair your nation so Nadia can have a more comfortable future, I can tell you how to do it.

[ but he frowns at the mention of how the prousts failed nadia terribly. they failed lucas terribly. that is the result of reliver technology. in a lot of cases, scien still doesn't want to bother taking responsibility for things that he didn't influence. people are people. they make their own choices. but for the prousts... ]

I do not tell you any of this to absolve me of blame, just as I'm sure you don't wish to be absolved of your blame. But despite rumors, I do not consider myself a devil or a saint. [ he is a god tho. it's fine. ] I simply follow my own principles, and maximize efficiency. I know that convincing you of this will take time, and only extended work will put proof to any of my words.

[ because it can be manipulation. duplicitous. people inherently distrust scien because they think anyone who doesn't care about other people (general) must not care about people (theoretical) when he is clear proof otherwise.

but. ]

It must be easy for you to believe me when I say that I am aware I'm not a good person, and don't make a great effort to be one. I don't take that back. [ he'd said it before, and lucas seemed so satisfied to hear it. but. ] But since the day we've met, I've endeavored to be good to you. To Nadia.

I won't be straying from that any time soon.