"Well, would you look at that." Vandelin is fascinated and rather delighted by the idea of holding a conversation with a dog, even if there are other things to worry about at the moment. He hasn't meant to give the impression that he's being more useful to the Inquisition than he actually is, and while this is ordinarily a misconception he would encourage, he can't fake it if he's being asked about specifics.

"It's just a personal project, I'm afraid. I was working on it before I left Hasmal, just an examination of the potential applications of spirit erosion to non-sentient beings. It might intersect with research on the Veil, I suppose, now that you mention it..."