For me it simple. He losed it. After they took Maria away for only being Maria he needed to something. Because he felt helpless. So he call Kalis father to obtain Cornwalls number and let his steam off cause Cornwall is the responsible in the government for the elf slavery.
On another note: Hannas family tree. Has she a 100% mixed elf parent and a human or two half elves parent?
For sure the MC losed it at the moment, but Cornwall strike me like just a political expression of the democracy of the world of HH, and in a no populist way he seem to me that is trying to slowly push to better condition for the slaves in a world that he think that will crumble in poverty chaos and blood without it, he also consider the ideas of the MC that in the slaver panorama is a total nobody meet random.
PS of her i m not sure, i just think to remember that she has high elf blood but no more than that sorry
I was wondering that as well. But than I realized that there are two interpretations to be had about the character. One is that he is as you say a progressive weakly pushing back against the system. I assumed so as well. But alternatively he could just be a manipulator. Someone who knows that the times are changing and that he needs to make the institution appear to be less evil than it is to appease the masses. So he gives the slaves the bare minimum of rights that he needs to in order to do that and keep slavery alive.
he strike me at maximum like a lesser evil that is trying to make think better for elfs but without striking society as it is in regard of the economy e stability, he seem to consider the opinion of the MC that is a total nobody, and seem caring about how the master treat their slaves in the kinky meeting removing one of them from the possesion of his master on the spot because not worthy, he also try to give support to kali's father for the replace of elf slave labour.
Also, because in all of his 'Elf Rights' legislation, half elves were not mentioned, leaving them without any rights, allowing them to be treated even worse than the regular elves.
i know that the halelf are excluded but just give elf right was very unpopular, but in a world totally based on slavery its just a step in the right direction, it is politic, if you try to push too much to fast maybe he would never have the consesus to do a thing, too much social economic and political interess depend on the exploitation of the weakest in a slaver setting.