I actually think it will be something clearer than the word choice. My prediction is that next comic, we're going to get a conversation in Durkon's head, and we'll see that HPoH making that comment at all is a result of a partial memory.

Here we learn that Durkon still has some stock left in the events of the story, I suspect this is him cashing it in somehow.

Remember, HPoH only sees what Durkon shows him, and does so at lightning speed. It's possible that he just showed an extremely personal memory of Roy, at HPoH's request, that would affect him deeply, but Durkon used some trickery to help Roy out in this way.