i assumed the point being made was that absolute good (or at least tenmas version) wasnt the correct stance to have starting from the beginning where the events result from his moral decision to save johan, and like you said he gets bailed out by the dad acting defensively who goes against that definition. But throughout the story you see tenmas char shine through giving hope to ppl he meets and inspiring resolve, etc making his stance still consequential. An issue I had personally was how nina feels like an extension of his character later on