Ruvian stood in front of the lectern at the center of the stage, with the voice-amplifying crystal resting quietly on top of it.
He looked at it for a moment, but instead of reaching for it immediately, he allowed his gaze to drift away and slowly wander across the Grand Magisterial Hall.
There really were a lot of people.
And nearly every single one of them was staring directly at him.
'Ah. That is reassuring.'
Ruvian quietly breathed out through his nose and shifted his weight slightly where he stood.
Originally, he had intended to keep things simple.
Accept the reward, offer a few polite words that no one could reasonably object to, then step down from the stage.
That would have been considerably easier.
Unfortunately, he had something else in mind.
Besides…
If he was ever going to say it, this was probably the best opportunity he was going to get.
Ruvian finally reached forward and took hold of the crystal.
"I won't take too much of everyone's time."
