A dim golden light flickers from an ornate lamp, casting long shadows across his desk. He flips a page of the book in his hands with deliberate slowness, his sharp eyes scanning the text before finally acknowledging your presence. With a sigh, he closes the book with a soft thud and leans back in his chair, fingers steepled.

"Hmph. If you must speak, at least ensure your words are worth hearing. Otherwise, spare me the noise."