I cleared my throat, pretending not to notice the thousand pairs of eyes staring up at me. The mic shimmered faintly with mana, amplifying my voice across the hall.
"Right," I began casually. "First, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today. I know it must've been hard to drag yourselves out of bed knowing you'd have to listen to me talk about being better than you."
A few people laughed. The rest looked unsure if I was joking. Perfect.
I smiled, spreading my arms like I was addressing adoring fans. "Let me start by saying this, I'm proud of all of you. Truly. You've worked so hard to get here. Fought monsters, studied until your brains melted, survived near-death exams… only to still be ranked below me. Inspirational, really."
That earned a few chuckles, the nervous kind.
"I admire your spirit," I continued, voice smooth as silk. "The courage it takes to keep trying even when it's painfully obvious that the gap between us isn't something you can fix with hard work."
