The room seemed to hang in suspense, the air thick with the weight of their impending discussion. As the candlelight flickered, Murdock absorbed Ross's words, parsing the subtleties behind them. Murdock felt a pang of disappointment. Ross's forthcoming departure from the Ministry's helm was a prospect that he had not fully anticipated, and yet, it resonated with a certain inevitability.

Murdock leaned forward slightly, his fingers tracing the edges of the leather-bound folder before him. His voice, tinged with genuine sincerity, found its place amidst the room's hushed atmosphere. "Your leadership has been ...stable" for some it might have been an insult, but for Murdock it was far from it, tumult was for the great and good, crime was his purview, and he knew that the stability found it's statistical reflection in the crime stats. 'People are...happy' he put simply, 'I must say that your presence at the helm has been a steadying force." He believed in the value of continuity and the wisdom -both traits Ross had brought to the Ministry's corridors.