The silver column of light that burst into the main hall of the tower's first floor dissipated with a soft magical hum, revealing our squad in perfect formation and ready to conclude yet another monumental stage of our journey. As soon as the luminous reflections completely faded, the royal guard knights who were patrolling the vicinity of the portal abruptly turned around, their hands resting on the grips of their swords in an automatic defensive reflex that lasted only a second before transforming into an expression of absolute astonishment upon recognizing our silhouettes. The veteran S-Rank adventurer in charge of supervising the sector advanced a few steps across the polished stone floor, blinking repeatedly as if doubting his own sanity upon seeing Takumi and his seven companions emerge so calmly from the testing zone, displaying intact physical vigor and the proud bearing of those who had just accomplished the impossible. The atmosphere of the vast hall, usually marked by the tense murmuring of novice adventurers and military escorts anxiously awaiting news from the lower instances, abruptly fell silent, drawing all curious and open-mouthed gazes toward the center of the room where we stood.
I allowed a serene, deep, and analytical thought to occupy my mind as I observed the collective reaction of surprise and reverence taking hold of everyone present in the room: the true greatness of a heroic feat is not measured only by the intrinsic difficulty of the monsters and traps overcome in the depths of an inhospitable dungeon, but by the ability to transform the skepticism of others into tangible inspiration, proving that the limits society considers insurmountable exist only to be redefined by those who dare to march with unity, discipline, and unwavering strategy. Every look of admiration directed by the rank-and-file soldiers and guild veterans represented a vivid reminder that our journey through the tower had ceased to be a simple personal journey of exploration and had transformed into an indisputable historical milestone for the entire kingdom, consolidating our responsibility as pillars of hope in times of dark uncertainty.
"By all the gods of the pantheon..." exclaimed the S-Rank adventurer, approaching with slow and hesitant steps, his jaw almost touching his chest as he meticulously assessed our impeccable garments and the progression insignias displayed on our travel cloaks. "If my control reports are not completely mistaken and if the base guards' timekeeping has not failed utterly, you returned from the depths only moments ago, which means it took you little more than two weeks to complete this entire incursion. How the hell is it humanly possible for a group to have climbed to the upper instances and returned that quickly, overcoming extreme climatic zones and deadly labyrinths in the blink of an eye?"
"The speed of progression in a highly dangerous dungeon does not depend on luck or reckless leaps into the dark, but on absolute tactical harmony among the members of the squad, rigorous logistical planning, and clarity of objectives at each stage of the path," I replied in a calm, welcoming, and perfectly balanced tone of voice, sketching a discreet smile at the veteran's evident shock. "Each floor has its own rules, its own traps, and its own adaptation challenges; when one understands that unity and mutual support overcome any numerical advantage of the enemies, the march ceases to be an exhausting ordeal and becomes a natural advance toward the top."
"You have broken every historical record recorded in the guild's annals since the founding of this thousand-year-old tower," the elite knight continued, shaking his head in complete disbelief while gesturing for his subordinates to immediately record our return in the official control books. "My personal record for staying and advancing as far as the twenty-seventh floor took months of exhaustive preparation, dozens of casualties among the support teams, and physical exhaustion that nearly cost me my adventurer career. Reaching the thirty-fifth floor in only two weeks, facing polar blizzards, poisonous tropical forests, and arcane-drainage ruins without suffering even a single structural loss is something that transcends military logic itself."
"We are immensely grateful for the recognition and dedication of the guards who kept the base safe during our absence," Scarlet intervened, crossing her arms elegantly and displaying a confident smile that accentuated the determined gleam in her reddish eyes. "But I assure you, sir, that this is only an intermediate stage of our mission. The true challenge awaits us on the deeper floors, and we can hardly wait to rest a little on the surface before resuming our march toward the absolute top of the tower."
While the guild officials and commanders of the royal guard rushed over one another to organize an official status bulletin intended for the palace, Liriel's assistant and the other companions maintained a serene, elegant, and impeccable posture, ignoring the growing commotion forming around us. News of our triumphant arrival spread through the hall with the speed of a fire in a dry prairie, causing dozens of novice adventurers to approach with expressions of genuine reverence and admiration, wishing to briefly touch the edges of our enchanted cloaks as if they were part of some good-luck talisman.
With the formal return registration successfully completed and the base's initial bureaucracy properly handled, I calmly waved to the S-Rank veteran, authorizing the group to leave the main hall. The monumental doors of the first floor opened to reveal the golden light of late afternoon bathing the quiet streets of the Isolated Lands, where our royal carriage patiently awaited to take us back to the comfort of the mansion, sealing the perfect conclusion of this glorious phase and paving the way for the well-deserved rest we would share as a family.