Let’s Manage the Tower

Book 5: Volume 1 Chapter 1, Declaration of War

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

Following Towa’s successful inauguration as King, Kousuke and his companions settled into a peaceful routine.

Kousuke devoted himself to crafting new magical tools, while the other members attended to their assigned Towers and respective races. Floria, newly freed from the burden of the throne, had begun actively pursuing Kousuke… Though only when the other members were not present. There was a ban on workplace flirtation, which remained firmly in place till now.

Whether her ostentatious displays in front of Mia stemmed from genuine confidence in claiming Kousuke’s attention or were meant to pressure her Daughter into finding a partner of her own remained unclear.

Mia in turn responded to each obvious provocation from her Mother with her own. So, as an observer who should have intervened, she chose to remain silent.

Thus, in the end, both Mother and Daughter shared equal culpability.

One day, as this routine continued, an unfamiliar sound shattered the tranquility of the Management Floor.

The piercing alarm startled Kousuke from his focused work on a magical tool. When it showed no signs of stopping, even his considerable patience wore thin. He abandoned his research and headed toward the source: the control room.

By the time he arrived, everyone from the Management Floor had already gathered.

“What is that sound?”

Kousuke’s irritation at the interruption colored his tone. The assembled members shook their heads in unison.

Shrein answered for the group. “I’m sorry, but we don’t know. The system is configured so that only you can operate it.”

“What?”

Confused, Kousuke turned toward the control panel screen.

The display showed a warning message indicating that only Kousuke, as Head Administrator, had clearance to proceed. Following the on-screen instructions, he began inputting commands.

The shrill alarm immediately stopped.

The screen transitioned to reveal a new warning. Everyone crowded around, their expressions mixing surprise with uncertainty as they read the unfamiliar notification.

Amamiya Tower had received a declaration of war from another Tower!

“I see. This certainly counts as an emergency.”

After absorbing the warning’s contents, Kousuke nodded to himself.

“Is everything all right?”

Mia, positioned beside him and studying the screen, looked at him with visible concern.

“We won’t know until we check.”

They had declared war on other Towers before, but this marked the first time someone had declared war on them. The specifics would remain unclear until they investigated thoroughly.

When Kousuke had previously attacked Bachem Tower, he had simply initiated a direct assault. He knew alternative methods existed for inter-Tower conflicts. Some situations where military force alone would not be enough.

Understanding the declaration’s full implications would require careful analysis of the warning message.

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After setting up multiple monitors, they divided into groups to review the information.

Kousuke examined the contents alongside Mia, eventually nodding in understanding.

“I see. They’re confident they have valid grounds for this declaration.”

Shrein’s curiosity was evident in her tone. “You believe we can repel them?”

“Maybe. Though unlike before, we can’t simply deploy Kouhi or Mitsuki for a straightforward conquest.”

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment.

This differed fundamentally from the standard ‘Conquest Battle’ where combatants passed through portals to seize Floors sequentially. In a Conquest Battle, victory went to whoever controlled more than half the designated territory on each Floor. A Floor was considered ‘controlled’ when the monsters inhabiting a specific area, or the number of summoned creatures, fell below one-third of the original count.

Since monsters and minions would comprise the primary fighting force, Kouhi and Mitsuki could not participate as combatants.

The fate of the town’s residents on the 5th Floor was still uncertain, though Kousuke suspected they should not factor into the conquest calculations. Regardless, he had no intention of making the 5th Floor a target. That was impossible to accept.

Control percentages for each side’s Floors could be monitored via the control panel screen. When a Head Administrator determined they could no longer maintain a floor, they could formally relinquish control. However, surrendering territory would return all summoned monsters to the original Administrator.

Given the combat implications, admitting defeat and preserving one’s summoned forces proved more strategically sound than waiting for the system to declare defeat automatically.

These formed the basic rules of Conquest Battles.

This time, however, the opponent had incorporated significantly more detailed conditions into their declaration.

One notable addition divided each Floor’s conclusion into ‘days’.

Numerous other complex conditions were accompanied with this change.

The impression suggested considerable experience with Conquest Battles. It was a familiarity that placed them at an advantage.

Furthermore, since the enemy had already issued the declaration, refusal was impossible.

In short, their enemy clearly held the favorable position.

While the declaration might seem forceful, Towers could not actually declare war arbitrarily. The system required sending multiple warnings to the target and receiving continued non-response before permitting a formal declaration.

In this regard, the price for ignoring all messages from other Towers had come due.

Frowning, Kousuke scrolled through the backlog of unread messages. His attention shifted when he noticed Floria tilting her head while examining another screen.

“Floria? Something wrong?”

Kousuke hoped for useful information, but Floria’s response surprised him.

“This name. It’s the Tower of Sarita. I feel I’ve encountered it before, though I can’t quite recall where.”

“I don’t remember it either, so you must have heard it before coming here.”

“Before coming here… in the Flores Kingdom, perhaps… Ah!” Floria clapped her hands suddenly, startling Nana from her resting position nearby. “Oh, so sorry.”

She stroked Nana’s back soothingly before meeting Kousuke’s eyes. “The Tower of Sarita is one of a few Towers in the Santo Emingo Kingdom on the Eastern Continent.”

“One of several?” Kousuke prompted.

“Yes. The Santo Emingo Kingdom controls three Towers. They’re also known for having fought numerous territorial conflicts over Tower control, expanding their domain with each victory.”

“I see. No wonder.”

Floria’s explanation confirmed Kousuke’s initial thoughts. These detailed conditions and familiar terminology in the declaration reflected they had genuine combat experience.

That said, the declaration itself did not really mean much in the end.

“What’s our plan?” Collete asked.

Kousuke shook his head slightly. “Since they’ve declared war, we have no choice but to accept. The other side seems confident in their chances.”

“Are you sure this will be fine?” Sylvie’s anxiety showed in her expression.

“Well, there is no hundred percent in everything. But we’ll definitely make our own preparations.”

This marked Kousuke’s first experience with such a battle. So, certainty was impossible, especially considering the possibility that the enemy had employed these same tactics before.

If his assumptions were right, the opponent had a distinct advantage.

With some apprehension, Kousuke and his companions began preparing for the Conquest Battle.