Let’s Manage the Tower

Book 3: Volume 3 Bonus Chapter 1

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

Roman and his companions found themselves grappling with a significant obstacle. Their progress through Gazenran Tower had stalled, falling far short of their expectations, and they struggled to identify a viable solution.

The challenge lay in the Tower’s unique structure. While Amamiya Tower was physically larger, adventurers could encounter mid-level monsters after progressing only two Floors. Gazenran Tower, however, required conquering thirty Floors before reaching areas where mid-level monsters appeared.

This distinction proved crucial for Roman’s party. Their skills and equipment were optimized for mid-level encounters, meaning they would need to reach the thirty-first Floor before finding profitable battles. Until then, every Floor conquest would result in financial losses.

Having conquered only the fifth Floor thus far, their progress had proven disappointingly slow. At their current pace, reaching the thirty-first Floor would require more than three months of sustained effort. The prolonged timeline presented serious logistical challenges, particularly regarding their dwindling finances.

“I heard Kou and his team reached the twentieth Floor in half a month,” Roman muttered, his voice carrying equal measures of amazement and frustration. “How did they manage to progress so rapidly?”

His companions shared similar expressions of concern and bewilderment. Unlike Amamiya Tower’s immediate access to intermediate Floors, reaching the appropriate Floor in Gazenran Tower presented a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

Despite extensive discussion, no viable solutions emerged from their deliberations.

“There appears to be no alternative,” Roman concluded with a resigned sigh. “Haste makes waste, they say. The most direct approach may be to continue our safe advance, regardless of the challenges.”

His companions nodded with evident reluctance, accepting the inevitable. As they prepared to retire to their rooms, two women entered the guild hall, interrupting their departure.

“Oh, Roman! Everyone!” called one of the newcomers. “Perfect timing.”

“Master Arisa,” Roman replied, recognizing both Arisa and Cecil, who had just completed their own mission.

“Do you have time now?” Arisa inquired without preamble.

“Right now?” Roman blinked in surprise at the sudden request.

The timing seemed peculiar. Roman’s party had concluded their Tower expedition for the day, returning in the afternoon when most adventurers avoided beginning new ventures. Starting a Tower assault at this hour would necessitate overnight preparations.

“If we depart now, we’ll need camping supplies,” Roman observed, glancing toward one of his companions who nodded confirmation. Their overnight equipment remained stored in that companion’s quarters.

Roman moved to begin preparations, but Arisa’s apologetic expression gave him pause.

“I apologize for the rushed timing,” she said. “But, this opportunity is too good to pass up.”

Sudden plan changes were commonplace among adventurers. While Roman remained uncertain about Arisa’s intentions, he recognized she wouldn’t frivolously make such a request.

“Understood,” Roman replied with a nod. “Should we prepare for extended combat then?”

Arisa waved her hand dismissively. “Three days maximum. With favorable conditions, we’ll complete everything within two days.”

“So, we’ll only advance one Floor?”

“Yeah. Our objective requires conquering a single Floor.”

Roman and his companions exchanged puzzled glances at this cryptic explanation.

Subsequently, Arisa and Cecil guided Roman’s party to Gazenran Tower, utilizing the teleportation gate to transport directly to the thirtieth Floor.

“We’re proceeding straight to the next gate,” Arisa announced upon arrival. “Please prepare to immediately leave.”

Having discussed their objective at the guild, Roman’s team understood they would traverse the Floor to reach the subsequent teleportation gate. Consequently, Arisa’s instructions caused no particular surprise, and each member readied themselves for combat.

Their journey to the next gate proceeded smoothly without significant complications. While monster encounters occurred regularly, Arisa and Cecil dispatched most adversaries with remarkable efficiency.

Roman’s party observed their escorts’ combat prowess with renewed amazement. Though Roman’s team had steadily improved their own abilities, witnessing Arisa and Cecil’s effortless dominance reinforced the vast skill gap that remained.

Maintaining this pace, the group advanced steadily toward their destination. As Arisa had predicted at the guild, they reached the gate by evening of the following day. Their rapid progress resulted from prioritizing advancement over monetary gain, a luxury unavailable during normal Tower conquest operations.

“Here we are,” Arisa announced before the gate, activating the teleportation mechanism.

The instantaneous scenery transformation no longer surprised Roman’s experienced party.

“Excellent. We’ve arrived,” Arisa confirmed upon reaching the new Floor. “May I examine your guild card?”

Roman retrieved his card without hesitation, naturally avoiding his Crown card at this juncture. Upon reading the displayed information, his eyes widened in astonishment.

“This is…impossible!”

“Your highest recorded Floor is now thirty-one, correct?”

“Yes, but how is this possible?”

Arisa smiled at his bewilderment. “The explanation is simple. We currently stand on the thirty-first Floor.”

Understanding dawned across Roman’s features.

“I see. If someone has already reached this Floor, others can bypass intermediate Floors and register directly?”

Roman immediately grasped the same conclusion that Kousuke’s team had discovered through experimentation. Simultaneously, he realized that yesterday’s seemingly insurmountable problem had been elegantly resolved.

“Precisely,” Arisa confirmed. “While your abilities could handle higher Floors, this Tower contains unfamiliar monsters. We selected this Floor as an appropriate starting point.”

“This is already much better.” Roman replied, his expression radiating satisfaction as their financial constraints dissolved. “This advancement will be a significant boost to our future expeditions.”

His companions displayed identical expressions of relief and gratitude.

Arisa nodded approvingly at their reaction. “Of course. Well, our business here is done. Shall we return to the guild?”

Following Arisa’s signal, Roman’s party ceased examining their updated cards and prepared for departure.

* * *

Later that evening, Roman lay upon his bed in the guild quarters, repeatedly studying his Tower strategy card. Regardless of how many times he reviewed the information, his highest recorded Floor remained unchanged at thirty-one.

After parting with Arisa, Roman’s team had verified their independent access to the thirtieth Floor, confirming their ability to teleport there without assistance.

According to Arisa, Kou had discovered this mechanism entirely through his own investigation. From external appearances, Kou presented as an unremarkable adventurer. However, this initial impression proved truly deceptive.

This incident, like many others involving Kou’s activities, demonstrated that combat prowess alone was insufficient for achieving top-tier status as an adventurer. While defeating monsters through continuous field or Tower battles could generate steady income, such an approach fell short of Roman’s ultimate aspirations.

The adventurer Roman sought to become was embodied by individuals like Kou and his companions. Those who combined skill with innovative and strategic thinking.

As these thoughts occupied his mind, Roman gradually succumbed to sleep, his updated guild card resting beside him as a tangible reminder of the day’s unexpected breakthrough.