Honey Trap! ~The Honey Trap Encirclement to Ensnare the Summoned Hero~ - Chapter 33 & 34

Chapter 33: The Troublemakers of the Adventurers’ Guild

Yuri’s been busy below the belt—seducing the Saintess, turning a courtesan into an advisor—but he’s also making waves in adventuring.

He’s barely climbed to E-rank, taking on regular quests and quickly becoming the guild’s hot topic.

After all, they’re a rookie party with unmatched scale—

“Heard about the Troublemakers’ latest?”

“Yeah, getting hauled in by the Guildmaster again…”

“Got some guts.”

“No way I could pull that off.”

They’ve already earned the title of the guild’s top problem children.

*

“Goblin extermination quest: completed. Congratulations.”

“Pfft, piece of cake!”

“With me involved, it’s child’s play.”

Reporting to the usual receptionist, the party’s faces gradually froze as she read the client’s completion report.

“Uh… it says the mountain collapsed. This is…”

““““It’s their fault!””””

All members, with zero hesitation, pointed fingers in perfect sync.

“Lucius blasted the cave’s supports along with the goblins!”

“Idiot Yuri botched his magic control!”

“Agamemnon tried smoking out goblins with his breath—what a moron!”

“Eremia’s summoned undead was so huge it caved in the ceiling!”

A glorious blame game among comrades. The beauty of friendship. The receptionist, hand on forehead, spoke strainedly.

“Please… try not to cause such massive damage. This time, it’s an uninhabited mountain, so it’s fine. The village even praised you for wiping out the root of the problem. But if you keep doing this everywhere…”

“I-I’ll be careful, yeah!”

“Please, really.”

The receptionist’s dead-serious stare pinned the four. They’d pulled similar stunts multiple times, earning Guildmaster summons each time.

Yet every time they left, it was—

“Man, we got chewed out.”

“Power control’s tricky, huh?”

“I’ll be careful starting tomorrow.”

“Me too, next time.”

Zero remorse in their chatter.

Some adventurers half-jokingly called them “True Heroes.”

*

Meanwhile, at the guild handling their messes…

“Guildmaster! It’s those four again!”

“Oh, those four. What’d they do now?”

“They ‘accidentally’ collapsed a mountain during a goblin extermination…”

“Damn, that’s wild. Been at this guild forever, but a screw-up that big? First time.”

In the Guildmaster’s office, the receptionist reported, nursing a headache.

The Guildmaster, a battle-scarred, muscle-bound veteran with a terrifying face, was a legend. His summons were said to shave years off your life. Only these four left unscathed, grinning.

“Last time, they flattened a chunk of forest, right?”

“They lost track of a cave bear, so they leveled the forest.”

“When I asked about the proof of kill, they fought over who ate it.

…Do they even get what being an adventurer means?”

“Nope.”

A merciless verdict.

“D-rank monsters are tough, yet they… What do you think?

Should we just promote them already?”

“…It’s weird. No party feels safer to send out. No matter what, they come back like that.

But no party worries me more. No clue what they’ll pull next, and our lectures don’t faze them…”

“Yeah…”

*

Oblivious to this talk, the four troublemakers sat around a table in the guild’s cafeteria, chugging ale and playing cards in broad daylight.

For the record, adventurers don’t typically drink all day. They celebrate post-quest with big feasts, which fuels the “adventurers = drunks” stereotype. Daytime drinking? That’s just deadbeats.

Naturally, these four were deadbeats.

“Ngh, one pair!”

“Fuhaha, pathetic hero! Tremble before my two pair!”

“Hoho, I’ve got two pair too!”

“Hmph, weaklings, eat my full house!”

Three let out dramatic gyaaa screams.

Copper coins piled on Eremia’s table. Straight-up gambling. Daytime drinking and betting—an audacious challenge to adventurer decency.

The mountain collapse? Long forgotten.

“…Having fun?”

The receptionist, fresh from a meeting, spoke in a low, menacing tone. The four jolted with a bikun. Their teamwork shone in moments like these.

“L-Look, it was a crazy quest! After a life-or-death adventure, we need to unwind…!”

“Y-Yeah! The cave started collapsing, so we had to sprint like hell…!”

No mention of goblins. The quest was to thin goblins near a village, yet they marched to the nest, wiped out an unknown number, and this was their reaction.

Reliable or not? A mystery, she thought.

“Sigh… You’re really something.

By the way, haven’t you decided on a party name?”

“Party name? Huh, we need one?”

“Yes, normally… You might get named requests someday.

Saying ‘those four’ won’t cut it.”

“Hm, good point.”

The four crossed their arms, pondering. Eremia, brimming with confidence, declared—

“Savior Godslayers!”

“Nope.” “No way.” “Too basic.” “Please, no!”

Not just the trio but the receptionist shot it down. Eremia tilted her head, Maybe too grand?

“Hm, I feel inspiration… Children of the New Moon, born from the dark abyss…”

“Long, hard-to-remember names aren’t recommended.”

“How about simple: Dragon Adventurers?”

“Only Agamemnon’s a dragon, right?”

The receptionist joined in, tossing names back and forth, rejecting or retracting.

Then Lucius, recalling something, muttered—

“Come to think of it, I overheard someone call us Troublemakers.”

“Huh. Troublemakers… Hmm, interesting.”

“It stirs my heart, the pure part of it…”

“I’m kinda hyped… Alright!”

“Settled.”

“That’s it.”

“Eh? Seriously!?”

That’s not a compliment!

The receptionist’s mouth twitched, but these were hardcore brats—Troublemakers.

They locked it in, and thus, the adventurer party Troublemakers was born.

A legendary problem-child party etched into guild history.

Their name fit too well.

Chapter 34: Troublemakers Take on a Missing Person Case (Part 1)

Bang! The guild door flew open.

The newly formed adventurer party, Troublemakers, froze at the sight of the newcomer.

A girl, maybe seven or eight, tattered and on the verge of tears, shouted—

“Please, someone save my big sister…!”

Five people leapt from their seats.

“What’s wrong?!”

“Oh my, this seems serious.”

“What happened? Speak to me, child.”

Led by the receptionist, they listened to the girl.

Two days ago, her sister vanished. After a desperate search, someone spotted her near Baron Yoram’s mansion on the edge of the noble district.

The girl reported it to the guards, but they brushed her off.

“Ugh… this is tricky. The guild can’t issue quests involving city security…”

The receptionist grimaced. If adventurers played vigilante, it’d spawn chaotic militias. Fair enough—if the guards did their job.

Against nobles, guards hesitate, or worse, collude.

Harsh for a little girl, but adventurers aren’t that free. Or so it should be…

“Alright, leave it to us! The adventurer party Troublemakers will take your request!”

“Heh, perfect for our debut. My arms are itching!”

“Kukuku, my dark-born right arm throbs…!”

“And we’re the only ones free, aren’t we?”

The problem-child party was too free.

Bypassing guild protocol, they accepted the quest on a whim, not even asking about rewards. Lucius ruffled the girl’s hair, saying, “Leave it to us.”

“R-Really…? You’ll save my sister…?”

“Heh, no sweat! A baron kidnapping a girl? I can see where this is going.”

“…Yuri, don’t jump to conclusions. Hear their side first.”

“Indeed. We confront them openly, listen, then decide.”

The conversation veered into madness.

It sounded like… they were charging straight to the baron’s mansion!

“W-Wait, everyone! Don’t you start with gathering intel?!”

The receptionist panicked. Their sheer recklessness was alarming.

She’d always thought it: these guys lack the brain to use their brains…!

“What? That’s why we’re asking the guy himself.”

“Aye. Talking to others is fine, but first, the source.

My unclouded eyes can spot a liar…!”

“Agamemnon, didn’t you lose five straight rounds of Old Maid?”

“You lot are non-human, so it doesn’t count…!”

Utterly haphazard.

The receptionist clutched her head, but to the innocent girl, they seemed dependable.

Adults complicate things, yet here were adults speaking so directly.

In truth, they only saw the shortest path.

“Right, introductions! I’m Yuri, nice to meet ya, kid.”

“I’m Eremia, queen of the dead, no less.”

“I’m Agamemnon, the dragon among dragons.”

“I am Lucius, king born of darkness…!

Tell me, child, what’s your name?”

Lucius, a bit chuuni but the most sensible.

Amazed by their quirky introductions, the girl timidly spoke.

“E-Eliza! I’m Eliza. My sister’s Miranda!”

“Eliza and Miranda, got it. Let’s find Miranda!”

*

Baron Yoram’s mansion loomed at the noble district’s edge.

Sprawling grounds—perfect for hiding a kidnap victim.

Ominous guards only fueled the suspicion.

But still—

“Hey, guard. Does your boss kidnap girls?”

Only a hero would ask so bluntly.

“Huh?! What’s that outta nowhere?!”

“Her sister got snatched, and someone saw her around here. So, seen anything?”

“No way we’d see that!”

The guard fumed—naturally.

A shady adventurer crew strolls up, boldly asking, “You in on a kidnapping?” There’s a way to phrase things.

“Hmm… Agamemnon, are they lying?”

“Hm, this one’s not lying, at least.

But sunsun, my nose catches a young girl’s scent… coming from underground.”

Everyone, guards included, stared at the dragon like he was a creep.

Bluntly, it sounded pervy.

But it was a lead. The four eyed the mansion.

“Let’s check it out.”

“Aye, time to poke around.”

“House search? Thrilling!”

They strode in, brazen as you please.

The guards tried to stop them but were outmatched in strength.

“Wait, you can’t just barge in…!”

“Chill, man.”

“What insane strength…!”

A guard grabbed Yuri’s arm with all his might, only to be dragged along zuruzuru.

In the end, shouting “Backup! Backup!” brought a swarm of soldiers from the mansion.

Yuri’s group and Eliza were tossed into the dungeon.

*

“Hm! My dark-born soul resonates with this place…!

Dim, moldy, and kinda cool!”

“Why’re we just chilling in jail?”

“Think about it. They brought us to the dungeon. It’s like they’re begging us to find clues!”

“…Yuri’s saying something smart…!”

Even in jail, same old vibe. Eliza, caught up, thought, Adventurers don’t flinch… A skewed impression.

The jailer nearly tripped watching them.

“Man, you guys are chill… FYI, we barely get prisoners here.”

“Huh, really?”

Yuri blinked, surprised.

A mansion dungeon? Gotta be for that, he’d assumed. Pure prejudice.

“It’s usually a wine cellar.

The guild’s been called, so someone’ll pick you up tomorrow, right?”

“Ugh, I was sure we had it… Feel kinda bad now.”

“I’m not even a jailer normally—just a gate guard. You guys got me stuck here. It’s chill, though!”

The jailer popped a wine bottle, exuding a kindred deadbeat vibe.

“Hm, I still smell a girl… My imagination?”

“Ugh, that sounds super criminal.”

“Yuri—no, studhorse, don’t lump me with you!”

“Hey, Agamemnon, it’s Yuri! Not studhorse!”

“Oops, my bad. Same thing, though.”

“I’ll take you on!”

The Dragon King and hero started wrestling in the cell.

The jailer clapped and cheered, Lucius lectured Eliza—“Don’t grow up like them”—and Eremia leaned against the wall, yawning fuwaa.

“Hey, playboy, your lower half got any reactions?

Doesn’t it twitch like an antenna when it senses a girl?”

“No way it does!”

Yuri shouted mid-wrestle. Agamemnon looked shocked—“It doesn’t?”

Terrible role models for a kid.