Honey Trap! ~The Honey Trap Encirclement to Ensnare the Summoned Hero~ - Chapter 71 & 72

Chapter 71: Turmoil in the Royal Capital (7)

“Wahahahaha! This is delightful! Truly delightful, I say!”

Outside the royal capital, Luwi’s boisterous laughter echoes through the sky, accompanied by a torrent of lightning raining down on Dominic, one of Attra Kura’s Four Heavenly Kings. No sooner does the storm subside than a blaze of flames roars forth, followed by spears of ice slicing through the air—a parade of blatantly dangerous magic.

The fortress that once stood here has long lost its original form, reduced to a crater-riddled wasteland. Onlookers can’t help but feel the phrase “environmental destruction” creeping into their minds.

“Guh, guooooh! W-Who in the world are you…!?”

Dominic’s golems lie in ruins, but he’s no mere conjurer—he’s a first-rate mage, a sinister sorcerer whose forbidden arts have struck fear into the capital as one of Attra Kura’s elite. Yet even he feels his spine chill in this one-on-one duel with Luwi.

In a clash between top-tier mages, an aerial battle of attrition should have unfolded. But the barrage of spells Luwi unleashes shows no sign of stopping.

“Hmm, what should I try next? So many choices, I can’t decide! Alright, let’s test them all at once!”

“S-Simultaneous casting of four elements…!?”

When will her mana run dry?

How many types of magic can she even wield?

As a fellow mage, Dominic can’t fathom the depths of her power.

“Come now, dodge properly, you hear? The next one’s a real treat! Get hit by this, and fainting will be the least of your worries!”

“W-What, toying with me like this…!? Nuooh!”

A jet of water erupts at terrifying speed, grazing his staff. By some incomprehensible principle, the parts touched by the stream are sliced clean off, as if carved by a razor-sharp blade. Why does water magic cut like a sword? The absurdity shatters Dominic’s spirit like a brittle twig.

“Wow, a water cutter? Luwi’s incredible! How did she even construct that spell formula…? Hmm, if you do this and that, but—wait, wouldn’t it diffuse like that…?”

“Yuri-san?”

Yuri stares at the magic with uncharacteristic intensity, lost in his own world, muttering to himself. Sonia watches him, reassessing her impression. He’s not just some carefree flirt after all. It’s the classic phenomenon where a delinquent seems like a saint for picking up a stray puppy.

“…This is starting to feel kinda pitiful…”

“Shouldn’t we call for a referee stop soon…?”

Argos and Agamemnon sigh at the aerial battle, which is increasingly resembling elder abuse. Luwi is in high spirits, but Dominic is clearly at his limit, barely maintaining his barriers. Despair clouds his eyes, and he looks ready to collapse any moment.

“Hey, you old hag! Enough already! An old crone bullying a geezer like this is just too grim—guoooh!”

“Got it, Lucius-bozu! Before I deal with that weakling, I’ll shut you up first!”

“Talk about a short fuse, you hag!”

Thus begins an impromptu showdown between the Dark Continent’s sage and the reigning demon king. Meanwhile, Dominic cautiously descends, inching toward Lily and timidly speaking up.

“Um, young miss… Could you, perhaps, take pity on a poor old man and plead my case to that terrifying mage…?”

“…Oh, sure, I can do that… Sigh. Luwi’s cute and all, but her hot temper’s a bit of a flaw, huh?”

“A bit…?”

And so, Dominic, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, surrenders willingly, avoiding further catastrophe. Of course, being an Attra Kura executive, he’s hardly an “innocent old man,” so he’s promptly bound with rope. Still, his dejected figure evokes a certain melancholy.

“Dominic… To think even you’d end up like this…”

“Hmph, how boring. The last one better put up a real fight, right, Zahel?”

“A demon…!?”

※

“What’s this? A sudden chill…”

Al, another of Attra Kura’s Four Heavenly Kings, known as “Night Breeze,” shudders at an inexplicable shiver. An ominous premonition has plagued him all day. Zahel’s betrayal, Duke’s silence, and now a deafening roar from Dominic’s fortress.

It’s Dominic, after all—a master golemancer and cunning mage. The explosions must be his magic at work.

…Or so Al tries to convince himself, but the image of Dominic’s defeat lingers, unshakeable. For some reason, he can’t picture victory against those absurdly named adventurers.

“Boss, the knights are blocking that street too!”

“Soldiers everywhere!”

Al leads Attra Kura’s thief brigade, dabbling in kidnapping and human trafficking, once partnered with Baron Yoram. Their plan was to abduct the girls Yoram had captured as bait for the Troublemakers.

Never did they imagine that fully armed knights would be waiting at every turn.

“So, they’re agents of the crown after all…!”

Al grits his teeth. Every lead on the Troublemakers inevitably points to the knights. Misunderstanding solidifies into certainty, and he wanders the capital in deepening confusion, finally arriving at an orphanage tied to the Troublemakers.

“Boss, what’s the plan? Looks like no one’s guarding the place…”

“According to intel, they caused a ruckus here. This is the only spot without sentries! We grab a kid or two and use them as bargaining chips!”

The thieves surround the orphanage. Just as they prepare to storm in—

The gate swings open with a menacing clank.

“Well met, you vile scoundrels! I’ve been waiting for this moment with bated breath! I, Mikel, shall—er, not for the Hero, but for a certain esteemed person—wipe you all out in one fell swoop!”

A grizzled warrior steps forward. His face, his declaration—Al knows them all too well.

General Mikel, the storied hero said to fell a thousand foes single-handedly, a paragon of martial valor. Behind him pour his elite vanguard, handpicked from the kingdom’s finest.

The thieves freeze, minds blank at the sheer impossibility of the situation.

Why is a kingdom general at an orphanage?

No one can fathom it. But Mikel and his men charge with unbridled zeal, treating mere thieves as worthy foes.

“R-Run!”

“Too late!”

Outnumbered and outmatched, Al’s band is swiftly apprehended.

Chapter 72: Turmoil in the Royal Capital (8)

“Well then, Yuusha-sama, we’ve already apprehended one of the Four Heavenly Kings!”

“Oh, is that so? Man, Saisō-san, you work fast! We nabbed three of them ourselves, so that’s a full set!”

“Congratulations! In that case, shall we call it a day…?”

“Hmm, but there’s still the leader left, right? I’ll just pop over and take care of them real quick!”

“Eh…?”

※

Outside the royal capital, Yuri, having captured Dominic, chats with the Prime Minister via nenwa. The final Heavenly King, Al “Night Breeze,” apparently targeted an orphanage and got himself trounced.

“Wait, so the last one’s already caught?”

“That’s what they say. Remember that redheaded Mikel-shōgun? Sounds like he was raring to go.”

“Nngh, quite the stylish moniker… But to think, he’s already done for…”

“Ugh, I barely got to do anything this time.”

To avoid blowing their “secret agent” cover, the four—Yuri, Lucius, Eremia, and Luwi—huddle away from Argos and the others. Their whispered huddle looks suspiciously conspiratorial, enough to make Lily furrow her brow.

“…Are they trying to hide something? This just makes them look shadier.”

“I’m about ready to just let whatever happens, happen.”

The guildmaster, once so fired up, now sounds utterly resigned. With a wrecked watchtower and scars of environmental devastation strewn about, who wouldn’t want to yell, To hell with it all!?

But no one’s more defeated than Zahel, radiating an aura of “do whatever you want.”

“Might as well boil me, roast me, whatever. While we’re at it, I’ll spill everything about the leader. Just do what you will.”

“Hm, honesty’s a fine trait. I haven’t had my fill of blasting magic yet, so this leader better put up a fight. Heh heh, you see, I’ve got this mass destruction spell! It’s absolutely wild! Last time I tested it, an entire hill went poof! Those roaring crimson flames? Pure bliss to watch!”

“…W-What a terrifying thing to say…”

Dominic’s eyes widen, staring at the demonic little girl before him. Zahel, overhearing, lets out a scream-like yelp and frantically calls for the Troublemakers.

“Fine! I’ll tell you what I know about the leader’s whereabouts! Just end this already!”

※

Zahel’s “lead” points to somewhere in the Eastern Forest, a bit outside the capital—a place all too familiar to this crew. It’s where Meia, the stargazing maiden, sought her “place to die,” only to be met with anticlimax.

“That place, huh? Last time we were there, I got so caught up with the fish tank, I barely looked around.”

“Aye, such a pity about that tank…”

“Indeed. Well, they were after Meia-jou, so it couldn’t be helped.”

No sooner thought than done—the Troublemakers “fly” to the scene in a literal flash. Zahel and Dominic, dragged along, look utterly drained, while Sonia and Argos aren’t faring much better. Luwi and Lily, on the other hand, are bursting with energy, clearly cut from the same cloth.

“Hmm, this place feels like it’s crawling with dangerous monsters! And with ruins to boot? So romantic!”

“I just wanna find this leader and unleash some magic already!”

The chattering party arrives at a ruin in the Eastern Forest, distinct from the one housing the monster tank—er, Echidna’s Vessel. This ancient structure, likely a tomb, piques Agamemnon’s senses.

“There’s a fishy smell coming from here.”

Guided by his keen nose, the four charge straight for the tomb—until a calm, masculine voice reverberates.

“…So, you’ve come, Troublemakers. You may revel in defeating the Four Heavenly Kings, but crossing me, Marukion, will be your undoing. Prepare yourselves.”

A tall man with long white hair steps into view, bare-chested, his skin etched with geometric patterns. Ancient-styled accessories adorn his arms and torso. He appears to be in his late twenties, but his eerie presence suggests otherwise. Perched atop the ruin, he glares down at the intruders with a bored smirk.

“To me, Attra Kura and the capital are mere footnotes. My true aim lies in this ruin. Yes, this land you call the capital was meant to—”

His solemn speech is, predictably, interrupted.

“Whoa, the type who spills everything! The guys we’ve fought so far were all ‘no questions, just fight,’ so this is refreshing!”

“Aye, I get it. Standing high above, boasting before the enemy—truly the flower of villainy.”

“Huh? Honestly, this guy’s pissing me off. Looking down on me like that? Can I blast him?”

“…Eremia, this is exactly why people call us thugs. Can’t we at least hear him out?”

The Troublemakers, alas, are hopeless at reading the room. Marukion’s anger simmers beneath a composed facade. These are by far the most irreverent foes he’s faced, but he wonders if it’s a ploy. As Attra Kura’s leader, he never lets his guard down.

“Your bravado ends now. Behold the ancient, mighty guardian of this tomb!”

Zzu, zzu, zzuuzzu.

The ground trembles—a slow, escalating quake, as if something writhes deep below.

“Tch, this is bad! I’ve got a real bad feeling!”

“W-What’s happening…!?”

Then it emerges. A purplish-gray hand bursts from the earth, shoving aside heaps of soil. Its sheer size is staggering—large enough for Marukion to stand on its palm.

“OOOOOOOOH!”

Crawling from the depths, it stands upon the earth for the first time in centuries, perhaps millennia, gazing at the azure sky with a ghastly roar. The sound carries an ominous weight, like a cursed birth cry, convincing Argos and Sonia that something terrible looms.

Towering at least fifty meters, it’s nothing less than a giant.

And Yuri’s reaction?

“Whoa, this thing’s huge! Check it out, a giant! A freaking giant!”

That’s about it.