Honey Trap! ~The Honey Trap Encirclement to Ensnare the Summoned Hero~ - Chapter 91 & 92

Chapter 91: Raising a Toast to the Hero’s Engagement! (Part 2)

“Hmm, isn’t there a quest with some big monster we could take down quick for easy cash?”

“Aye, bigger’s easier to spot.”

The party scans the guild’s quest board, hunting for a convenient job. At the counter, Sonia faceplants. Adventurers picking a major subjugation for such a flimsy reason? Unheard of. Thankfully, they don’t drag an F-rank like Kris into a boss fight. Instead, they pick a mundane investigation quest from a small town a few days from the capital—nothing noteworthy. Yet, Lucius, the Demon King, holds the quest slip with deadly seriousness.

“Oi, look at this. It’s from Saints Brewery!”

“Saints Brewery…? Where’s that again?”

“I know it! That place makes the dark ale they serve at the tavern!”

“No way! They posted a quest!?”

“This is grave…”

The four clutch the quest slip, nodding solemnly, debating as if the world’s fate hangs in the balance. To an outsider, they might seem like heroes strategizing to save the future.

But they’re just worried about their favorite booze.

“We must take this. With my dark powers, I’ll protect Saints Brewery’s ale!”

“Agreed. I’ll rally the undead to guard the barrels.”

“If push comes to shove, I’ll unleash my full breath!”

“I’ll blast it with some flashy magic!”

The Troublemakers’ fervor is doused by cold water.

“Everyone? It’s an investigation quest, not subjugation.”

“…They get so serious about liquor…”

Sonia’s retort and Kris’s skyward mutter seal it. Thus, they accept the investigation quest.

※

“Alright… Yuri-san, do your best out there. I’m cheering for you to come back safe!”

“Th-Thanks!”

As they prepare to depart, Sonia calls Yuri over, squeezing his hands with a sugary cheer. His hero’s spirit surges a hundredfold.

But the other three stare, gobsmacked.

“W-Wait, what’s that! They’re oozing some sappy vibe!”

“Ngh… My unclouded eyes see it—Sonia-jou and that idiot Yuri… They’re together!”

“…Did he steal some weird power from the evil god? Like, pickup artist skills or something?”

No such thing. That’s slander against the evil god. If anything, it’s more in Goddess Mutras’s domain.

“Ah… S-Sorry! I shouldn’t mix personal and professional, but I couldn’t help it…”

“Hehe, this much is fine, right? I’ll nail this quest and be back! See ya!”

Grinning ear to ear, Yuri turns to embark on adventure—

“Guilty! Part Two!”

“Ugyaaa—!”

Eremia’s iron claw sends him writhing in agony.

“…Yuri-dono…”

Kris presses her forehead as hands pat her shoulders. Agamemnon, claws carefully curled, and Lucius, shaking his head, sigh.

“Sorry… I’ll be careful too. Please believe our party’s free of harassment.”

“Aye, Lucius and I aren’t like that. If you could, don’t lump us with him.”

“I can hear you—! I’m not harassing anyone! It’s all consensual—Guh!”

“Consent doesn’t make it okay! How many girls are you stringing along!?”

Sonia, with a wry smile, throws a lifeline.

“Now, now, Eremia-san. I fell for Yuri-san, including that side of him, so…”

“““Seriously?”””

The trio’s eyes widen in shock. Eremia loosens her grip, and Yuri drops, croaking like a squashed frog.

“Sonia-dono… I’ll avoid crude terms, but… If you’re swayed by his monstrous stamina or bodily mysteries, that’s troubling…”

Lucius, rare in his tact, sounds like a kids’ sex-ed teacher. Eremia, unwavering, hurls a fastball.

“As a fellow woman, picking a guy just for his stamina isn’t great.”

“I’m a dragon, but even we don’t choose mates purely for that…”

“N-No, that’s not it!! I love how Yuri-san can’t ignore a girl in trouble… Sure, he’s a flirt and a mess, but—!”

Sonia, red-faced, frantically denies the implications, flailing dramatically to insist, “It’s not like that!” Her desperation makes it shadier.

Truth is, Sonia’s got her own suspicions. Her first time was that good, beyond expectation. Friends warned her guys often finish before a girl’s ready, but Yuri? When she’s in the mood, he gets more energized, loving her till her hips give out.

“Yuri-dono, a gentleman protects his lady’s honor…”

“Of course! Hey, you lot, quit jumping to conclusions! Sonia-san and I, uh, we’re…”

Pure dating… Nope, day one was a bust.

Physical relationship… Deep in it.

Impure relations… Nonstop action.

The more he thinks, the less he can dodge…! Cornered, Yuri plays his trump card.

“Sonia-san and I are in a serious relationship!”

Serious relationship. Surely even these knuckleheads can’t argue with that…! It’s not a lie, Yuri thinks, but today’s timing is awful.

“Hoo? So, Yuri-bōzu, you’re seriously dating Sonia, huh?”

“…G-Guildmaster…?”

A voice, seething with resentment, rumbles like it’s from hell’s depths. Yuri, trembling, turns to see Argos clutching a sheathed greatsword, his face a demonic snarl.

“I’m an adult. Sonia told me everything… Yeah, yeah, meddling in grown folks’ business ain’t my place, but…”

Crack, snap. The sword’s sheath groans under Argos’s grip, emitting ominous sounds.

“Sonia’s like my daughter. You’re talking big, so you’ll take responsibility, right…?”

That moment, Argos’s expression becomes Troublemaker legend. Later, all four swear, “Scarier than the evil god.”

“O-O-Of course!!”

“Yuri-san… ♡”

Yuri’s trapped by his own words. Sonia clings to him, beaming with joy. Argos glares, tears of blood in his eyes.

“Maybe we should rush the wedding, huh? That needs a reality check.”

“Aye, showing him the consequences of his actions might do good.”

“…But how many brides would show up?”

“As an outsider, I hesitate to say, but… He’s bound to struggle with women…”

Meant to adventure with the world-saving hero, Kris instead witnesses a mini-shuraba, dreading what’s to come.

Chapter 92: Raising a Toast to the Hero’s Engagement! (Part 3)

“Oh, good, good. I am the child of darkness, risen from the abyss’s depths. No fear, no fear.”

“Sure, I might be tough on undead, but you’re alive, so no need to freak out, right?”

“I’m a sky-soaring lizard. See, my domain’s different from you ground-runners—easy, easy…”

Hiiiin!

The horses hitched to the carriage recoil from the Troublemakers’ trio. Understandably so.

“Useless lot! Behold my horsemanship… Oi! That’s the wrong way!”

“…Kukuku. Even horses scorn him… Must be his studly vibe.”

“Lucius, you’re dead! No, no, this way, this way!”

“…Yuri-dono, I’m a knight. If it’s alright, I could…”

“Please, I beg you!”

Kris takes the reins, calming the horses. For a knight, horsemanship’s a given; she knows how to handle them. It dawns on her—the world-saving heroes can fly, so they’ve likely never needed to ride. Then—

“Hmm, Irene’s riding lessons still need work…”

“Frustrating, but true. Ugh, after all her help, I feel bad. Let’s ask her again—she’s got horses used to us.”

“Aye, we’ll bring Irene some sweets or fruit wine and train with her.”

“Got it, I’ll ask Irene. Man, I thought I had it down pretty well…”

Her sister’s name keeps popping up. Kris, hiding her family ties despite her open knight status, stays silent, staring into the distance.

(…Teaching horsemanship to the world-saving heroes, Irene?)

She’s genuinely getting that far-off look. Sure, she’s pieced together that Irene’s deeply involved with Yuri’s harem, and her letters suggest they’re close. But getting chummy with the others too? A heads-up would’ve been nice—her heart can’t take it.

“Still, leaving the carriage to Kris-jou feels unfair. Perhaps…”

“Aye, we ought to hunt a hydra or two around here.”

“Right. Tonight’s dinner: lavish meat dishes!”

“Any big monsters in these parts?”

Getting a hydra as a driver’s thank-you would be a problem. And hydras just hanging around? Kris struggles to calm the four.

※

That night, Kris gapes at the extravagant tent fit for nobility. But the dried meat served for dinner makes her face twitch.

“Sorry, it’s not fresh. This is hydra jerky, that’s cave bear bacon, and this is… what was it?”

“Basilisk ham. Just preserved stuff, sorry…”

“Mm, this area’s lean on monsters. Sorry for the plain meal…”

“N-No, it’s quite… lavish. A rare feast, I’d say…”

The listed monsters are all high-threat. Served as mere “food,” it’s hard to comment. Worse, they’re actually tasty.

After dinner, Eremia drags Kris to a nearby pond for a bath. The night is serene, with starry skies and a pale moon. A breeze rustles the forest leaves.

It’d be poetic… if undead knights weren’t patrolling nearby.

“There! Now that yarichin can’t sneak in!”

“…D-Does it need to go this far…?”

“Well, it’s mostly an excuse.”

For a moment, Eremia’s smile fades, and the air shifts. Her footsteps splash softly, silver hair glinting in the dark, crimson eyes gleaming.

Undead Queen Eremia. World-saving hero, evil god slayer, usurper of Necropolis.

A being beyond human bounds peers into Kris’s face, murmuring.

“You’re alike.”

“Huh?”

“You’re Irene’s family, right? She mentioned a knight sister. Probably here to check what kind of guy that yarichin is.”

“…Hmph. Can’t fool Her Majesty’s eyes, huh? You’re right—Irene’s my sister.”

“Knew it. Yuri’s clueless, and Agamemnon and Lucius probably haven’t noticed, but you handle horses just like her. Sisters, huh?”

“That’s what tipped you off…”

Busted faster than expected.

“I’ve heard a lot from Irene… So, as her sister, I’ve got a question.”

What’s coming? A warning for snooping? Kris swallows, but Eremia’s words are out of left field.

“Don’t you think an undead carriage is a great idea?”

“…What?”

Kris’s mouth hangs open.

“Irene gave me a wry smile, like, ‘Maybe not!’ But she was just being nice! What’s your honest take as her sister?”

“It’s a terrible idea. Absolutely.”

“Guh… Yeah, it’s no good…! I thought an undead carriage—tireless, workhorse-level labor—would be a goldmine…!”

Kris can’t help picturing it: townsfolk riding undead carriages. A literal nightmare.

“No choice. The world’s not ready. Those guys would laugh like they’d slain a demon, so this idea’s shelved!”

“Uh, you weren’t thinking undead because horses hate you, were you…?”

“Exactly! Plus, a big business opportunity. But the world’s tough. Oh, Agamemnon suggested asking idle earth dragons, and Lucius was like, ‘How about importing Cerberuses from the Dark Continent?’”

“Absolutely stop them.”

Kris declares it with dead seriousness. For the capital’s peace, such hellish carriages can’t be allowed…!

“Ugh, tough crowd… Oh well. Got to know a riding master like you after Irene! Us mastering horsemanship’s no dream!”

“Uh, sure…”

Eremia takes a breath, pausing. Then, with a wry yet playful smile—like a kid introducing a mischievous friend—she adds:

“That idiot’s not such a bad guy. Keep an eye on him, yeah?”

“…Understood.”

Kris doesn’t fully get Yuri or the Undead Queen before her. Eremia’s power and feats should set her worlds apart from mortals. Yet, somehow, she feels so approachable, like they could be friends.

(What strange people…)

Her father’s tales of heroic grandeur, Irene’s down-to-earth stories—maybe both are true. Kris starts to think so.