Honey Trap! ~The Honey Trap Encirclement to Ensnare the Summoned Hero~ - Chapter 93 & 94

Chapter 93: Raising a Toast to the Hero’s Engagement! (Part 4)

The town of Dupel sprawls at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by barley fields interspersed with towering vine-like plants. These green curtains, reaching several meters high, make for a striking sight.

“Unusual plants. What crop is that?”

“Oh, those are hops.”

“What! Those are hops?!”

“Oh, blessed be…”

Hops—the plant behind beer’s bitterness and aroma. The Troublemakers, often called clueless, are a different breed when it comes to booze.

“Mmm, truly an ale haven! Now it’s sinking in—we’re here for a vital mission!”

“Aye, a heavy responsibility. Even if an army of evil god apostles comes, we’ll defend this land and its dark, fragrant ale.”

“If it comes to it, I’ll pull rank and summon a dragon horde, no hesitation…!”

Please, no. Kris thinks it with all her heart. Dragons circling the town? That’s a doomsday omen. And why would evil god apostles target an ale brewery?

“Alright, to Saints Brewery—let’s roll!”

“Ei, ei, oh!” The Troublemakers charge with gusto. Luckily, the famous brewery’s easy to find. At the town’s edge, a large warehouse wafts that unmistakable, heady aroma.

“Ahh, ale…”

Lucius murmurs with deep emotion. The other three pause solemnly, eyes closed in rapture.

“…R-Right, let’s meet the client.”

Kris, with a wry smile, moves to knock on the brewery door. Then—

“Someone, help me…!”

A gruff man’s desperate cry, mingled with a woman’s pained, plaintive voice, rings out.

“Trouble! Everyone, prep for battle!”

“Of course, Kris! Hold on, client!”

“Here we go! Come out, evil god minions!”

“For our ale…”

“Troublemakers, assemble!”

Boom! The door flies open with a dramatic crash, revealing…

“Ohh, darling, more, more…!”

“N-No more… I’m tapped out… Help…”

A bearded, heavyset man pinned to the floor. Astride his hips, a sultry beauty gyrates passionately.

Undeniably, a steamy scene.

“Sorry—!”

Seasoned hero Yuri spins on his heel, beating a hasty retreat. Eremia and the others, with “oops” faces, start to disperse.

Not Kris. Proper, upright, pure female knight—despite her military life and “abandoning femininity,” she’s never encountered such a scene mid-act.

“Uh… Wha…”

Her pale skin flushes crimson, steam practically rising from her red hair.

“Kyaaaa!!”

Her piercing scream echoes through the brewery.

※

“You folks the adventurers who took our job? Thanks a ton. I’m Harris, the brewmaster here. This is my wife…”

“Mary, nice to meet ya. Ufufu, sorry for showing you something naughty earlier… My bad! ♪”

Once Harris and the beauty dress and Kris calms down, the quest talk begins. Kris, still pouting, radiates displeasure.

“…In broad daylight, how shameless. Utterly shameless.”

Muttering, her face remains red, visibly sulky.

“Now, now, Kris, let’s call it an unfortunate accident… So, the quest’s about investigation, right?”

“Yeah, exactly. See, this is our new brew.”

“New brew” perks up the Troublemakers, who lean in, faces screaming, “Let us try!” But Harris shakes his head.

“Gave it to my wife, and, well, you saw the result.”

“Huh?”

“No clue why, but drinking this makes you younger and insanely frisky.”

“Ohh, you tease… ♡ It’s just a husband and wife loving each other, isn’t it? ♪”

“Put yourself in my shoes, drained dry every time!”

“But I’m young again! How about a fourth or fifth kid? I want lots more…!”

“W-Wait!”

Mary, with wavy blonde hair and a voluptuous figure, wears a traditional dirndl with a low neckline. Very low. And her chest is, well, generous. Clinging to Harris, pressing her ample breasts against him, they spill out, pink nipples peeking…

“Sh-Shameless! Yuri-dono, close your eyes!”

Kris bolts up, covering Yuri’s eyes. Even Yuri, who steers clear of married women, was thinking, That’s a sight. Perfect timing.

※

“…I see. A place like Saints Brewery stumbling on a youth potion by accident? Not surprising.”

“Aye, truly the mystery of brewing.”

“Fermentation’s a wondrous thing…”

“No way! This batch uses honey for flavor, but something’s off with the honey from that mountain. Can you look into it?”

“It’s unsellable like this,” Harris sighs.

Yuri’s convinced it’d be a blockbuster, but a quest’s a quest. With Kris’s mood plummeting, he resolves to wrap it up quick. Thus, the four head into the nearby mountains.

Chapter 94: Raising a Toast to the Hero’s Engagement! (Part 5)

“…So, we came in all gung-ho, but…”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“What exactly are we supposed to find?”

“““Oh.”””

The world-saving heroes, completely clueless. Kris slumps, then musters a strained voice.

“W-Well, for instance… If honey’s the cause, maybe we look for unusual bees or rare flowers around here?”

“That’s got bad vibes… Sounds like mind-numbingly tedious work, doesn’t it?”

“It’s an investigation quest, so probably.”

The four grimace, their faces screaming “what a hassle.”

“I’m terrible at that stuff! Isn’t there something flashier? Like, we storm the mountain and find an evil secret cult!”

“An evil cult making naughty honey? Makes no sense.”

“How about an ancient world’s ruins tucked away? There was that one in the forest.”

“Oh, the giant thing. That was a mess.”

“Hey, I’ll stick to tamer magic next time, alright?”

“G-Giant…? You mean you dug up ancient ruins…?”

News to her. Kris heard the heroes caused “various” incidents, but giant-slaying? First she’s hearing of it.

“Crap, was that a secret?”

“Drat. Kris, forget you heard that! Attra Kura, ancient ruins—we had nothing to do with ’em!”

“Aye, it was ruled a ‘rampage,’ wasn’t it?”

“…”

Do these guys even try to hide it? Kris’s eyes roll back, but the next tidbit makes her doubt her ears.

“Oh, speaking of secrets, I thought that giant looked familiar. Turns out, I fought it ages ago.”

“Seriously? You should’ve had a rematch, Agamemnon.”

“Well, see, back then, they waged war on us dragons and made that giant… But, y’know, we can fly.”

“Fly, huh.”

“Yup, can fly.”

“…I see where this is going.”

“Aye. Breath from above—piece of cake.”

The mystique of ancient civilizations gets stripped away, and Kris’s awe for dragons crumbles with it. She resolves anew: I’ve got to keep it together…!

“By the way, I have a question.”

““““Eep!””””

“No worries, I know nothing about giants—nor do I want to! Ahem. If we find the cause, how do we confirm it?”

“Huh?”

“Say we find a rare flower and suspect it’s the culprit. How do we test its effects…?”

“Feed it to that yarichin. If he gets frisky, it’s the real deal!”

“No point. He’s always like that.”

“You guys picking a fight?!”

“But… seriously, how do we check?”

The more they think, the more impossible the quest feels. If only flowers came labeled “This is the cause.”

“It’s grim, and I hate to say it, but… unless we’re desperate, we might need to borrow the old hag’s help…”

“Luwi could probably handle it. But, ugh, she doesn’t seem patient…”

“The hag gets so focused, she ignores everything else.”

“But we’re her seniors, right? Relying on a junior feels… off…”

“Leave it to me. I’ve got a great idea!”

Yuri declares with a smug grin, so cocky the others bristle.

“What? You’ve got a solution?”

“Duh. I’ll teleport real quick—hang on!”

“Wha—? H-He actually teleported…”

Teleporting like it’s a trip to the store, Yuri stuns Kris, who thinks, He really is a hero. He returns shortly with the perfect ally.

“Here ya go, Sensei, over to you!”

“Everyone, been a while. Need a fortune?”

A mystical girl in a translucent veil: Meia, the Stargazer.

※

“Oh, Meia! Been ages—reliable as ever!”

“Sorry, we’re stumped…”

“My bad! Took the quest without thinking!”

“Heard the story. Leave it to me. I’m a divination pro. Plus, I’m happy to help.”

Meia spreads a cloth with a magic circle, lays out cards, and focuses. Kris whispers to Yuri.

“(Uh, who’s she…?)”

“(Oh, Meia’s our friend, an astrologer. Also, uh, we’re dating…)”

Another one. Kris sighs as Meia finishes, pointing in a direction.

“That way. Cave, visible. Deep inside, a hidden flower blooms.”

“Nice! That’s Meia for ya!”

“Hey, join our party! C-rank’s in sight!”

“Aye, we’re hopeless at investigations…”

Meia smiles shyly at the recruitment but bows politely.

“Flattered, but sorry. I’m told to take it easy.”

“Oh, that fish-tank jerk’s got you, huh? No prob, I’ll assign undead guards!”

“No. If I get pregnant, intense activity’s bad.”

“Guilty!! Stop it already!”

“Gwa—!”

Eremia’s lightning-fast iron claw hoists Yuri, who wails. Kris, hearing they’re not just dating but that far, gapes.

“…I hate to say it, but Yuri-dono, you’re gonna get stabbed someday…”

“Likely. Problem is, piercing his defenses needs a holy sword or something.”

“Yeah, a longsword snapped clean off on him once.”

Zero charm resistance, maxed physical defense—a truly bad combo.

※

“…I’m not pregnant yet, okay? Not yet. But I was told to avoid strain if it happens…”

“It’ll happen soon. Yuri and I, our fates are linked. A new star will be born.”

Yuri’s excuses clash with Meia’s certainty. Her cute fist-pump looks criminal with her doll-like face. Leading the way, they trek the mountain path.

“Yarichin, you’re gonna be a dad, so shape up!”

“Uh… Meia, if he pulls anything, tell me, alright?”

“Might start prepping wedding favors…”

“…Shameless.”

Kris’s eyes finally turn cold on Yuri. How many women has this hero ensnared? And a delicate girl like this, already planning kids!

The raw talk leaves Kris red-faced.

“Arrived. Here.”

“Hm. Looks like a normal cave…”

“Something’s off—weird magic’s blowing out.”

They reach a nondescript cave in the mountainside. Kris senses nothing at first, but a faint breeze carries a whisper.

“Ufufu. Come, come, little princess…”

A honey-sweet murmur.