‘Pururu! Pururun!’
“I’m glad you’re having fun.”
‘Puru?’
Iris comes to its senses after frolicking around, and rolls over to us.
‘Purupuru.’
“Hn?”
Iris wraps itself around me, and sucks all the honey from my neck down. I guess it feels bad for not thinking of the consequences.
‘Puru~n.’
“Haha, I’m not mad. Can you do it from the neck up too?”
‘Puru!’
Iris then sucks the honey off everyone hit by that bombardment.
Kasumi and Maki were right behind me, so they were protected, but Ayane and Aki took the full brunt of it. Even Aira, who I just realized disappeared, has her arm drenched. So she got hit out of my sight.
“Aira, where did you go? I didn’t see you.”
“I just happened to be right behind you, master, so I took the liberty of taking advantage. I also could not react and was hit.”
“I see.”
Come to think of it, I feel like she was somewhere behind me. But yes, usually she would rush to protect Ayane, but couldn’t this time. I was also facing it before I knew it.
So the honey buckshot came so fast even Aira couldn’t sense it. It didn’t cause damage, but it’s still too dangerous. Next time Iris tries that, maybe we could have Enki make a wall?
“I should have protected the lady, but despite being near, I could not… I apologize for my powerlessness, lady.”
“It’s okay!”
“Lady…”
Aira being pat by Ayane is charming, and Maki is checking my smell.
“Sniff sniff… You had the sticky honey and moisture removed, but the smell is still there.”
“Aira is smelling sweet too!”
‘Purun.’
“It can eat the parts clinging to us, but can’t go that far. Well, let’s just wash ourselves later.”
I guess even Freak Eater can’t eat smell.
“…I was thinking, but with this smell, could it be that they’ll see you as friends and won’t attack?”
“That’s… I wonder.”
“I heard some bugs tell friend and foe apart with pheromones…”
“Iris destroyed the hive from the inside in an instant, but there could be another difference compared to when I did it with Bladeless Sword yesterday, other than the barrier. Whether or not we smell like honey.”
“Yes, interesting. Should we try it?”
We head to another hive, and activate the barrier just before the maroon bees. We slowly approach them, and I touch one’s soft body.
‘Bzz! Bzzz…?’
It trembles like it’s surprised and turns this way, but after a few seconds, it continues collecting honey like it lost interest.
“Oh? Success?”
“Most likely.”
“Aira, give it a shot too.”
“Then first the one that was hit with honey…”
‘Bzz! Bzz…? Bzzz…’
It’s more surprised than before, probably because the smell is lighter, but it goes back to work.
Then the other arm…
‘…Bzz? Vv!!’
“It seems to not have worked.”
The reaction was a little delayed, but it’s looking this way with hostility and making that alarm sound. So the arm without honey is no good, but this might be a new discovery.
“Experiment completed. Onto the next hive.”
“Master, should we do it without the barrier?”
“Yes. I wanted to replicate the phenomenon we saw when the powered up one went down and all the monsters disappeared, but I want to see how they react to the smell of honey.”
“Sorry for giving you more to do.”
“No no, this might be simpler than getting a barrier, so it’s great that we discovered it. Thanks Aki.”
“Nishihi.”
I pat Aki’s head as she lets out an embarrassed laugh, and her usual sweet scent is boosted several times by the honey. That smell catches my attention, and before I know it, I’m holding her and taking a deep breath.
“Hyah!?”
“Hou, so master likes a coating of honey mixed in with body odor. We are going to obtain a lot of honey again today, so should I prepare a honey lotion bath?”
“…Ah!”
Aira’s words make me regain my senses.
“What a frightening smell…”
I put my hands on her without thinking.
I look around, and see Maki and Kasumi looking jealous, Ayane with her arms spread like she’s saying it’s her turn, and Aira grinning.
…Hn? Kasumi?
I look at my little sister with a puzzled expression, and she awkwardly turns away.
Did I imagine that?
“By the way, Maki.
“Y-yes.”
“What kind of honey showered us when the hive was destroyed?”
“Ah, yes. This was normal bumblebee honey. It seems none of the honey inside the hive was Killer Hive extra thick honey.”
‘Purururun!’
Apparently there was Killer Hive extra thick honey, but Iris ate it all when it went inside.
“Then we should all smell like bumblebee honey. So, Aira…”
“…It cannot be helped.”
For once, Aira reacts negatively.
She reluctantly takes out bumblebee honey from her waist bag.
“Ready, you two?”
“Y-yes!”
“P-please do!”
Does Kasumi look a little happy too?
We coat them with honey, and have Iris suck it from them. For some reason I’m called upon to coat the honey, and I feel a little nervous because I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t.
But don’t laugh if it does nothing when I knock on the hive, and the barrier turns out to be better.
Here we are at the second hive.
Enki attacked the base monsters along the way, and when I stood in the way, they ignored me and went for Enki. It’s pretty much confirmed that they would show a different reaction if I didn’t smell of honey. Although I’ll need a bath and to do laundry to get rid of this persistent smell.
As expected, I can’t see the hive on the map, and I can see a swarm of bees around where the third hive is. When I attacked the second hive before, more bees than I could count attacked, including eight Killer Bees, but this time we all smell like bumblebee honey.
I wonder how many will come out in this state. The same as before, or…
“Full boost! Sei! Ah!”
Slash!!
I stab into a hole a bit off the center, and slash, cutting a piece. Normally their alert level would skyrocket, but…
‘Vv!’
‘Vvv!’
“Oh, here they are… Hnn?”
There are so few, that I can tell how many there are. Sixty maroon bees, and three Killer Bees. It’s less than half as many as before.
It’s the second hive, but… It has to be the honey, right?
We kick around the few reinforcements, and no more appear when I attack the hive again without destroying it. And it all falls silent when the hive turns to smoke.
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