The Wandering Samurai and his Beloved General (BL)

The fire burned until noon the next day.

Whatever cover they had once used was now reduced to ashes, mingling with the water. When they had begun their training, the water had been green. After multiple skirmishes, it had turned a dark red. And now, it was blackened.

There was something about these changes that made some soldiers sentimental, but there was no time for such thoughts.

Baili reported that the remaining six thousand soldiers would soon be entering the swamp.

Lanling quietly closed his eyes as a deafening silence swept over the area. The soldiers' hearts were gripped by the fear of death, yet their minds were steeled with unwavering loyalty.

The army split into two groups.

Those who thrived in the trees climbed back into whatever sturdy branch they could find, while the others stayed below. Every soldier knew they had to use everything at their disposal to survive.

If other generals had witnessed this scene, they would have been stunned. Soldiers were typically trained to abandon what made them unique. Yet this army embraced individualism, and despite that—or perhaps because of it—their movements were fluid, their synchronicity flawless.

Minutes passed before Lanling opened his eyes again, his gaze drifting toward Akiko.

The woman remained blinded, deafened, and muted, though her flinches had lessened. Still, she grew particularly terrified whenever Mainu was away from her side for too long.

Lanling's gaze shifted to Orion. "How important is this woman to your nation?"

Orion's face darkened briefly. "General, I have only my vow to fulfill. I simply ask that you leave me be."

"Are you sure?" Lanling's calm, smiling expression stood in stark contrast to the sharp edge of his words. "Your army has cornered us, and I'm obliged to use every means at my disposal."

Orion hesitated.

"How about an equal exchange?" Lanling offered. "I can confirm a strategic rumor about me."

"It doesn't sound like I have much of a choice," Orion replied.

"You don't," Lanling said, his tone soft yet unwavering. "You're not exactly in a position to negotiate."

Mainu unsheathed his sword and pressed its blade against Orion's neck. The movement was so smooth, so instinctive, it seemed a reflex born of countless repetitions.

"In that case, what choice do I have but to accept?" Orion chuckled. "What does the general wish to know?"

Lanling tilted his chin briefly in Akiko's direction. "If I were to kill that woman, how would your kingdom react?"

"Hoo~" Orion raised his brows, a spark of curiosity flickering in his eyes. He pondered the question for several moments before answering. "She's a transmigrator so she will be treated as such. If one falls, they can simply summon another." He ended with a nonchalant shrug.

"And yet, she has survived in this world for five years." Lanling's tone carried an edge of skepticism. "She's either remarkably capable or has someone powerful backing her."

Orion closed his eyes, shutting off the conversation to conceal any further information. "I've answered your question. The general should now reciprocate in kind."

Lanling chuckled softly, amused by his failed attempt to draw more information from Orion. Rising to his feet, he gestured toward Akiko's direction. "You should open your eyes. Otherwise, you'll miss it."

Orion turned in surprise, his head jerking as his eyes widened in sudden realization when he saw Lanling's outstretched hand.

Akiko's body trembled violently.

Her head lifted, confusion flickering across her face as a chill swept over her. She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to understand the sensation. Then her mouth opened for a scream—but no sound emerged. The watchers were reminded, sending chills down their spine, that she was muted.

A dark blue mist began to pour from her body, swirling with an almost sentient grace. It drifted toward Lanling's outstretched palms, coalescing under his careful urgings into a sphere. The mist darkened as the process continued for a full thirty seconds, mesmerizing and terrifying those who watched.

The mages who were unfortunate enough to witness the scene turned their gazes away, their faces pale with fear. Inwardly, they were grateful that the general was on their side, praying they would never experience the horrific sensation of their mana being forcibly drained.

Akiko collapsed to her side, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Her entire body glistened with sweat, her strength utterly sapped.

"A shame I can't take all of it," Lanling said, his languid voice slicing through the tense silence. His calm, unyielding gaze sent an icy chill down Orion's spine. "It wouldn't be wise to kill her, after all."

"You—" Orion stammered, his expression torn between fear and reluctant admiration. "How is this possible? Why do you have two talents?"

Lanling held the densely packed sphere of mana, dismissing Orion's question with deliberate indifference. Settling back onto the crocodile's broad back, he cast Haruki a mischievous smile and patted the creature's head.

He moved the shimmering ball toward the crocodile's eyes, letting it observe the swirling energy within.

"What do you think?" Lanling chuckled, his tone light yet unnervingly sharp. "About six thousand lives and half the mana of a King-level mage."

He leaned closer, his smile widening. "Let's be friends, yeah?"

The crocodile's eyes dilated.

The waters shifted.

Their sudden stillness made some of the soldiers tumble unto the water.

And all the beady eyes seemed to swivel, fixing their gaze on the dense sphere of mana cradled in Lanling's hand.

The soldiers' breaths hitched, their bodies stiffening in unison. They froze, caught between horror and a strange, unspoken anticipation. Despite their denials, a sense of camaraderie had inevitably formed between them and the crocodiles—a bond forged in the crucible of shared life-and-death struggles.

"Mortal, you got guts."

The voice came suddenly, dark and deep, both nasal and gritty. It echoed through the swamp, seeming to emerge from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

The language wasn't common, so while the soldiers felt an instinctive urge to flee, confusion quickly took over. They turned to one another, murmuring and asking what had been said, their unease growing with each passing second.

"Oh, you're from the Abyss," Lanling said, his voice subtly altered by the unfamiliar language. It was colder, sharper—a blade wrapped in silk. Though the tone was calm and void of malice, the soldiers found themselves gripping their weapons tightly, an irrational urge to defend themselves bubbling to the surface.

Whatever language this was, it was pulling all their survival instincts to the surface.

"Worry not. I'm not asking to be your master," Lanling continued, his gaze meeting Haruki's with effortless ease. Reflexively, he smiled—a cheerful, playful smile that seemed utterly harmless.

"I just need you to kill six thousand soldiers for me."

The atmosphere grew heavy with tension, the oppressive weight of unseen forces pressing down on everyone. And yet, Haruki laughed—a sound so joyful it was almost jarring against the palpable dread in the air.

Moments earlier, he had mirrored the soldiers' reactions, watching the scene unfold with instinctive fear. He didn't fully grasp what had been said, but his instincts screamed at him to be cautious.

And yet, that one smile from Lanling shattered every other thought racing through his mind, leaving only one…

'Oh my god, that smile was so fucking cute!'