The Wandering Samurai and his Beloved General (BL)

"We've captured so many. What are you going to use them for?"

Haruki marveled at the brightness inside the sack. A fleeting thought of holding the entire universe in his hands stunned him momentarily.

"Hm? I thought you knew that elemental sword users use them as emergency energy replacements," Lanling said, adjusting another sack over his shoulder as they began walking back to the encampment.

"They do? But aren't these originally mortal souls? It seems unethical if you ask me." Haruki's tone was filled with disbelief, and a wave of uneasiness settled in his core. Despite this, his movements didn't falter as he obediently followed Lanling, carrying the sack.

Lanling shook his head. "That's a misconception. These 'spirits' are nothing more than excess energy from nearby powerful creatures. People have a hard time separating the idea of them from mortal souls because of how they react."

"It really is strange. Earlier, there was one spirit that acted coyly toward me. If you hadn't warned me during breakfast, my body might no longer belong to me!" A burst of cold sweat spread across Haruki's back as the sack on his shoulders seemed heavier than before.

A soft chuckle instantly dispersed his fear. Haruki turned to his left just in time to catch the faint trace of a smile on Lanling's face before it faded.

"I doubt the spirits would hold onto your body for long, so there's nothing for you to worry about," Lanling said calmly.

Haruki gasped. "Lanling! You make it sound like my body isn't desirable at all!"

Lanling glanced at him, mischief glinting in his eyes. "I didn't say that, did I?"

"You didn't, but the implication was there! How could they not want my body? Even if it's lanky, it's still one of the luckiest bodies out there! Those spirits could even pass as princes in my body if they wanted to, I'm sure of it!"

Lanling quickly turned around, seemingly done with him, but Haruki caught sight of his shoulders shaking as if trying to suppress laughter.

"How can your sentence transition from being lucky to being handsome so quickly? Where do you put your shame?" Lanling asked. When he turned back, he shook his head, though he couldn't fully hide the smile on his face.

Haruki beamed, clearly pleased with himself. "If I can see you smile like this every day, who cares about shame?"

He was so pleased that he subconsciously began to hum. His steps grew lighter, almost skipping, and his face was bright with a wide smile.

Haruki seemed blissfully unaware of the weight behind the words he had just spoken.

Lanling's steps slowed for a moment before resuming their normal pace, unnoticed by Haruki. A subtle shift in the space between them lingered, one that only Lanling seemed to perceive. His eyes flickered with a trace of helplessness and familiarity as he silently listened to Haruki's humming all the way to the gates of the encampment.

There was no awkwardness to speak of, but the atmosphere was undeniably sensitive.

As they handed over the two sacks, Lanling spoke to a soldier who was meticulously recording their gains. Behind the soldier, sacks and crates filled with materials hunted by other soldiers were stacked high, part of the ongoing inventory process.

"Is there anything else that needs to be replenished for this week?" Lanling asked.

The soldier nodded absentmindedly, then paused mid-motion. "Nothing for you to worry about, General. We've got plenty of people sitting on their asses all day who can handle it."

"No matter, I'm free. Let them continue training instead." Not giving the other man a chance to argue, Lanling snatched the list from his hands and quickly scanned for any materials that needed replenishing. He handed it back to the startled soldier, then turned to Haruki and pulled him out through the gates.

"Let's go. Have you ever skinned a crocodile before?"

"I have not. You must teach me!" Haruki replied eagerly.

"Wha—!? General??"

By the time the soldier snapped out of his stupor, Lanling and Haruki's voices had already faded into the forest, heading unmistakably toward the swamps.

"What's going on? Why is the General hunting right now??" the soldier asked in disbelief.

Old Jin, who had been observing the scene from the sidelines, stroked his stubble with an air of vague understanding. "How is that hunting? Isn't the General clearly trying to foster some goodwill?"

A soldier standing nearby shook their head. "Don't make it sound so weird," they said, then turned to the man holding the list. "They're just friends hanging out. It's one of those rare days the General has some free time. Let them be—it's not like we can't function without him."

Old Jin shrugged and wandered back into the camp. But true to his nature, he stood by his words and stirred up the imaginations of the bored soldiers by spinning a melodramatic tale about Lanling and Haruki.

With little else to do besides training and routine work, these soldiers often found entertainment in the most peculiar ways.

When Haruki was present, his infectious energy naturally drew their attention. But in his absence, speculating about the General's love life became their favorite pastime.

Over the hours that Lanling and Haruki were away, the soldiers cycled through an impressive array of speculative genres. From enemies-to-lovers to childhood sweethearts, and even the idea of them as secret fiancés politically forbidden from being together—no scenario was too far-fetched.

But the most hotly debated topic, one that remained unresolved, was: Who topped who?

The soldiers who naively attempted to defend their General's reputation found themselves outmatched by Haruki's growing legion of fans. One by one, they succumbed to the relentless enthusiasm, their minds opened to the intriguing world of love between men—its complexities, its drama, and its bittersweet charm.

It was inevitable that the female soldiers in the army had long since willingly dived into the chaos and showed no desire to be rescued.

Unaware of the chaos spreading back at the camp, the pair arrived at the shores of a murky green swamp. Beady, soulless eyes dotted the water's surface, their silent vigilance casting a chilling and sinister atmosphere over the area.