Powerless Boy is reborn as Lustful Elf
Chapter 51: Verbal Sparring

Chapter 51: Verbal Sparring

The gravel grated beneath Alex’s boots with each step, a steady crunch that marked their slow departure from the lush serenity of the botanical garden.

Behind him, the air still carried the lingering scent of dew-drenched petals and sun-warmed earth, but ahead, it shifted, growing heavier, muskier.

The rich perfume of flowers gave way to the pungent tang of animals: fur, damp straw, and the underlying sharpness of manure.

It wasn’t unpleasant exactly, just jarring in contrast, like stepping from a painting into something real and raw.

Around them, the path narrowed between hedges now rougher and less manicured.

The polished beauty of the front gardens gave way to something more utilitarian, rows of wooden fences, storage sheds tucked beneath sloping roofs, and a long barn-like structure looming ahead with its doors flung wide.

Here, the Hold breathed with a different rhythm.

No longer still and ornamental, it pulsed with quiet, organic life: the low shuffle of hooves on packed dirt, the occasional rustle of wings, and distant bleats carried on the breeze.

Inolda’s pink curls bounced with lazy grace as she walked, catching the light in soft waves that danced with every step.

Her faded tunic hung loose over her lean frame, the fabric sun-bleached and stained from long days in the dirt, while her scuffed boots thudded confidently along the path.

She looked like someone who didn’t care how she looked, and somehow still pulled it off without trying.

Compared to Alex’s tailored elven clothes, she was a walking rebellion, and she wore it like a crown.

Without turning her head, she threw him a glance from the corner of her eye, one brow lifting ever so slightly.

A smirk tugged at her lips, small, crooked, and far too knowing.

"So," she said, voice smooth and dry like a secret shared under breath, "you’re the new kid. The one who just... poofed into existence." Her eyes drifted lazily down his form and back up again. "Thrilling."

Alex blinked, momentarily thrown off by the dry, almost disinterested delivery.

His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out whether she was mocking him or simply too bored to care.

The look on her face was unreadable, and he couldn’t quite decide if he was supposed to laugh along or take her words seriously.

Inolda noticed the flicker of confusion in his expression and, to his surprise, a low, sardonic chuckle slipped from her lips.

It wasn’t cruel or mean-spirited, but sharp, like a well-played jab.

The sound of it wasn’t humorless; it was laced with mischief, as though she knew exactly how to toy with his reactions and wasn’t above doing so just for fun.

Her laughter wasn’t spontaneous. It was deliberate, like she was gauging him, seeing how he would respond.

It held a certain satisfaction, the kind of quiet amusement that someone gets when they’ve just prodded the right button.

"News travels fast in the elven world," Inolda added, her voice taking on an exaggerated, almost theatrical quality, dripping with mock gravitas.

She flicked a rebellious curl of pink hair from her face with a dirt-streaked hand, as if the act itself were part of a carefully rehearsed performance.

Her eyes glinted with amusement, though her words carried a dry, almost dismissive tone. "We’re basically a bunch of bored immortals with nothing better to do than gossip." She paused, letting the words linger in the air, a sly, half-smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Congratulations on being the latest headline."

He gave a slow nod, the pieces falling into place. "I guess I shouldn’t be surprised."

"And yes, I’m the new kid," he added, his voice steady now, tinged with a hint of defiance.

He straightened his back and squared his shoulders, trying to meet her gaze with something that resembled confidence, though he still wasn’t sure if she was mocking him, testing him, or simply too bored to bother hiding her amusement.

Maybe it was all three.

Inolda didn’t answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head ever so slightly, her hazel eyes flicking down his frame and then up again in one slow, deliberate pass.

It wasn’t the kind of look that made him feel self-conscious, it wasn’t flirtatious or hostile.

It was... clinical. Calculated. Like she was examining a new species of plant that had just sprouted in her garden.

"When I heard about a new kid, I wondered what he’d look like," Inolda said at last.

"And seeing you..." she paused, her eyes lingering on him just long enough to make him wonder what, exactly, she was evaluating. "Well, I’m not disappointed. I guess."

The words hung in the air, vague and teasing, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or a veiled jab.

Her lips twitched, the barest hint of a smirk curling like she was daring him to react, to rise to the bait, to care about whether or not he had her approval.

Alex’s smirk deepened, catching the glint of mischief tucked behind her dry delivery.

He leaned into it, not shying away from the challenge she’d just tossed at his feet.

"You don’t look half bad yourself," he said, his voice lowering slightly, threading with a quiet defiance—equal parts flirt and test, tossed back like a coin to see how she’d catch it.

She grinned, her lips curling in a mischievous smirk, and then, with exaggerated flair, she batted her lashes at him.

The playful gesture was all too intentional, a teasing performance she knew would land.

"And he knows how to flirt too," she drawled, her voice dipping into a mock-serious whisper, as though she were sharing a top-secret revelation. "Dangerous."

The word hung in the air between them, thick with playful menace, but there was an unmistakable edge of amusement in her tone.

It was light-hearted, yet deliberate, like a dare wrapped in half-innocent flirtation.

Alex’s smirk faltered slightly, the challenge in her words sinking in, and he couldn’t help but soften into an amused smile.

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