VRMMO: Am I The Strongest Yet?

Alex told him she would join him in five, but she did not specify five minutes or five hours.

So, even though ten minutes passed and Misha finally finished her pocket money, Alex had not come back.

[{ "I'm sorry. This sudden work came up… haaa… I will be back as soon as I can. Don't worry about me." }]

She said she was going to buy something, but she had actually returned back to their inn.

[{ "You are hiding something from me, again." }]

[{ "I'm just working, lol. Don't be like that. I might be back before you even get back to the inn so don't worry." }]

She cut the call, and entered the wooden doors of the (Woodleg inn).

"We are closed-... oh. You're back~? Where's Misha and Elio~."

Madam Rin was waiting for the three, especially her little baby.

Seeing her so happy and excited all day had been a rare but joyous experience for her.

This event, this whole day had been very special for her, and her child obviously enjoyed it all.

She was a shy one, but being with that little Slime and Gecko had been a completely new experience for her.

They were her friends, and seeing the three of them playing, shouting, running around had been a heartwarming experience for her.

And she was extremely thankful for the two of them who brought such joy to her little girl.

"Can we talk for a moment, Miss Rin?"

Alex closed the door behind her, locked it with a wooden plank, and took out a unique object from her inventory.

"Hmm?"

It was a barrier item, one that blocked sound of any kind.

-Ooooooooooong.

It was rare, so not many could recognize it. Someone who had just started the game or were commoners from a small town like this would not even know what that object was… but not her.

"Why are you using that, Alex dear?"

There was a table with four chairs, and Miss Rin sat down right before hers when she saw the item activating.

The look this girl had did not seem right to her, so she did not ask any unnecessary questions and just sat down beside her.

She knew the matter was serious from that new kind of look she had.

"You know Miss Rin…"

Alex placed her sheathed white sword on the table beside her.

"This sword is special."

With calm but extremely serious eyes, afterwards, she caressed the sheathed weapon with one of her hands, and looked at the person before her.

"It cries with excitement when it senses individuals who are at a level I cannot defeat them."

Her level had fallen but she still had all her experience, and techniques from her past.

Her power was limited in many ways, but just like how she was able to stall for time even when going against something like that dark mage, she knew she could defeat most of the individuals in this town if she fought seriously.

She could even defeat the guard captain if he does not use that special skill of hers.

She was strong, even if she did not have even a fraction of her power at the moment.

So, whenever her sword had cried after she entered this town, it was when she was facing someone like the guardian spirit that manifested through the guard captain or when facing the dark magician.

The librarian made her sword the most excited, after which came the guardian spirit, and after that… it was not the dark magician.

"You defeated six of the dark minions that entered the town, weren't you?"

As soon as she mentioned that, the expression on Miss Rin's face changed as well.

"The 'special' person that was mentioned in the Town quest… it was Misha, right?"

"..."

As soon as her name was brought up, the worried expression on the mother's face changed completely.

"There were fifteen minions that entered the town, three were dealt with by the underworld organization's people.

Two were dealt with by the guards, three by the players, and one died because of the mages from mages' tower.

The rest that were spotted by the Mayor vanished without a trace and were not found even with the later investigation…"

Where could these creatures have gone?

She wondered about it for a while. She thought long and hard about it instead of just accepting they might have vanished with the dark mage that summoned them, she investigated.

And still, she did not find anything.

Anything except subtle trances of a very familiar energy in a dark corner of the town.

"You're a remnant of the fallen Holy Kingdom of Archlore, aren't you?"

Miss Rin looked at her… her eyes hollow, the calm and worried expression changed into a serious and poisonous one.

The way she was looking at Alex now told her how she wanted to kill her right on the spot. But, she also knew that she knew that was not going to be effective.

Alex was not a native. She was a foreigner and they are cursed to be reborn after their death.

"You found out an awful lot of things in the few days you have been here, hun?"

The always cheerful, attractive, and positive aura around her transformed into that of the aura of a wounded tiger– cold, and deadly.

She was not sitting before the strong girl that had saved her inn from some thugs. She was now standing before an enemy that she knew she could not kill.

"You made a mistake, Miss Rin."

And she knew that as well.

"The head of the mage tower… he will find you."

Using her unique power was not the best idea if she wanted to stay in this town for a little longer.

Alex knew just what kind of troublesome position she was in. And, she was going to leave the town because of it anyway as well.

"I know he will. That is why we will-."

"Let me blunt, miss Rin."

Existence of someone who can protect them and be good with them.

Someone who was strong enough to help them out of situations that would require her presence, and someone who was already experienced with war.

She was the perfect guard that they could have found for the following part of their journey and since she had a 'special' daughter to protect, Alex knew the two of them will be present when the two of them are not around.

"Join us."

Miss Rin had strength but that strength was nothing compared to what they might need when they go out of this town.

"I will give you the strength you need to protect that child."

She was a single mother who could use a rare power that was sought after by the mages all around the world.

After her investigation and a little deeper digging into the assistant of the Dark magician that died because of his own foolishness, she knew the entire situation now.

"Let's use each other, at least."

Alex knew Miss Rin would not understand her position with the kind of anger she had right now, but she knew this person– the mother who was in a unique position right now was at least smart enough to know what was best for her and for her child.

"So, how about it?"

Elio needed someone to look after Miu and Az in their absence anyway, and she knew there would be more special creatures joining them.

They needed someone here that they could trust, as well someone who could actually look after those special creatures.

"...you are not really some normal person either, hun?"

Alex could not think of anyone better for this job other than a Soldier who could partially use the unique energy- Holy power and a being born with the blessing of nature.

She wanted the two of them… and, the person before her knew this young, fearsome woman was not going to take a no for an answer.