The one who came to mind when thinking of a "bokko" was that zombie girl...

[ NOTE: I'm sick. Suffer delays. Feel free to complain on discord: https://discord.gg/aX2fAscCWv ]

For now, I'll suggest she go to work today, and it turns out there's someone she wants me to meet.

"She's also an adventurer. She should be around 9th level by now."

... At the mention of "that girl," I faintly sensed a trace of superiority in her expression. It was like when you introduce your spouse or fiancé to someone who isn't married yet—the kind of look that says, "I've already got mine." That woman's face—ugh, Riza is still just a woman after all.

"She said she was looking for party members, so I thought it might work out."

"Does she work alone?"

"Yes, sometimes she helps out with other parties, but right now she's solo."

"What kind of relationship are we talking about here?"

"She's my childhood friend. She comes from a farming family, but she started adventuring to make ends meet around 10 years old. Now we're both 15."

Hmm. The wife's friend? Since they're childhood friends, I can assume her personality is trustworthy. At least better than some weirdo. It all depends on her skills.

"Should we meet her?"

"She was talking about it yesterday. She should be waiting at the guild."

Whoa. Even though she left early this morning, she's making someone wait? I wish she'd said something sooner.

"If she's waiting, let's hurry."

"There's no need to rush," she says casually.

To her, it's just a childhood friend, so maybe it feels more relaxed. But for me, she's a complete stranger. This is bad. If we don't move fast, I'll end up with a weird first impression from someone I don't even know.

Riza and I head to the guild in a hurry. Along the way, I hear that Fia is pretty tomboyish. Apparently, she used to beat up boys when she was younger. She has a sharp tongue but a kind heart. All I feel is anxiety.

We stop just before the guild entrance for a short break. Taking a moment to catch my breath and check my appearance, we enter the guild hall. Riza spots her friend and starts waving. Looking over, I see a girl with dark brown hair approaching. She's wearing leather armor and carrying a shield on her back. At her waist is a one-handed sword in a scabbard about 70 centimeters long.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Akihiro."

"Yo! Pleased to meet you too. I'm Fia, 9th level. Nice to meet you."

I was surprised. A "bokko"? My shock must have shown on my face because she gives me a strange look.
[TN: basically she uses some masculine language]
"My way of speaking? There are only brothers in my family, so please excuse me if I sound like this?"

"No, don't worry about it."

Wait a second. When our eyes met, I felt like I was being sized up—not in terms of combat ability, but more like the kind of look you get from a cabaret hostess or something. She checked my shoes, fingertips, entire outfit, and face. No doubt about it—this "bokko" is actually a girl.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

Fia furrows her brow.

"Your way of speaking feels really off. It's unnatural. Just be yourself."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Thanks."

"No problem. So this is the person you were talking about?" She asks while looking at Riza.

"Yeah. Hiro just reached 9th level."

"Cool. How old are you now?"

She turns back to me.

"Currently, I'm level 48."

"Huh? You just started adventuring recently, right? How did you get to 9th level so fast?"

"Maybe because of the recent promotion?"

Fia nods in understanding.

"Oh, that guy called Daiwolf? I heard about him. That's awesome! Wasn't he a 6th-level target or something? And you took him down alone?"

It seems like there are a lot of overlapping stories here. I explain the details of what happened this time.

"Still, even if you did it alone, that's impressive."

She looks at me with a smile. Uh-oh, this is bad. That look—she's sizing me up as prey. Riza notices too and raises her arm to speak.

"Hey, hey!" Riza waves her bracelet.

"What? Did Riza get engaged?"

"Yeah, yesterday. I was just about to tell you."

Riza beams with pride.

"Aww, that's not fair! Now I feel inferior."

"What are you talking about?" Riza confronts Fia.

"I thought for sure I'd be first! To lose out to a shy, clingy girl? Ugh!"

Fia slumps her shoulders.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

This conversation isn't ending anytime soon. Let's try to get back on track and talk about forming the party.

"You can take down 6th-level enemies alone, right? I think you'd be a good fit."

Using my "Recognition" ability, I check her stats: one-handed sword, small shield, and vigilance—all above 0.5. It's no easy feat for a woman to go solo as an adventurer, especially at 9th level with experience in subjugation missions.

"Just out of curiosity, what kind of quests do you usually take?"

"I mostly deal with goblins, maybe two or three at a time."

Her assassination-style kills make it hard to gauge the strength of the goblins. But being able to handle two human-level enemies simultaneously is impressive. Honestly, without magic, I'd still lose if two humans attacked me at once. But since she has vigilance... Maybe she can handle herself as a scout or skirmisher.

Frontline: Riza, middle: me, and Fia as the skirmisher? It could work.

"Hey, Akihiro-san."

"Yeah?"

"You don't mind me being second wife, do you?"

I almost choke. "FIAA!!" Rizu looks like she's about to kill her.

"But he can take down 6th-level enemies alone! He's a top-tier catch!"

Fia shrugs it off.

"Sorry, but in the place I was born, there's a law that only allows one wife."

"Ew."

"FIAA?"

"Yeah?"

Ugh, she's not giving up. Maybe this could work...?