Toria/Stories
Alk and co. spot a young girl trying to pay for her meal with strange foreign gems, and they decide to spot her bill. The girl turns out to be Toria, a sheltered princess from the kingdom of Mirea, who has apparently come to "monitor" Palpebra. After she loses her wallet and doesn't know where she can stay for the night, Stella comes to the rescue and invites her to Starview Village.
Elegant Warrior: I beg your pardon? These are the finest gems that Mirea has to offer! What do you mean, you won't accept them?
Elegant Warrior: Fine. Would you be willing to take this halberd as a substitute? It is impeccably sharp, sure to cut down all your enemies!
Bartender: I don't need gems or weapons, lady, I need MONEY. Fork it over already!
Alk: What seems to be the problem here?
Bartender: The problem is this girl is trying to pay for her meal with jewels or something! And she's being stubborn about it!
Elegant Warrior: I'll have you know that these gems are perfectly fine legal tender in the great and proud nation of Mirea! Why would you refuse them?!
Nimbus: Looks to me like a sheltered princess who doesn't get how the real world works.
Alk: Yeah... But I'd rather this didn't escalate further, so I'll just go ahead and pay her bill.
Elegant Warrior: Your name was Alk, correct? I wanted to extend my formal gratitude for your deed back there.
Toria: My name is Toria... You really saved me from a potentially dangerous situation. Thank you.
Toria: However... I remain skeptical. Why did you choose to help me?
Alk: Well... I kind of felt bad for the shopkeeper...
Toria: A likely story! But do not think that you can deceive me, Alk! I see through your lies and deception.
Toria: For I am the first princess of the kingdom of Mirea! You knew this much, did you not? That is why you chose to help me!
Nimbus: Guess I was right about you being a princess. Figures. The hell is a Mirea though? Never heard of that.
Toria: Y-you what?! How could you possibly not know of Mirea?!
Toria: Ahem. In that case, allow me to explain! The great kingdom of Mirea is my home and native land!
Toria: It is a... modestly-sized country that lies on the farthest ends of the land between the Farlands and Palpebra!
Alk: Huh... I see... If you don't mine me asking, what is the princess of Mirea doing in Palpebra, exactly?
Toria: I'm obviously here on official diplomatic business- I intend to carefully monitor this wicked state which so threatens my homeland!
Light: In what ways is Palpebra, "wicked," if I may ask?
Toria: It's simple! Fifty years ago, this city was nothing but an empty wasteland. Yet now, it pretends to be thriving metropolis!
Toria: As such, it siphons away people from nearby lands, growing its own population year by year.
Toria: One of those lands being my very own! It is not enough that our territory is... limited in scope- our population too is now dwindling!
Alk: Yeah, rural depopulation is a serious problem...
Toria: R-rural?! Do not speak of us as if we are some backwater village! We merely have a more... minimalist mindset than other countries.
Toria: Regardless! That is why I am firm in my determination to CONQUER Palpebra. Or... I want to... but...
Toria: Your food is superb, and the scenery breathtaking! Your streets are filled with stores and entertainment- I'm at a loss for what to do first!
Stella: I am glad you're having fun.
Light: Yes, that's all well and good, but we certainly can't have you recklessly spend all your money away as you have been.
Toria: I... do admit I may have gone too far in a few places...
Alk: Well, you seem to be done with your sightseeing- I mean, "monitoring"... How about just packing up and going home?
Toria: I cannot! For you see, I have made a promise not to return until I recover all of Mirea's sacred relics!
Light: Sacred relics?
Toria: Indeed. They are the pride and jot of Mirea, and-
Villager's Voice: Thief! Someone catch that man, please!
Alk: Huh? Wait, Toria, what are you-
Toria: Even on this wretched Palpebran soil, the law is the law!
Thief: You're in my way. Move it, or I'll cut you into pieces!
Toria: Thank you for your consideration, but I fear it is misplaced. I am not a weak little princess that needs to be protected.
Toria: Hyah!
Toria: O-oh dear.
Toria: Please do not misunderstand. It's just that those of the Mirean royal family tend to be... more powerful than the commonfolk!
Toria: Ah... To think that I would put on such a shameful display in vile Palpebra of all places!
Stella: It wasn't shameful. It was very cool.
Alk: Yeah, that was actually incredible! Plus, you got some thank-you money from it too- seems like a win to me.
Toria: I suppose so... At least I won't want for lodging tonight...
Toria: W-wait a moment! What happened to my wallet? It's missing!
Toria: Is this the work of one of those Palpebran "shifts" I've heard so much about?!
Nimbus: Uh, no, you probably just got pickpocketed. Or dropped it.
Toria: How could that be?! Where will I spend the night now?!
Stella: You can come with us.
Toria: Are you really sure?
Stella: Yes. We welcome you Toria.
Nimbus: *sigh* There she goes again, letting anyone in.
Toria: I am most grateful for all your help! Though we only just met, you've treated me so kindly...
Toria: You truly are like the Legendary Four from the Mirean epics!
Stella: The Legendary Four?
Toria: Yes! They are said to have helped our nation overcome great tribulations in the last!
Toria: There is no further doubt in my mind- you ARE the Legendary Four!
Alk: All we did was pay your bill and offer you a place to stay, I don't know about-
Toria: Come! We will take down Palpebra TOGETHER!
Alk and the gang accompany Toria on a quest to find the "sacred relics" of Mirea. Their journey brings them to a village where one of the relics is put up as a prize for a test of strength. Toria wins easily, but finds out that the necklace is a fake- the real one was stolen by a crow. The gang finds the crow's nest and retrieves the relic, at which point Toria informs the group that they only have 127 more relics to go!
Alk: Are you really sure about this, Toria? what would a sacred Mirean relic be doing in a village like this?
Toria: I am sure! Many of Mirea's sacred relics were unfortunately taken out of the country during periods of internal trouble.
Toria: It falls upon me to retrieve them all! That is my great duty- alongside the conquest of Palpebra, of course.
Nimbus: You expect me to believe something that valuable is just gonna be lying around in a village in the boonies?
Toria: There's no need for concern! I assure you, our intelligence network is seldom wrong.
Toria: After my grandfather pawned the relic off, it finally found its way to this very village.
Nimbus: Here's a thought, how about not pawning off your country's sacred relics?
Toria: Mirea's sacred relic- the Necklace of Elmyra! I will reclaim it, no matter the cost!
Alk: All right then... I guess it can't hurt to ask around the village.
Alk: Well, that was... a lot faster than I anticipated!
Toria: I can't believe it! How could this be...
Toria: The necklace is no mere prize! Especially not one to be fought over in some primitive test of strength!
Townsfolk: What's that? You lot taken an interest in our little tournament here?
Nimbus: For one reason or another, yeah.
Stella: Is it okay for people not from the village to participate?
Townsfolk: Eager to join in at the last minute, eh? Be my guest!
Alk: So, all you need to do is take down your opponent like that? Seems straightforward enough.
Toria: Are you suggesting I, a princess of a foreign nation, enter into this brawl?
Nimbus: I mean, you're the best one for the job.
Stella: Yes. Your abilities are incredible, Toria. I want to see them in action.
Toria: Hmm. I suppose I have no choice, then!
Townsfolk: Wait a minute- are you absolutely sure? Someone as... small as you could get hurt in a fight like this!
Toria: Oh, is that so? I'll have to be extra careful then. Hehe.
Toria: Well then! Let's get started. Attack me!
Townsfolk: If you're sure about this, I guess we can have on bout... I'll do my best not to hurt you-
Toria: Okay, now the rest of you! All at the same time, please!
Toria: It's hard to overstate my disappointment here... Is that really the best you can do?!
Townsfolk: Holy smokes. I've never seen a girl as strong as you in my life! You definitely deserve this prize...
Toria: Rejoice! I finally did it! I've finally reclaimed one of the sacred relics of Mirea!
Stella: That's wonderful, Toria.
Toria: Yes. I'm delighted!
Toria: Wait... No, it couldn't be... This...
Toria: This isn't Elmyra's Necklace! It's a fake!
Toria: What is the meaning of this? Did you really think you can deceive me with a counterfeit?
Townsfolk: N-now that you mention it, I remember my dad talking about this a long time ago. He told me this necklace was just a replacement.
Townsfolk: It turns out the real one got stolen by a crow during a feast way back when.
Toria: S-stolen by a crow?!
Toria: And here I thought I'd finally found a sacred relic...
Alk: T-Toria! Calm down, it'll be okay!
Light: Hold on. You said the culprit was a crow, yes? I see a nest up in that tree with something glittering inside it... Could that be your relic?
Toria: Glittering? Yes, yes, that could be Elmyra's Necklace!
Toria: I can't believe it! What luck...
Alk: It's woven pretty tightly into that nest though. It'll be hard to extract it...
Nimbus: So? Just take the nest apart. Problem solved.
Toria: But that would mean destroying it, leaving a poor bird without a home! How unconscionable!
Toria: The heavens have chosen to test my prowess as a stateswoman- I must prove myself and resolve this diplomatically!
Alk: Right... I figured we could just build the bird a new nest to replace the one we destroyed.
Toria: ... Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
Alk: I honestly can't tell if you're making fun of me or not, but whatever.
Light: In the meantime, let's speak to the villagers. They might have materials suitable for building a nest.
Toria: I... I did it!
Alk: There you go! Nice to make some progress on your quest to get the relics, right?
Nimbus: Can we go home yet? I don't even know why I came along- all I did was watch a little girl beat up grown men.
Toria: Go home? What are you talking about? We need to go searching for the next of the sacred relic.
Toria: There are approximately seven of them in a village nearby-
Alk: S-seven?! Wait a minute, just exactly how many are there in total?!
Toria: Not counting the necklace? One hundred and twenty-seven.
Alk: E-excuse me?! Why does a country even need that many?!
Toria: Because that's precisely how many we have! Regardless, we don't have time to rest- we must be off!
Alk: This better not be for your own personal collection of something...
Toria does her best to find gainful employment, but is fired from every job she lands. When Alk informs her that you can make money by slaying monsters, she is ecstatic, and snaps out of her funk. Using the money she earned working, she buys Alk and co. a special plate as a present.
Alk: Something catch your eye, Toria?
Toria: Yes, this poster. This establishment seems to be looking for a "part-timer"... I wonder what that would entail?
Alk: That's just one type of employee. Looks like they're looking for a dishwasher.
Toria: You mean to say that I can wash dishes and receive a wage for it?
Light: Precisely. If you're up to it, why not give it a try?
Toria: I... I just might!
Nimbus: Uh, have you ever washed a single dish in your life?
Toria: Nope!
Toria: However, I have a feeling I just might develop a knack for it!
Toria: I will go ahead and apply. The rest of you can feel free to go on without me!
Toria: Wh-what do you mean, I'm fired? Please, I'll be more careful next time, I swear on my honor as a Mirean-
Alk: Toria, are you okay? What happened? Did you break a plate or something?
Toria: Oh, hello, everyone... If by "break" you mean "destroy," and by "plate," you mean "the whole kitchen," then yes...
Alk: Wh-what?! The whole kitchen?!
Toria: I have no time for self-pity! I will simply endeavor to do better at my next job!
Nimbus: Seriously? You're going to try again?
Toria: Why of course! Palpebra has more than one establishment in need of work! I merely need to find the right place!
Toria: Aha! A posting for a waitress. Lifting objects and cleaning? I think this job should be more suited to my skills!
Toria: Fired again... It's no use... No matter where I go, I can't hold down a job. I'll never be able to save up money like this...
Alk: Er, my condolences... But why exactly are you so desperate to save up money? Did you overspend again?
Toria: No! Nothing of the sort! It's just...
Toria: Never mind. I need to hurry and search for my next employment opportunity!
Nimbus: Doing the same thing is probably going to get you fired again. Just sayin'.
Toria: B-but...
Alk: If you want money, can't you just take on monster- slaying requests from the Guild. That's what we do.
Light: Perhaps she is trying to infiltrate Palpebran society? Life as an adventurer is not exactly the most social of jobs.
Toria: Wait, you can get paid to slay monsters?!
Nimbus: You seriously didn't know that?!
Alk: Haha... Yep, you can. Monsters are quite the nuisance for your average person!
Toria: The thought never ever occurred to me!
Toria: Well, if that's the case, then I suppose I'll have to take on as many of these requests as I can!
Alk: Do you mind if we tag along?
Toria: But... I needed to get you- I mean...
Nimbus: What're you mumbling about? Let's get a move on!
Toria: I won't be holding back! Here I go!
Toria: Oh, another pack! More money to line my pockets with, I suppose!
Alk: Boy, I'm totally spent... She really went and picked up as many requests as possible, huh?
Nimbus: That she did. Speaking of the little princess, where'd she run off to?
Stella: I do not know. She said there was a place she wanted to stop by.
Toria: Sorry to keep you waiting, my Legendary Four!
Light: Welcome back. You seem to be in high spirits today!
Toria: I am! And do you know why? It's because I was finally able to buy the thing I had my eye on!
Light: Wow, this is quite the fine piece. Is this one of the sacred relics you were looking for?
Toria: Not quite. This is... a present to all of you! A sign of my gratitude of your help and kindness!
Alk: I see... Is this why you were looking for work?
Toria: Indeed! Well, there's no need to hesitate- go ahead and take a look!
Alk: Wh-whoa! Be careful, Toria! This is super fragile!
Toria: It's okay! I know precisely how much strength to use when handling this to ensure that it doesn't-
Nimbus: Well. That sucks.
Light: I-it's no problem, Toria. Look, it broke into five pieces, right? That's one for each of us!
Light: If we all hold on to one piece together it will constitute a whole, it can be a symbol of our unity!
Nimbus: Where do you come up with this stuff, Light? It's broken glass.
Toria: Hnngh!
Alk: T-Toria?
Toria: I put it back together!
Alk: You what?!
Toria: It's in a different shape than before, admittedly, but it's back in one piece!
Stella: That's incredible, Toria. You made it into a ball.
Alk: Y-you squeezed the glass until it turned it a ball... The amount of strength you'd need to do that is just...
Light: W-well, be it plate or ball, it seems we have ourselves a present! Our bonds remain unchanged.
Toria: Precisely, Light! Now, I think a toast is in order!
Toria: Long live the kingdom of Mirea! And finally, long live the Legendary Four!