Souka

Souka is an event-exclusive NPC that first appeared in Fabulous Fungus Frenzy.
==Profile==
Souka is an up-and-coming author at the Yae Publishing House. She attended the Nilotpala Cup Beast Tamers Tournament in Sumeru in order to gather inspiration, along with Yae Miko.
===Appearance===
In the event Lil' Fungi's Fun-Tastic Fiesta, Souka takes the appearance of an Eremite Axe Vanguard with ponytail black hair and brighter skin tone.
==Quests and Events==
==Thoughts==
;Fabulous Fungus Frenzy
: Souka: (How can I incorporate this experience into my novel so that Miss Yae is satisfied...?)
;Fungus Mechanicus
:Souka: (Yes... adding half a chapter filled with mundane content before the second key interval. Then we introduce the suspense for the next chapter. Yes, this might just be an effective method to break apart the chapters...)
==Event Dialogue==
===Fabulous Fungus Frenzy===
====Dialogue Set #1====
Available after The Most Fantastic Tournament You've Never Heard Of?
;(Talk to Souka near the Coruscating Potential stall)
:Souka: Are the two of you... here to train Fungi as well?
:Souka: Even with the ability to take down thousands of bandits single-handedly, still continues to train and work as hard as ever... That really does put a lot of pressure on your opponents!
: What happened to your stutter?
::Paimon: Hey, now that you mention it, how are you speaking so fluently now? Is it because you're not scared of us anymore?
::Souka: Erm... Uh... Ahem... Umm...
::Souka: Even though I have the utmost respect for you two, that doesn't mean I'm scared to talk to you.
::Souka: You're not the reason I was stuttering before... It's a little complicated.
::Paimon: Oh, Paimon knows why! You're afraid of Miko because you always miss your submission deadlines!
::Paimon: And you tremble with anxiety when you're reminded of an impending deadline whenever Miko is standing next to you!
:: *whimper* There's so much work...
::Souka: P—Please keep your voice down!
::Souka: Even if you were right, you didn't have to say it out loud...
::Paimon: Don't worry, our lips are sealed.
::Paimon: Well then, good luck, Souka!
: What kind of weird nicknames are these...?
::Souka: Ahh, do you not like them?
::Souka: The authors occasionally talk about you guys when they eat. They would come up with nicknames for you guys, and there would always be a nickname or two that could receive a standing ovation...
::Paimon: Paimon actually finds it pretty interesting. The nicknames that the authors came up with really are something. They have just the right vibe for important characters in a novel!
::Paimon: Souka, are you gonna name your Fungus something similar as well? Paimon remembers you were the one that named Miko's Fungus, right?
::Souka: To be honest, I was planning on naming it something more casual.
::Souka: However, Lady Yae said, "Since you're writing a passionate and intense novel, you should break free from all restraints and be as hyperbolic as necessary."
:: The mercenaries seem to be doing the same.
::Paimon: Hmm, you're right. The nicknames the mercenaries gave Paimon and do sound pretty ridiculous!
::Paimon: Golden Comet is crashing down——boom! And Silver Companion is close behind with a combo——ba-bam!
::Souka: It's said that a "name" is an expression of anticipation. It allows people and things to move toward what the "name" means.
::Souka: If the Fungus is named something cool, maybe it'll grow into something really powerful!
::Paimon: Really? Then Paimon will have to call out Bongo-Head's name more frequently!
::Paimon: That way, Bongo-Head's head will actually go "bing bong" when Paimon knocks on it later.
:: I still think it'll sound more like a squelch.
:: "Bing bong" is the sound when you hit someone with a Mist Bubble.
::Paimon: Hmph, care to make a bet!?
::Paimon: Whoever loses needs to let Bongo-Head ride on their back for three days!
: You can do it, Souka!
::Souka: Thank you. I know they're just ordinary words of encouragement, but I feel so honored!
====Dialogue Set #2====
Available after Nilotpala Cup: Debut Match
;(Talk to Souka near the Special Training Domain)
:Souka: Hey, you two! Are you here to train your Fungi as well?
: How's your training going?
::Souka: Everything's going great! My Ace Fungus Stormstress is performing spectacularly.
::Souka: I've relied almost solely on Stormstress for the entire preliminary round. It also helped me realize that there are weaknesses in my team.
::Souka: Yep, a story's climax or a protagonist's fall will only make sense if you tell the reader about the underlying issues ahead of time.
::Souka: That's pretty much what the preliminary round means to a beast tamer like me.
::Souka: Looking at it from this perspective, Stormstress has been extremely important to me! It's like a classic companion of any protagonist!
::Paimon: Souka is in the zone all of a sudden... She's amazing!
: How's the inspiration coming along?
::Souka: Umm... to be honest... there hasn't been any progress outside of the competition itself...
::Souka: Lady Yae said that now that I've signed up for the competition, my priority should be to adopt a beast-tamer mentality and get into character as fast as I can.
::Souka: If I can do that, I'll be able to find new ideas for my piece in each and every round I go into.
::Souka: However, even though the main storyline of the novel is about a competition and each round serves as an important chapter... there are still blanks in between the chapters that need to be filled with daily life and subplots.
::Souka: All I have right now is an outline that doesn't include the daily life stuff... I have no idea how to refine it.
::Souka: If I were to travel around sightseeing with Lady Yae... Maybe I'd be able to find some inspiration!
:: Won't you be too nervous?
::Paimon: Yeah, it feels like you're too nervous to even speak when Miko's around. Would you be able to sleep if you were to travel with her?
::Paimon: Paimon bets you wouldn't even be able to hold your utensils straight if the two of you had to eat together.
::Souka: What? You're exaggerating! You know, I'm not always in fear of Lady Yae rushing my writing!
::Souka: Ahem... anyway, as a novelist, traveling with Lady Yae is the happiest and most honorable thing I could do! The inspiration that I'd be able to find would last me years!
: You can do it, Souka!
::Souka: Thank you so much! I can feel the motivation rising inside me!
====Dialogue Set #3====
Available after defeating her in Dual Missions: Progress and Probe!
:Souka: *sob*... What am I gonna do... I put in the time and prepared as best I could... But I was still defeated in just the second round!
: Cheer up...
::Paimon: Oh, don't be too hard on yourself, Souka. Don't worry, Miko won't blame you!
::Souka: You guys... even at a time like this... you two are still here to comfort me. Do I even deserve this special honor...?
::Souka: Wait... hold on! Ideas are growing inside my head... Spectacular arcs and subplots are appearing on their own!
::Souka: Don't say anything... Let me guess... you're about to say...
::Souka: "I've witnessed your courage and determination! I will fulfill your wish and claim victory on your behalf!"
:: ?
::Paimon: ?
::Souka: Perfect! I know how the story goes from here! I'll pair this with the accidental encounter with the strongest opponent from before! I have to remember it for now...
::Paimon: It's just as Miko said. Souka will return to normal after talking to herself...
:: Should we cheer as well?
::Paimon: Shh, let's not disturb Souka right now. Let her sort out the thoughts in her head first!
: (Leave quietly)
::Souka: If the protagonist were to encounter an immediate setback right at the start of the competition... The novel would separate itself from cliche tropes. It'll be both unexpected and exciting...
====Dialogue Set #4====
Available after defeating Hardy Two-Blades in Unfathomable Defenses
;(Talk to Souka near the Coruscating Potential stall)
:Souka: Where could Lady Yae be...? Could it be that the routes I've chosen are too boring?
: Can't find Miko?
::Souka: Yeah! Miss Aratani has no idea either... Do you guys know where Lady Yae went?
::Paimon: What's going on? We heard that you guys left with someone that looked like a mercenary. Did you guys split up?
::Souka: Mercenary? Oh, you mean the guide from the Corps of Thirty? We were just asking for directions to some famous local restaurant.
::Souka: The mercenary left after we arrived at the restaurant. Lady Yae was interested in the spiced they used in the dishes and wanted to bring some back as souvenirs. So she went to look for a spice shop afterward...
::Souka: But she's been gone for a whole three hours now!
:: It's only been three hours...
::Paimon: Ahh, you scared Paimon there... You made it sound as if Miko's been missing for a really long time!
::Paimon: Maybe she saw something interesting and stuck around to take a closer look. There's no need to panic!
::Souka: But we only have so much time on this trip to Sumeru, and I want to spend as much time with Lady Yae as possible! I want to learn as much as I can from her...
::Souka: Sometimes, a simple comment of hers can be extremely insightful to an inexperienced writer like me. This is a rare opportunity!
::Souka: Just now, for instance, I felt a kind of... hostile vibe from the mercenary that showed us the way. He kept looking at us as if he was planning on robbing us!
::Paimon: There's no need to be scared, it's not like you did anything wrong! That mercenary was probably just on patrol. It would make sense to take notice of everyone around you when you're patrolling.
::Souka: I'm not scared! But it seems Lady Yae already noticed that he was watching us and said quietly to me, "If you suspect that someone's watching you, this is something you can do to turn the tables..."
::Souka: Lady Yae then called out to the mercenary and asked him to be our guide! The mercenary looked dumbfounded but quickly agreed to her request.
::Souka: The mercenary was nowhere to be seen again after taking us to the restaurant. I think it might've been because Lady Yae messed up his plans, and he was scared of making any bold moves.
::Paimon: Wow... you can do that?
::Souka: Isn't Lady Yae so cool!? I'm gonna add this to my novel——
::Souka: Actively engaging with someone you suspect of following you... Disrupt their plans and force an unexpected change in their scheme to buy yourself more time...
::Souka: But where does the story go from there? What if they return? Lady Yae said that she was going to buy some spices, but what if she secretly went to track the mercenary instead?
::Souka: I think I've got it! This is the classic, take your opponent by surprise and checkmate them before they can react! Bring the fight to them while they're rallying and making adjustments!
::Souka: Hmm? That means I have nothing to worry about!
::Souka: As expected of Lady Yae. I'm getting so excited just thinking about it!
:: Calm down...
:: The mercenaries of the Corps of Thirty are good people...
::Paimon: Yeah, but now Paimon is also curious about who that mercenary is.
::Paimon: Let's ask Miko when we get a chance.
: We'll go look for her as well...
::Souka: That would be great! If you find Lady Yae, please remind... I mean... suggest that she quickly return and meet up with us! I still have many things I'd like to ask her about!
====Dialogue Set #5====
Available after defeating Layla in Unfathomable Defenses
;(Talk to Souka at the bulletin board near Wikala Funduq's entrance)
:Souka: Magnificent! The match between you two and Miss Layla was intense but not hostile. This is exactly what a friendly match should look like!
: Thank you!
::Paimon: Hehe, Layla would be really happy to hear that!
::Souka: I didn't know how to portray a character that's the protagonist's competitor... but then turned into the protagonist's friend instead. But I have a very clear idea about it now!
::Souka: I need to think about the structure of the story and add a character like that for the protagonist!
:: Our match was friendly as well.
::Paimon: Yeah, we were pretty relaxed when we were up against Souka as well. There was no anxiety or hostility either.
::Souka: I know that you guys took it easy on me... but treating someone as ordinary as I am with such kindness... I don't even know how to thank the two of you!
::Souka: Hmm, I'm gonna have to make some edits after I add this arc to the novel... It might be too much for the reader to handle if I were to disqualify the protagonist's rival... The tone needs to be a little more serious!
: But Miko lost.
::Paimon: Yeah, Miko lost, what a shame!
::Souka: Huh? Didn't Lady Yae lose on purpose?
::Souka: She's probably more interested in the story of the gathering of the beast tamers wonder what kind of development would satisfy her... 
::Paimon: Yeah... you're right.
::Paimon: But she was clearly getting to Haniyyah... A few more words and she would've been able to set Haniyyah straight...
::Souka: That's probably because Lady Yae felt like her role wasn't the one that's supposed to be the close friend to Haniyyah in this story. She didn't want to steal your spotlight!
::Souka: Besides, seeing how things have developed, maybe Lady Yae finds this to be "the perfect place to end the chapter"!
::Paimon: Paimon can't understand any of this writer lingo...
: Let's chat again next time...
::Souka: Sure! Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to watching you guys in the finals!
====Dialogue Set #6====
Available after The Strongest Opponent! The Biggest Crisis!
;(Talk to Souka near the Coruscating Potential stall)
:Souka: Ahh! No one could've expected such a great event to have such a jaw-dropping conspiracy behind it!
: Everything is fine now!
::Paimon: Yeah, the conspiracy has been dealt with! There's no need to be afraid!
::Paimon: Wait, shouldn't Souka be shouting something like "Oh! I know what to add to my novel now!" at a time like this?
::Paimon: Paimon is sure you found a ton of inspiration in such a drastic turn of events!
::Souka: To be honest... things kinda got out of hand and completely exceeded my expectations! More details and background must be added right from the beginning for a villain like Elchingen.
::Souka: It seems like you and Lady Yae noticed something was off a long time ago. Someone ordinary like me didn't have the slightest clue about what was going on.
::Souka: If I'm going to add this to the novel, I'm gonna have to think real hard about how to build up the underlying mystery and slowly feed the reader different clues! It would be a little strange if the twist came too abruptly.
::Souka: However, the arc where the villain is defeated by the protagonist has to be perfect! I'll try drinking two pots of wine when I get writer's block!
::Souka: It's a method Lady Yae recommended. I'm gonna try it tonight!
::Paimon: Wow! Just make sure you don't drink too much... You might scare yourself with the things you end up writing!
: I'll leave you to your thoughts...
::Souka: Huh!? Are you guys leaving already? I'll be sure to thank you properly when I get the chance!
===Fungus Mechanicus===
:Souka: Hmm? Fancy meeting you here, "Twin Stars of Brilliant Valor"!
:: That's a pretty nice nickname!
:::Paimon: It's been a while, Souka!
:::Paimon: And there you go with the nicknames again... But Paimon likes this one — it's cool, and it also emphasizes our super-awesome partnership!
:::Souka: Ah, it's good that you like it.
:: Sorry, uh, who are you again...
:::Paimon: Have you not been resting well these last few days, ? Do you need a refresher or something?
:::Paimon: Souka's one of Yae Publishing House's new writers. She came with Miko to take part in the tournament previously!
:::Paimon: We did beat her in the second round, but uh... Ahem, Let's not dwell on that too much...
:::Paimon: After that, Souka wrote us into her light novel. We're pretty important characters, so Paimon's really looking forward to reading it!
::: Aha, yes, now I remember!
::: Yes, yes, that did happen...
:::Paimon: Right? You're not that forgetful!
::Paimon: So the contestant Haniyyah mentioned was you, huh? Why're you here in Sumeru by yourself?
::Souka: Well, I was looking to regain the mindset I previously had during the tournament...
::Souka: I'm about one-third of the way through writing my new book, but I feel like some of the parts I've written after that aren't quite right...
::Souka: As time passed I found that the inspiration that I got and the feelings that I held toward our Fungi partners began to fade and cool.
::Paimon: Well, no matter how good your memory is, you won't quite be able to capture the joy of traveling together if you're apart from your companions for too long.
::Souka: Exactly! So I asked Lady Yae to allow me to come to Sumeru for a long-term attachment, and she gladly agreed — she event sent me here with a letter of recommendation!
::Souka: I searched in the rainforest for some time before finally finding Haniyyah's campsite. It was really well hidden, and didn't startle any of the surrounding animals at all!
::Souka: She is very capable, and she takes great care of the Fungi, but I can at least help her share her burden.
::Souka: When she hear why I'd come, she agreed to my request. She then taught me quite a few survival lesson, and tutored me on how to take care of Fungi.
::Souka: I mean, I already enjoyed living together with them, so every day has been quite fulfilling.
::Souka: Inspiration's also close at hand, so I believe that the rest of this book will be a cinch!
:: A perfect decision!
:: Good for you!
::Paimon: That's great! You get endless inspiration for your new book, and Haniyyah gets to take some of the load off her back!
::Paimon: Still, we haven't seen your partner anywhere.
::Paimon: Paimon thinks it was... Stormstress?
::Souka: Stormstress has been helping us set up a new hut, so it's resting at our campsite right now. That's why it didn't come along to Port Ormos.
::Souka: The other contestants' Fungi partners are accompanying Stormstress. If the opportunity comes along, I can take you to our campsite to meet them all!
::Souka: Look, Lady Yae's Blitzara and Layla's Twirly-Whirly are just over there. They'd love to play with you.
::Paimon: Nice! Let's go meet up with our shroom friend later, then!
: We'll talk again later!
::Souka: Indeed, it seem you bear the expectations of many, and are most busy indeed...
::Souka: I hope to see you both again soon!
===Record of Reflective Writing===
:Souka: So, how did you get on, ? The script has a lot of background info, so you must have come up with quite a few ideas for the plot, yes?
: Of course!
::Souka: That's great! Once you've sorted your ideas, please write down the key points. I'll come back and refer to them when I get onto embellishing the story later on!
::Souka: Given how well we understand one another, you don't need to go into too much detail — I'm sure I'll get the gist!
: Before we do that, can we talk about the planning?
::Souka: Oh? Seems like my script has brought out your inner creator!
::Souka: As I mentioned, my plan is to use pictures and a broadcasting device to turn my new work into a lively, three-dimensional reading experience...
::Souka: But as for how I'll do that... I'm still brushing up on my knowledge, and trying to make the plan as logical and pragmatic as possible.
::Souka: After all, your imagination is quite immense! Most readers are far less imaginative, so I need to give them more details to work with...
::Souka: However, our number one priority is to find a way to reduce the costs. If this novel costs the same as 50 regular ones, sales are going to suffer, and it'll all have been for nothing.
::Souka: Pictures should be easy to get our hands on, just like illustrations were. The broadcasting device, however, is another matter. If we use imported Fontainian technology, each book will end up with a six-figure price tag...
::Souka: Argh, I'll have to give it some more thought...
: Any news about Haniyyah?
::Souka: Oh yes, of course! You must be curious how our Fungi friends have been holding up too, right?
::Souka: Rest assured, the fact that I can even be here shows that both they and the tournament preparations are all doing just fine!
::Souka: Haniyyah has already finished planning said tournament, while sponsors have been secured. We just need to sort out all the staff and materials. Then, we can gradually get the ball rolling with all the pre-tournament promotions...
::Souka: But most importantly, the timing of the event will be key. We'd rather delay it than let the tournament's reputation slide, and we want to avoid letting our audience and contestants down at all costs.
::Souka: We might have to wait half a year, or even a whole year, before the right moment comes along. Anyway, we'll take it step by step!
::Souka: In the meantime, Haniyyah's finished with all her business affairs for now, so when you get a chance, come pay us and our Fungi friends a visit at the campsite!
: I'll give it some thought.
::Souka: No problem, we've got plenty of time! And no matter how many ideas you jot down, I'll remember all of them!
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
==References==
pt-br:Souka
ru:Соука