Chika Fujiwara: "…Um, Tarnished… are the gods in your world really all visitors from beyond the stars?"
From everything he'd described, the beings appearing in the Lands Between did resemble certain creatures from the Cthulhu Mythos—at least in the broad, unsettling sense of wrongness.
And then there was the Crucible: the primal force that blended traits from countless lifeforms into one… That alone made her think of chimeras, kaiju, and the offspring of the Black Goat.
Not to mention the multi-limbed abomination she'd seen in the previous livestream—there was no way that thing had nothing to do with cosmic horror.
Especially Astel. If she had to guess, it might be the spawn of some Outer God… but without seeing it clearly, she couldn't be sure.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "More or less. And in this Age of the Erdtree, Queen Marika the Eternal… if I'm not mistaken, she should be a visitor from beyond the stars as well."
"Marika…?"
In the classroom, Chika instantly slipped into full detective mode, eyes narrowing as she began to think hard.
Her classmates glanced over, but only briefly. By now, everyone had long since grown used to Fujiwara's strange little moments.
After a while, she typed again.
Chika Fujiwara: "If we look at her name, then yeah… I think you're right. Queen Marika really might be from beyond the stars."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "Huh? How does the name prove that?"
Her message genuinely sparked his curiosity.
What did being a visitor from beyond the stars have to do with a name?
Wasn't it just… a label? A title? Like how everyone called him "Tarnished."
Chika Fujiwara: "Ahem. Class is in session—Professor Chika Fujiwara is teaching now."
She let herself be a little playful before continuing.
Chika Fujiwara: "A name isn't just a way to call someone. It can carry inheritance, meaning, and essence—sometimes even the hopes of the person's family. In a way, it's a unique symbol."
Chika Fujiwara: "A lot of the time, you can infer things about someone from their name."
Chika Fujiwara: "For example, Yukari Yakumo's surname: 'Yakumo.' 'Ya' can imply 'many,' and 'kumo' is 'clouds,' which feel free and unbound. So it's easy to guess Yakumo Yukari longs for companions, family, and a carefree life."
Yukari Yakumo: "My, Chika, that analysis isn't wrong. I do want a carefree life."
Somewhere, lounging lazily in the gaps between worlds, Yukari snapped her folding fan open with a soft clack, hiding half her face.
Yukari Yakumo: "And for youkai, names are important. They're tied to kotodama—word-spirit. Unless we have to, we don't let enemies learn our real names… especially onmyoji."
Yukari Yakumo: "Though the Tarnished is truly pitiful. Not even a name of his own."
Chika Fujiwara: "…Yukari, we have a saying where I'm from: if you don't want to die, don't do stupid things."
Yukari Yakumo: "Oh, come now. I just wanted everyone to have a little fun."
Whether anyone else was having fun was questionable—Yukari, at least, clearly was.
Northern Northern Northern: "What a bad one.jpg"
Northern Northern Northern: "Come closer, I'll give you a buff.jpg"
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "…"
He stared at the stone wall beside him, expression perfectly blank.
"Why," he wondered, "is this dark, pitch-black emotion rising in my chest?"
They had been having a normal conversation. A useful one, even.
So why did it have to circle back to him?
If he could, he'd go straight to Yukari's world, grab that troublesome woman by the collar, and toss her into the Fire Giant's cauldron on the Mountaintops of the Giants.
But that was just fantasy.
Yukari's ability had been mentioned before by other members, summarized in only four words:
Extremely strange.
She could appear behind you without warning… or vanish just as easily.
And since he wasn't particularly skilled at catching slippery eels, he decided to let it go.
He swallowed the churning darkness, ignored Yukari entirely, and replied in the chat.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "@Chika Fujiwara, Miss Fujiwara, please explain in detail."
Chika Fujiwara: "No problem! So, 'Marika' has some interesting layers."
Chika Fujiwara: "In Hebrew contexts, 'Marika' is associated with 'king'—which fits neatly with her being a queen. But in parts of Eastern Europe, 'Marika' is also a variant of 'Mary.' In Polish usage, it can carry the sense of 'of the sea' or 'from the sea.'"
Chika Fujiwara: "And in a lot of ancient thinking, the sea gets linked to the sky—especially the night sky. So the name can also suggest 'from the sea of stars.' That's why my guess matches yours: Queen Marika is from the stars, meaning a visitor from beyond the world."
Chika Fujiwara: "Also, 'Mary' can carry meanings like 'beloved,' 'rebellious,' or 'longing for children' depending on cultural roots and interpretation… so Queen Marika probably isn't simple at all."
Chika Fujiwara: "Hehe. This is just my personal theory, though. If I'm wrong, please don't mind it."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "No. Your analysis is right on the mark."
Sōsuke Aizen: "Miss Fujiwara is truly well-read."
Northern Northern Northern: "Sounds awesome.jpg"
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "I've learned a lot."
His reply was calm, almost flat, but inside, he was genuinely shaken.
Could someone really infer this much from a single name?
He didn't understand the details of Hebrew or Greek roots, but the conclusion fit too well to deny: Queen Marika truly was rebellious.
She had defied the Greater Will, shattered the Elden Ring, and as punishment was hung within the Erdtree to sustain what remained of the Order—keeping its broken mechanism turning.
In secret, the Greater Will then had the Two Fingers seek replacements: Miquella, Malenia, Ranni—new candidates to take Marika's place.
And then Finger Maidens were set to search for a new Lord candidate as well, someone to repair the Elden Ring.
The thought hit him hard enough to shake several lifetimes' worth of certainty.
Yet, after the shock, a steady calm returned.
It seemed he had made the right bet—asking the group for help really could bring him closer to understanding the Lands Between.
And he was convinced Marika's rebellion had never been limited to just one act.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "@Chika Fujiwara, thank you. If we get the chance, I hope you can help me more in the future."
Chika Fujiwara: "Hehe, no problem! I love puzzles like this."
Chika Fujiwara: "But next time I might need to look things up, so it could take longer. I only happened to know about 'Mary' today."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "That's fine. Take as long as you need."
In the Lands Between, time was the one thing he never lacked.
There had even been a cycle where he deliberately dragged everything out—taking dozens of times longer than usual—just to spend more days with Melina and Ranni.
And yes, in the process, a lot of people had quietly died of old age.
Chika Fujiwara: "Oh! @Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife—if you want to confirm whether those creatures are really connected to the Cthulhu Mythos, then next time please start a livestream so we can analyze them!"
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "No problem. I'll turn the livestream on next time."
In her classroom, Chika nearly burst with happiness.
A mystery to solve and a movie-like livestream to watch—two birds with one stone.
Perfect.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: "Alright. Let's leave it here for now. It's getting late, and I should continue my journey."
After sending the message, he closed the chat.
Without realizing it, they'd talked for a long time. Outside, the world had already brightened.
And in the Lands Between, telling day from night wasn't as simple as watching the sun—because the Erdtree had all but replaced it.
Most of the time, you could only judge the hour by the Erdtree's glow… and even that was really only reliable in Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula.