Jericho thought he's under-informed when it comes to the technical aspects of the Grand Triskellion and the Words. He understood the big picture, but Woodward didn't exactly tell him the nuts and bolts of his quest. That—as she said to him—was up to him to discover himself, part of his journey of learning. It's in that spirit he's willing to exit the comfort of the Horologium Chamber and venture the town in search of books that could satisfy his needs.

Other than that, he needs to get out anyway. The person Jericho's looking for, the one who Claiomh Solais will choose, won't just come into the Horologium Chamber. He has to start looking for her soon and stepping outside is literally the first step to do that.

But as the sun beats down on him, he began to regret even leaving the chamber. If only I have a hat, Jericho thought as he covers his eyes with his hand. He didn't have any hat for the occasion. Both his wizard hat and gnome cap—one that future Rahjaesh gave him—are non-existent at this point in time. Even the threads that make them are probably non-existent as well.

Jericho tries his luck on the first big bookstore he runs into. Fox Shelter bookstore. He recognizes the store because 10 years from now it'll still be open. But the wizard unknowingly passed the store twice because it looked different from what he remembered. He remembers the store being taller with more stories, while also attracting bigger customers.

The paint is also slightly off. And that fancy register isn't there…

Jericho figures the store's success wasn't built overnight. He finds the fact surprisingly motivating. He only hopes their collection isn't too bad compared to their future counterpart.

In Jericho's time, the place is more crowded and thus has more staffs to accommodate the many needs of the customers. Right now, however, he could count them with his fingers, and they're mostly occupied. So, his only chance is the counter.

Jericho wasn't keen on asking help from a staff, but he'd rather face his fears than waste his time trying to look for the books himself. Fortunately, there's a small queue to the counter, so he has plenty of time to prepare what to say to the staff waiting there.

As he ponders his lines, he feels gentle tapping on his shoulder. Turning around, he finds his cheek stabbed by a finger. The perpetrator was none other than one beaming Chariot du Nord.

"Good afternoon!" says the happy girl. "I was just thinking I might run into you today".

"Oh, Chariot!"

Behind her, joining the queue, are Luna Nova students just like Chariot. It's easy to tell since they're in full uniform. The school always demands the students to wear their uniforms even when they leave the school grounds. The uniform acts as a physical reminder that they're representatives of the school at all times and that they're responsible for the school's name and image. It is the same as far back in this year. It is a tradition.

Chariot's friends? He doesn't mind seeing Chariot right now, but he can't say the same about meeting strangers. Any second now and her friends will catch wind of what's going on and I'll be forced to introduce myself… then talk… ah, I haven't prepared for this mentally.

Jericho was too busy being blue he didn't notice Chariot getting too close. Particularly, towards his arm. "Look at these guys, they've grown so big!" Chariot exclaims.

He looks down to see Chariot eye-level with his splinted hand. Rather than the hand, she's captivated by the blobs of translucent fairies spread on it.

"Yes, fat", replies Jericho as he instinctively puts some distance between her. "It's a sign they're working as intended, eating my pain away, literally".

"Neat!"

Chariot straightens her back, now eye-to-eye with the boy again. "So, what brings you here?"

"Books". I thought that's obvious. "What about you?" Wait then why am I asking that?!

"Books are one of them", replies Chariot. Jericho notices she's holding onto a scroll of paper, one that's comically so long it nearly touches the floor.

She gives him a glance at the paper's contents. "I have something to do elsewhere actually, so I'm not just in town for books. So, this won't be my last stop, you know? How about you, do you still have some places to be after this? We can go together if you do".

He's intimidated by the 'small' scroll of paper Chariot has, but he's more intimidated by something, or someone, else.

Jericho leans close enough to whisper to Chariot, all while sneaking a glance at the students behind Chariot. "You're not suggesting I go with you, right? I'm fine with just you, but it'd get awkward if your friends are around".

"They're not my friends, silly", whispers Chariot back. There's no reason to whisper at this point, but she mimics him just for the heck of it. "Just because we wear the same witch hats doesn't mean we hang out together, you know?"

She takes off her hat and points at the beige ribbon adorning it. "This ribbon wrapped around our hats, you see, they indicate our groups. Don't you notice I'm the only beige here? The girls behind me are total strangers to me".

"Ah, right… silly me".

Huh, that's good news. That means I won't need to introduce myself to strangers today. Well, while I'm on it, I better act like I don't know this…

He scratches the back of his head, looking as innocent he could be. "I didn't know about the colour thing. I thought it's just for random".

"You silly goose", Chariot giggles. "In any case, that means I'm totally free on my own. So, if you're still not finished after this, I don't mind going out with you! As in going out there, with you. Going around together".

Jericho chooses to ignore Chariot's stutter.

"Well, Chariot, that's a big if", replies the wizard. "I'll probably find what I'm looking for in this bookstore and call it a day. After all, I only have one thing to buy. Much as I want to hang around, it wouldn't be fun if I'm following you finishing your errands when my errands are done, isn't it?"

Jericho was proven wrong. His visit to Fox's was the beginning of a long journey through several bookstores and libraries. Specifically, right now, he's in the third bookshop (so far). But this one will fail him as well. Jericho watches with a sinking feeling as a staff he returns to him empty-handed.

"Can't find anything you're looking for. We're very sorry", says the man.

Tired and defeated, the wizard barely mutters a 'thank you' before finding his way out of the labyrinth-like rows of bookshelves.

This makes my 3rd attempt, all three fruitless. I did not expect this. I thought I'd find books about the Grand Triskellion and the Words everywhere.

The shopkeeper follows closely behind him. Sensing the wizard's distraught, he adds, "I'm afraid you'll not find much luck scouring the little bookstores around town. Accommodating to witches as we are, it doesn't mean we have the most complete collection, all of our bookstores and public libraries combined. I may exaggerate slightly but you get the point. If memory serves me right, the only books that come close to what you wanted are not the stuff of study".

That caught his attention enough he has to ask. "How do you mean?"

"Children's books, storybooks, fiction books…", he shrugs. "Hardly the stuff of study. That's why I think you'll have better luck with a different approach".

As they speak, the two rounds the corner, bringing them to the part of the bookstore where Chariot waits for his return, sitting and waiting for him on a soft sofa, her legs playfully swinging about as she hums.

The shopkeeper gestures to the girl. "I don't know if you know this, but there's a fine arcane academy just off the town. Luna Nova, it's called. They're the reason why this town is so accommodating to witches. Our collections pale in comparison to a proper learning place for witches. You seem to know the girl well enough. I bet she can help you more than anyone in this town".

His proposition is sound. But this idea is not new to the wizard. Shaking his head, he says, "I'm aware, but that's out of the option. They're quite strict when it comes to their catalogues. They will not share it with outsiders. I know this".

The shopkeeper shrugs. He's about to return to his responsibilities when he seems to remember something and urgently beckons the wizard over to his counter. Curious, the wizard watches as the man deftly skims through a rack filled to the brim with business cards while trying to also hold up the conversation.

"Just a moment before you step out of the door. My son mentioned something about a good batch of arcane books being shipped to town a week ago. I vaguely remember what the books are exactly called, but I remember my son twisting his tongue trying to pronounce the titles of the books which, in retrospect, I think was his attempt to pronounce the Grand Triskellion and the Seven Words of Arcturus".

He picks one out of the bunch and hands it to the wizard "Most of them end up in this store here. A customer requested the store to have the books shipped to town, and not for a cheap price. Now I know there are closer bookstores or libraries, but they don't hold as much promise as this. Keep in mind, this store's books are dusty and mostly second-hand, but they come with generous discounts. If the owner likes you, that is". The shopkeeper winks.

With that finished, the wizard returns to Chariot. She had hope seeing his return, but her smile turns to an sympathetic frown when she notices that he's empty-handed save for a business card.

"No luck again?" she asks, offering a consoling smile. He shakes his head.

He flips the card so she can see. "I don't recognize this place. Do you?"

"I know this place. It's for used books. It's maybe a quarter or a half-hour walk from here".

"Another long walk, then?" The wizard leans on the bookshelf sitting next to the sofa and sighs. "And it looks like I'm resorting to second-hand books".

Something's not right. Is the Grand Triskellion that obscure that the only place that have them is a second-hand bookshop?

"Conan".

Woodward made it sound like it's a monumental magic, but the past three libraries and bookstores shake their heads when I asked about them.

"Conaaan~"

Maybe it's these people that are wrong? Maybe they're just ignorant of Woodward's magic? But how could they not know about a magic of such import—

Jericho jumps on his feet as he feels stinging pain on his arm. He turns to find a pouting Chariot pinching his arm.

"Hellooo, Conan, are you still there?" she asks, sounding annoyed.

"Conan? Oh".

She lets go of his arm. "Sorry, you weren't responding".

"I was… thinking, Chariot".

"You do that a lot you're starting to worry me you know?"

The wizard chuckles nervously in response but says nothing else.

I wish I can tell you it's not that I was daydreaming too hard, Chariot. I'm just not used to the name yet.

Conan, Conan Beagalltach. I'll have to get used to this quickly, this name that Woodward gave me. It's a completely alien name to me. It's definitely Celtic in origin. I can tell because it sounds like a lot of the names of spells or people from those magical textbooks I study so much from. The meaning of the name, though? Well, Woodward and I did get into an argument about it. Which I don't want to remember now.

Now, thinking back, it wasn't really a choice for me. Woodward practically enforced me that name.

I for one, was growingly too tired to argue and accepted it because it sounds cool enough. Bonus points because it reminds me of Detective Conan. Considering he too was subjected to some weird situation where he's forced to pretend as someone else, I find the name super fitting.

Well, take out the time travel, magic, glasses, and girlfriend, then the name would fit completely...

And of course, I didn't bother telling Woodward that.

"So, you're saying it's neither far nor close, Chariot? That's bothersome".

"Yes, but I do know the way, so there's no problem", says Chariot.

"Yeah, about that, Chariot. I've been meaning to ask you…"

Jericho glances at what sits beside Chariot's feet. It's a large plastic bag filled with what she bought to fill her list. Compared to him, she's found what she's looking for at every stop. Luck was not equally distributed between the two today.

"You know that joke I made an hour ago about me being the one dragged through the dirt if I follow you around town because you have a list like that while I was just looking for one item? Well, I'm starting to think it's going to be the other way around soon…"

Jericho's cut off as Chariot swings her feet and swiftly rises to her feet, smiling all the time, looking like she's ready to go on the most daring adventure.

She looks to him, seemingly oblivious to what he just said. "You were saying?"

Surprised, Jericho says, "Chariot I was implying you should head home first. We've gone around town for an hour and look at how much you got. You must be more than halfway finished with your errand, but I've barely started".

Chariot shakes her head. At first, the wizard thought it was a gesture of refusal. But then, the girl sways sideways and nearly lost her balance. Holding her head, she groans, "d-dizzy. I stood up too quick".

"R-right…" The boy blinks repeatedly. "Anyway, didn't you listen? You carry so much already and there's no guarantee I will find what I need in the next destination. I really don't mind if you just go home before you get bored".

"I was listening", replies Chariot. "I'm just saying, Conan, you'll never know if you'll find what you're looking for in the next stop, right? So why are you fretting now?"

He wants to rebuke that, he really does. He could've easily spoken his mind. Something close to: 'and there's an equal chance I won't find what I'm looking for in the next stop'. But Chariot seems genuinely optimistic. And he knew he's no match to her stubbornness.

And so, for the second time today, Jericho fails to separate himself from Chariot.

On their way to their destination, the wizard can't help but voice his mind. "How did you end up with so much to buy, anyway?".

While still being more energetic and optimistic than I am today, on top of that?

Chariot looks abashed. "Well, Miss Finnelan thought it's no good if I got off scot-free from being nearly late to the opening ceremony. You're there that night, right? When she said if I was more disciplined, I wouldn't have gotten us in trouble, preventing me from being late in the first place".

"So this is what Miss Finnelan's disciplining looks like?" remarks Jericho, and Chariot nods.

Jericho can tell Chariot wasn't entirely happy about Miss Finnelan's decision. He nearly added something about being the victim of the strict teacher once, too, just to lift her up if only slightly. But he thought better of it immediately.

Something strikes him soon enough.

"But wait, what about your friends?" Jericho asks.

Chariot looks surprised. "What about my friends?"

"You don't get punished alone, right? When one of you makes a mistake, it's the team's mistake!". Again, Jericho must remind himself not to sound too knowing. Or too worked up. Cooling himself, he adds, "a-at least that's what I heard".

"Anyway, Chariot, that means you shouldn't be alone right now. Where are your friends?"

Chariot looks surprised by his question. To his dismay, Chariot doesn't answer. Her lengthy pause gives him the wrong idea.

Jericho stops in front of Chariot to stop her, forcing her to answer so she can't try to leave the conversation. "Don't tell me, this task is supposed to be split between your friends? That's why the list's so long?"

That prompts Chariot to quickly speak up. "N-no, you're getting the wrong idea. You got the first half right, but you're wrong on the last".

"We made a deal. My friends are understandably upset all three of us got punished, so I agreed to do the punishment all by myself, but in recompense, my friends are doing my homework as we speak. They don't mind homework, but they mind physical labour a lot".

"And you don't mind physical labour?" he asks.

Chariot chuckles. She walks past him and says, "well, apparently I don't, do I?"

That somewhat explains enough, but something about this still doesn't sit right with Jericho. They now walk with an uneasy silence. The wizard would occasionally glance at Chariot, still not sure about something.

For a second, Chariot thought the matter's settled and that he'll not bother anymore. But to her surprise, he suddenly walks a bit closer to Chariot and says, "At least let me carry that thing for you".

She immediately distances herself from the wizard, surprising him. And with a nearly cracking voice, cries, "Conan, that would be inappropriate! What would people think when they saw me giving an injured boy my bags? They'd think I'm a spoiled brat!"

She hastily glances at the people around them, as if they're listening and are already starting to judge her.

"I'm partially responsible for making you late, so I don't mind".

Jericho offers his good hand, but Chariot immediately pulls hers away.

"Nope. I'm strong, you know? I can do this, and that's period".

Dammit. Now I'm face to face with Chariot's stubborn side, again.

It took the two a quarter of an hour to arrive at their destination. That's a quarter of an hour full of arguing.

Much to Chariot's delight, she notices her destination is across his. So, taking the opportunity to cut the argument short, she bids her momentary goodbye.

"We'll see who finishes first. I'll visit you if I'm done first, or the other way around", says Chariot, before vanishing between the crowd, leaving an annoyed Jericho alone in the front step of the bookstore.

That girl. Too stubborn for her own good sometimes.

Sighing, he turns and faces the building. Loxley's Old Books and other Used Things. With one last glance at the shop's name to make sure he's got the right place, the wizard steps into the shop.

The counter is empty. Ringing the bell attracts the attention of a bespectacled man with greying hair and moustache. He squeezes his way between rows of cardboard boxes and books stacked on the floor. The narrow passage was accessible by the tall and lanky statured man, but the wizard doubts anyone else could go through. The man takes his station behind the counter and smiles at the boy.

"Welcome to Loxley's. I'm Loxley. What can I help you with?"

The wizard says nothing and passes a piece of paper across the counter: his list of things he's searching for. He'd given up trying to pronounce The Grand Triskellion and the 7 Words of Arcturus to the shopkeepers. He has tired his tongue the first time it took them 5 tries to get what he's saying.

"I heard you received a batch of magical books. I was wondering if these are among them".

"Really now, and who told you that?" The man chuckles. He fixes his spectacles with a finger. His bushy brows twist to a frown as he read, but there was recognition in his wrinkling yet sharp eyes.

"Ah… that's unfortunate", Loxley says. Much to the wizard's dismay, Loxley returns the piece of paper to him. "You're right, some of these do come here a week ago. But they're sold out".

"Sold out?! That quickly?"

"Well I brought them here on the request of someone in the first place, so it's only natural that person would buy them all once they arrive".

That broke Jericho's spirit. He must've hidden that poorly, as Loxley sees through it and starts thinking of other ways to please him. He rests his hands on the counter, tapping the wooden surface as he thinks.

"There are alternatives, though they're not exactly what you wrote down here. Allow me to show them to you just in case you find worth in them".

With that, the man retreats from the counter and to the back of the store, squeezing through tall rows of bookshelves and boxes. Just as Loxley left, the front door swings open and in comes Chariot with a proud smile on her face.

"That was quick. Find what you needed?" asks the wizard.

"I did! And I got a discount from the pretty old lady keeping the store! How about you?"

He sighs and tiredly leans on the counter. "No. Someone bought all of the things I was looking for. But I'm waiting for the shopkeeper to confirm".

"Then let's hope he finds something nice for you", Chariot says with a comforting smile. "And no, Conan, I'm not saying that because I'm getting tired carrying this bag, but because I mean well".

Chariot finds herself a soft couch to sit on and rests her weary legs and hands, her bag laid beside her feet. She slumps her back on the soft couch and exhales deeply.

"So you said someone bought the books before you? One person did that?" she asks.

"I think he said that", Jericho replies without turning.

"What kind of person buys that many books anyway? They must be really dedicated".

That makes the wizard think. One person… was that what the man said? If I heard right, then someone's looking for the same books as I am.

That means someone's interested in the same thing as I am. What if this mysterious person is who I'm looking for?

Jericho doesn't immediately jump to conclusions, nor does he let hope take over his rationale. Ever cautious, he believes he could've misheard the man's words. He looks around, searching for Loxley so he can ask him about the mysterious buyer. Unfortunately, there's no sign of the man anywhere. Seeing that there's no sign of the man returning anytime soon, the wizard sits down beside Chariot and waits for the man's return.

I have to remember to ask him. I'm getting impatient.

Remembering something, Jericho glances at Chariot.

Speaking of that, what about Chariot? What if she's the one Claiomh Solais will choose? There's nothing telling me she is, but there's also nothing telling me she's not.

To that end, he strikes up conversation. "So this thing I'm trying to find… it's called the Grand Triskellion, and the Seven Words of Arcturus. Does it ring any bell to you, Chariot?"

"Um… no. But I could be mistaken; try describing it, maybe I do know but just don't get the name".

"The Grand Triskellion, and its 7 Words of Arcturus. They're ancient spells from an ancient time. The 9 Olde Witches used a spell to conserve the world's magic when it experienced decline long ago. And this Grand Triskellion is something they left behind in case a decline happens again, some sort of failsafe. But if this thing exists, then where is it now, when magic is in decline and needs a saving? The problem is today, both are missing, their locations unknown. When they're found, however, and the keys unlock, then magic will return to earth. Or so the stories go".

He has Chariot's full attention, wonder (mixed with confusion as she tries to catch up) glimmers in her eyes. Unfortunately, that is not what he's searching for, because it means this is the first time she's ever heard of this story.

"Are you sure you don't know what I'm talking about?"

"No, but it sounds magnificent, Conan!" Chariot replies with a smile. But that smile fades when she saw the wizard's serious expression.

"You're saying this is the first time you've heard of this story?" he asks, impulsively inching closer to Chariot in his impatience.

"Y-yes, yes!" Chariot replies quickly. She immediately looks nervous and embarrassed, her cheeks flushing red. "Um… is this… something I should know? I'm sorry but I'm not really great with history!"

Chariot's miserable reply brings Jericho to his senses. He immediately pulls himself away and drops the questioning.

Crap, I went too far.

He immediately switches gears and start consoling Chariot.

"D-don't worry, Chariot, this isn't common knowledge for our level! They don't teach you about this in basic magic history, so there's nothing wrong with not knowing them. I can't imagine someone our age and class finding this subject exciting enough to look into. Except for, well, me of course. I mean, look at those libraries and bookstores we went into, a lot of them don't know them as well".

"Huh, when you put it that way". But Chariot still looks unsure and insecure. That prompts the wizard to continue.

"I'm not brilliant with exciting practical magic, so I think it explains why I use my energy on the less exciting but doable part of magic like theories and history. Meanwhile, you're good at broom riding. While I can barely keep ourselves afloat if our lives were on the line. There's nothing wrong with not knowing something out of your expertise".

That seems to hit the right spot as Chariot smiles at that. She playfully punches his arm. "aw, you don't need to humble yourself just to cheer me up", she says.

What's this, she punched my arm?!

The wizard won't lie that little gesture feels very endearing. It feels like a payback after she pinched him earlier.

"S-sorry, I can't help".

If only Chariot knew I wasn't humbling down at all, though. I really am only good at this kind of boring things.

But he got playfully punched in the arm because she thought otherwise. Not to mention Chariot seems lifted by his comment. So Jericho couldn't care less.

Good. I thought I messed up there for a moment. I got carried away there. Poor Chariot thought I was giving her a test. I should mind my manners next time.

In any case, that gave me a straight answer I wouldn't get if I danced around the question.

Chariot doesn't know of the Grand Triskellion nor the Words.

Then she's not the champion of Claiomh Solais.

Author's Notes:

Nani?! Jericho/Conan deduced that Chariot isn't the one! Is he right? Find out next time in the next episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai.

This one took way too long to make. That's what you get when you're hounded by mid-term exams, end-term exams, and thesis in 1 month.

So the name! I feel like Jericho's fake name is worth mentioning. I actually spent a lot of time thinking about it. I can't spoil anything, but let's just say I think about it a lot because it'll be pretty important element of the story. It's Celtic in origin. I figured since a lot of LWA connects to Celtic or English myths, a Celtic name is what Woodward would think of. The name does have a story attached to it, but I'd rather you find out about it as the story progresses and be exposed by the characters, instead of me telling you here or you searching from the web.

Before we leave, like last time, I feel like giving a mini-shoutout to other Fanfics. I do this for no other reason that I find them amusing and worth pointing out to you guys. This time, there's a newly written fanfic by HeavenlyDemon2020, titled 'The Sword is Mightier than the Wand'. You guessed it, it's a male OC Fanfic. But, get this, the MC's not a student but a custodian in Luna Nova (I had to look up what custodian means lol). Oh, and he just happen to be the Principal's son. So that's interesting. Give it a chance if you're bored waiting for me.

Also, a shoutout to the boys in the LWA Discord for helping me figure out what the hell Chariot's ribbon colour is. I'm not colour blind I'm just dumb when it comes to colour. This chapter goes for y'all lovely folks.