Five days passed in a flash.
During this time, Darian mostly stayed in his inn room, constantly practicing wandless casting of the Lumos Charm.
And the results were very significant.
He could already quickly release a dazzling white light from his hand, enough to instantly blind an enemy.
Furthermore, he could condense a ball of light at his fingertip, which could then detach from his finger and remain for a period of time.
This was the result of combining the Lumos Charm with his ability to control objects with Magic.
As Memorial Day arrived, Great Hole Town was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
There were flowers and cheerful music everywhere; men carried barrels of beer and ale from the storage cellars, while women prepared their best dishes.
When night fell, everyone gathered in the spacious Great Hole Hall to celebrate together.
The banquet hall buzzed with people; an array of delicious food and fine wine was spread out, children joyfully weaved through the crowd, while adults danced to cheerful country music.
Darian was invited to sit next to the Mayor, with Sheriff Robin on the Mayor's other side.
The Mayor, who held great prestige in Great Hole Town, stood up and gave a long speech, then introduced Darian, who was beside him.
"Welcome, let us welcome Wizard Darian to our banquet; this is also something worth celebrating!"
Watched by thousands of curious eyes, Darian smiled and stood up to bow.
It was his first time seeing so many Hobbits at once.
The height of the hall was sufficient for him to stand upright, so when he looked at the numerous Hobbits, who only reached his waist, he had the peculiar feeling of having stumbled into a land of little people.
When the banquet reached its climax, the Mayor, cheeks flushed from drinking, made a request to Darian.
"Wizard Darian, would it be our honor, at this joyous time, for you to demonstrate the wonders of Magic for us?"
Sheriff Robin, standing nearby, winked, clearly having already discussed it with the Mayor.
Looking at everyone's sparkling eyes, Darian's lips curved upward, and he nodded.
"Of course."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands together, and amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, a dazzling light was released from his palms.
Just as everyone was about to be blinded, he clapped his hands forcefully, and the light exploded and scattered, transforming into countless specks of light that darted around the banquet hall.
"Wow!"
Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
A bolder child even reached out and grabbed a speck of light, dancing with joy.
"Truly astonishing Magic!" the Mayor exclaimed.
The other Hobbits also looked up at the Wizard in wonder.
Seeing this, Darian took the opportunity to express his desire to buy the Mathom-house chainmail vest.
The Mayor immediately asked the opinions of those at the banquet.
As expected, no one objected.
After all, the items in the Mathom-house, for Hobbits, were things useless to keep but too shameful to discard.
Everyone agreed to give them to Darian, the Wizard.
So the Mayor decided to give the chainmail vest to Darian for free, as a reward for demonstrating his Magic.
Thus, both parties were delighted.
Having obtained the chainmail vest, Darian was very happy; he let go of his inhibitions and completely immersed himself in the banquet atmosphere. During toasts with the Mayor, Sheriff Robin, and others, Darian successfully got drunk for the first time.
"Wizard Darian, are you really not staying longer? The Midsummer Feast will be here soon, it would be a shame if you didn't attend!"
On the second day of the banquet, Sheriff Robin tried to persuade him to stay.
Darian shook his head. "I apologize, Sheriff Robin, the hospitality of Great Hole Town has indeed made me linger, but I must continue my journey."
He had already obtained the chainmail vest he wanted, and now that he was wearing it, there was no reason to stay any longer.
Speaking of the chainmail vest, Darian couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
This chainmail vest offered extremely strong defense; Darian wielded two cleavers and hacked at it with force but couldn't leave a single mark on it—instead, the blades of the cleavers were left with significant nicks.
Now that he was wearing it, he felt his safety greatly assured.
With his attempts to persuade him proving fruitless, Sheriff Robin had no choice but to give up.
"In that case, I can only wish you a safe journey!"
"Thank you, goodbye Sheriff Robin!"
After bidding farewell to Sheriff Robin, Darian left Great Hole Town and headed south.
His next destination was Tak Town, also known as Tookland.
Darian remembered Tak Town because it was the hometown of Pippin, one of the four Hobbits in the future Fellowship of the Ring.
Tak Town was not too far; Darian reached it after half a day's walk.
Unlike most Hobbit towns built beside valleys and rivers, Tak Town was built on a hilltop, offering a view of the entire Westfarthing of the Shire.
The entire Tak Town looked more like a fortress, and there were even Hobbits patrolling and guarding the town.
Upon his arrival, Darian was questioned by the Hobbits.
"Who are you? What brings you to Tak Town?"
Darian paid no mind to the wary and vigilant Hobbits.
"I am Wizard Darian, just arrived from Great Hole Town, and I plan to visit here."
The Hobbits looked at him in surprise and suspicion, then said, "Please wait!" and quickly went into the town to report.
After a while, a Hobbit with curly golden hair and a dignified expression came out with the Hobbits.
He discreetly sized up Darian, then warmly stepped forward to greet him.
"Welcome, Wizard Darian, I am Paladin Took."
"A few days ago, I already received a letter from Bilbo saying you would come to Tak Town, but I didn't expect you to arrive so late."
Darian was surprised to hear this; he hadn't expected Bilbo to write to this person.
"Hello, Mr. Took, may I ask what your relationship with Bilbo is?"
"Bilbo's mother, Belladonna Took, is my aunt, so he and I are cousins."
Paladin Took briefly explained, then invited him into the town.
"All right, Wizard Darian, please allow me to properly host you, a guest who has traveled so far!"
At Paladin Took's warm invitation, Darian came to his home.
The Took family lived in the Great Smials, which was essentially a giant version of Bilbo's Bag End.
The Great Smials had numerous tunnels and rooms inside, like a vast underground kingdom with many members of the Took family living there.
And Paladin Took's home was the largest and most luxurious among them.
Because he was the head of the Took family and the hereditary lord of Tak Town and the surrounding territories.
The Took family had been prominent and wealthy for generations, members of the Shire Council, and their members had served as Mayors of the Shire throughout history.
Moreover, the Took family was different from other Hobbits; they were impetuous and adventurous, arguably the most warlike branch of the Hobbit.
This was also why Bilbo Baggins was chosen by Gandalf to be part of the expedition to the Lonely Mountain.
Because he had half of the Took family's bloodline, he also had an adventurous gene.
{"Hogwarts Sign-in System": "Location Shire - Tak Town, do you wish to sign in?"}
As soon as Darian entered the Took family's Great Smials, the system prompt appeared before him.