Success!
Daniel's expression brightened with excitement. As his focus wavered, the casting process halted, and the leaf, losing its magical support, gently floated back to the ground.
But Daniel wasn't disappointed. He took a deep breath, concentrated again, and watched as the leaf slowly floated back up. This time, it lasted longer; under his control, the leaf danced in the air until his focus broke, and it fell once more.
After several attempts, each lasting longer than the last, Daniel switched to a small stone, slightly heavier than the leaf. Controlling the stone was much more difficult. It felt like starting from scratch, the stone floated unsteadily, lasting even shorter than the leaf.
Yet, with each practice session, Daniel grew more excited. Immersed in the use of magic, he lost track of time. It wasn't until Bilbo appeared that his practice was interrupted.
"Daniel, are you practicing magic?" Bilbo asked, eyes wide with astonishment.
Daniel nodded, a bit embarrassed. Strictly speaking, what he was doing wasn't magic in the traditional sense. It was merely the most basic use of magic to lift objects. The weight of the objects he could lift was very light, not even as powerful as throwing them by hand. It had no destructive power whatsoever.
But in Bilbo's eyes, it was an incredibly wondrous ability. "That's so cool!" Bilbo exclaimed, his eyes filled with admiration. "Daniel, can you show me again? Please!"
"As you wish!" Daniel replied, feeling a secret thrill as he decided to impress the Hobbit. With a wave of his hand, countless petals in the garden rose into the air under his control, dancing beautifully around them.
Bilbo's mouth hung open in shock as he watched the display.
Over the next few days, Daniel dedicated most of his time to practicing magic control. He progressed from small leaves and pebbles to controlling objects weighing up to ten pounds. The duration also increased from two minutes at the beginning to about half an hour now. He even started multitasking, attempting to control several items simultaneously.
Of course, this was different from controlling the petals earlier; after all, that was just a brief display of magic, used to impress those unfamiliar with magic. Now, he was simultaneously controlling several items weighing several pounds each, and for a considerable amount of time.
It became common to see things flying and floating around the living room of Bag End. Initially, Daniel practiced with non-fragile items, but eventually, after he became proficient, he included cups, teapots, and plates.
Bilbo, who was initially shocked, grew accustomed to the sight. Sometimes, when he was too lazy to reach for something, he'd simply ask Daniel to use magic to bring it over.
One day, Daniel temporarily paused his magic practice. The food stored in Bag End was nearly depleted, so he and Bilbo set out for Hobbiton to buy more ingredients.
Walking down the winding path along the hill, passing through the pastoral scenery of the Shire, they encountered two or three Hobbits working in the fields. When they saw Daniel, a distinctly tall human, the Hobbits stopped and curiously observed him.
News of a human staying at Bilbo Baggins' house had spread throughout Hobbiton. However, Bilbo was known as a reclusive person who disliked socializing, so no one had come to Bag End to inquire.
Passing the mill and crossing the double-arch bridge, they soon arrived at Hobbiton's central area. The Hobbit houses here had architectural features more akin to human dwellings, though still low and suitable for Hobbit living. And there was also the only inn in the area—the Green Dragon Inn, a favorite gathering place for Hobbits.
The marketplace was bustling with activity. Hobbits displayed their various specialties for sale, often bartering their goods. Women haggled constantly, while children happily weaved through the crowd.
Daniel stood out prominently, drawing the attention of everyone who passed by. The adults' gazes were subtle, but the children were different. Several small Hobbits gathered around him, one even tugging at his clothes, asking with clear, innocent eyes, "Are you a human?"
Daniel smiled at the little one, who wasn't even knee-high, and gently patted his head. "Yes."
Bilbo, unwilling for Daniel to be underestimated, cleared his throat and, after attracting attention, proudly declared, "Daniel is not just a human, he is also a Wizard!"
"Wow!" the little Hobbits exclaimed in awe, their mouths agape.
The surrounding Hobbits were equally surprised, their curious attitudes toward Daniel now tinged with reverence. In Middle-earth, Wizards were always powerful and mysterious figures.
But the children, unaware of reverence, pestered Daniel even more, eager to see magic. Daniel obliged, lightly tapping their hats, which then flapped their ear-flaps and flew around them as if alive. The children gasped and then joyfully chased after the hats.
The adult Hobbits watched in astonishment. Bilbo beamed with pride and cleared his throat with a feigned seriousness. "Hmm, Daniel, we should go."
Daniel nodded with amusement, following the Hobbit, who seemed as if he'd just won a battle.
After Bilbo finished shopping at the market, Daniel visited the only blacksmith's shop in Hobbiton. The blacksmith, momentarily stunned by the sight of a human, stepped forward to greet him. "What do you need, sir?"
Daniel looked around and saw mostly farming tools like hoes, or items like cleavers and axes. "Do you sell weapons here? Like longswords?"
The owner looked at him strangely and shook his head. "Hobbits don't like fighting; longswords and weapons have no market here, so we don't sell them."
Daniel felt a tinge of disappointment but continued to ask, "Then if I want to custom order one, how long would it take?"
The owner shook his head again. "I'm very sorry, sir. Although I'd love to take your business, we've never forged longswords before, and we have no experience at all. If you truly want a good quality sword, I suggest you go to Bree, east of the Shire. It's your human town, and they're skilled at forging weapons. You might find what you want there."
Daniel shook his head. According to Bilbo, the distance from Hobbiton to Bree was about 135 miles, which would take at least six or seven days on foot. He had no plans to go to Bree just yet.
Since he couldn't buy weapons, Daniel picked out two bone cleavers from the blacksmith's shop. Although the blacksmith claimed he couldn't forge weapons, the quality of the cleavers was excellent, thick and sharp, capable of easily cutting through bones.
In the owner's words, the cleavers produced here could last a lifetime. Daniel expressed his doubt about that but cheerfully paid the money regardless.
As for the source of the money, Daniel had borrowed it from Bilbo. Being penniless and relying on Bilbo's hospitality, he couldn't even guarantee when he could repay him. However, the kind Hobbit didn't mind and had no intention of asking for repayment.
Daniel felt grateful that the first person he met in this world was Bilbo. Otherwise, how could he be so relaxed now?