Five days passed in a flash.
During these days, Luke 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 exist for a period of time.
This was the result of his combination of the Lumos Charm and controlling objects with Magic.
As the Memorial Day arrived, Michel Delving 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 town hall to celebrate together.
The banquet hall was bustling with people, an array of delicious food and fine wine, children joyfully weaved through the crowd, while adults danced together to the cheerful country music.
Luke was invited to sit next to the Mayor, with Sheriff Robin on the Mayor's other side.
The Mayor, who held great prestige in Michel Delving, stood up and gave a long speech, then introduced Luke, who was beside him.
"Welcome, let us welcome Wizard Luke to our banquet; this is also something worth celebrating!"
Watched by thousands of curious eyes, Luke smiled and stood up to bow.
It was his first time seeing so many Hobbit at once.
The height of the hall was sufficient for him to stand upright, so when he stood up and looked at the numerous Hobbit, who only reached his waist, he had a peculiar feeling of having stumbled into a land of little people.
When the banquet reached its climax, the Mayor, whose cheeks were flushed from drinking, made a request to Luke.
"Wizard Luke, 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, Luke'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 as they watched this scene 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 Hobbit also looked up at the Wizard in wonder.
Seeing this, Luke took the opportunity to propose 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 the Hobbit, were things that were useless to keep but a shame to discard.
Everyone had no objection to giving them to Luke, the Wizard.
So the Mayor decided to give the chainmail vest to Luke for free, as a reward for demonstrating his Magic.
Thus, both parties were delighted.
Having obtained the chainmail vest, Luke 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, Luke successfully got drunk for the first time.
"Wizard Luke, 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.
Luke shook his head, "I apologize, Sheriff Robin, the hospitality of Michel Delving 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 need for him to stay here any longer.
Speaking of the chainmail vest, Luke couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
This chainmail vest offered extremely strong defense; Luke 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 that his safety was 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, Luke left Michel Delving and headed south.
His next destination was Tuckborough, also known as Tookland.
Luke remembered Tuckborough because it was the hometown of Pippin, one of the four Hobbit in the future Fellowship of the Ring.
Tuckborough was not too far; Luke reached it after half a day's walk.
Unlike most Hobbit towns built beside valleys and rivers, Tuckborough was built on a hilltop, offering a view of the entire Westfarthing of the Shire.
The entire Tuckborough looked more like a fortress, and there were even Hobbit patrolling and guarding the town.
Upon his arrival, Luke was questioned by the Hobbit.
"Who are you? What brings you to Tuckborough?"
Luke paid no mind to the wary and vigilant Hobbit.
"I am Wizard Luke, just arrived from Michel Delving, and I plan to visit here."
The Hobbit 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 Hobbit.
He discreetly sized up Luke, then warmly stepped forward to greet him.
"Welcome, Wizard Luke, I am Thain Took."
"A few days ago, I already received a letter from Bilbo saying you would come to Tuckborough, but I didn't expect you to arrive so late."
Luke 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."
Thain Took briefly explained, then invited him into the town.
"Alright, Wizard Luke, please allow me to properly host you, a guest who has traveled so far!"
At Thain Took's warm invitation, Luke 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 Thain 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 Tuckborough 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 Hobbit; 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 - Tuckborough, do you wish to sign in?"}
As soon as Luke entered the Took family's Great Smials, the system prompt appeared before him.