After finishing with the Mandrake, the two returned to Bag End.
Bilbo was already preparing dinner for the three of them.
Gandalf had noticed the magic Wand Luke was casting with and was naturally interested in such a small and unique magic Wand. He expressed his desire to see it.
Luke did not refuse, and he was also interested in Gandalf's staff.
Gandalf readily agreed, casually tossing his staff to Luke, then carefully examining Luke's magic Wand.
"What a clever combination and match, using magically charged wood as the staff… Hmm? Is this the heartwood of the old willow from the Old Forest?" Gandalf looked at Luke.
Luke nodded and explained, "The old willow invaded Buckleberry, and I confronted it, ultimately cutting it in half to defeat it. The lower half was taken back to the Old Forest by Tom and replanted, and I took the heartwood from the upper half to make this magic Wand."
Gandalf smiled in agreement, saying, "That old willow certainly has a bad temper. When I went to the Old Forest to see Tom, it even attacked me, and it took me some effort to get away from it. Now that it met you, it's truly unlucky."
Then he continued to observe the magic Wand in his hand, his eyes seeming to pierce through it, "Is the core a strand of hair? No, wait, there are two! And I sense the aura of rivers and earth. Do they come from Goldberry and Tom?" Gandalf looked at Luke in surprise.
Luke was equally surprised by Gandalf's insight. He nodded and replied, "It's a strand of Goldberry's hair and a whisker from Tom."
"It seems Goldberry and Tom both have high hopes for you!" Gandalf couldn't help but exclaim, his opinion of Luke rising another notch.
"They are indeed very good people!" Luke said sincerely. Besides Bilbo, they were the couple Luke felt most favorably towards.
Then Gandalf, holding Luke's magic Wand, excitedly waved it. To Luke's surprise, the magic Wand actually reacted in Gandalf's hand, continuously spewing out colorful magic fireworks.
"Wow!" Both Bilbo and Luke widened their eyes, watching the dazzling fireworks flying about, filled with awe.
Gandalf, like an old mischievous child who had found a fun toy, shot lightning, strong winds, and flames from the magic Wand, then reluctantly put it down, looking at Luke with a pair of blue eyes shining like stars.
"Luke, your magic Wand is a truly genius idea. Simply combining magically imbued wood and hair strands allows for casting. Although the magic Wand doesn't greatly amplify magic, it is incredibly versatile and balanced. Anyone with magic potential can cast with this magic Wand. I think Aulë, the God of Craftsmen, would like you!"
Gandalf believed that this magic Wand crafting technique was Luke's unique creation, thus appreciating Luke's wisdom even more.
"Uh, thank you for the compliment!" Luke felt a little guilty. He knew that the magic Wand crafting technique came from another world, and being praised so much by Gandalf made him feel undeserving.
Gandalf thought he was just being modest and continued, "Believe me, Luke, your wisdom and creativity deserve such praise! Your magic Wand is incredibly versatile. You will be a favored guest of many magic races; they will flock to you to obtain a magic Wand made by you."
Luke was a little puzzled, "Gandalf, isn't that too much praise? Can't staffs also cast spells?"
Gandalf pointed to the staff he had handed to Luke, "Try it."
Luke, somewhat bewildered, held the staff with both hands. It was taller than him. The staff was made of an unknown vine wood, spiraling in shape with a "blooming" appearance. Its surface was very rough, as if it had not been processed or polished at all.
At the "blooming" tip of the staff, a fist-sized blue gem was embedded, emitting a faint blue light.
Luke tried to infuse magic, using it as a magic Wand, and chanted, "Shimmering Glow!"
In an instant, the magic within Luke surged out uncontrollably. The staff was like a greedy glutton, devouring Luke's magic frantically.
The vast magic flowed into the gem at the tip of the staff, and the gem instantly released an incredibly dazzling light. That light was comparable to the sun and moon, instantly turning the entire Bag End into a blinding white. Everyone was forced to close their eyes by the dazzling light.
Luke only felt like he was going blind and quickly released the staff in his hand, which stopped the magic output.
"Ha, Luke, you almost blinded this old man. You know, with these old bones of mine, besides my eyes, everything else is almost rotten!" Gandalf lowered the hand covering his eyes, wiped away the physiological tears, and complained with a chuckle.
Luke didn't mind Gandalf's joke. This old man could ride a horse at full gallop for days and nights, and swing a longsword fiercely. Saying he was too old to move was the real joke.
However, he still looked at Bilbo with concern, "Bilbo, how are you? Are you alright?" This poor hobbit was the slowest to react just now, and was exposed to the strong light before he could close his eyes. Now he was constantly shedding tears, and his vision had not yet recovered.
"I, I'm fine, I'll be alright in a moment!" Bilbo said, blinking repeatedly, a little dazed.
Once he confirmed Bilbo was fine, Luke redirected his attention to the staff.
Gandalf chuckled and asked, "How does it feel? Did you discover anything?"
Luke nodded with lingering apprehension, "Although this staff is powerful, it consumes a lot of magic… And I found that when using it, I need to control it with mental power?" He looked at Gandalf in confusion.
Gandalf nodded with an appreciative expression, "Exactly. Using a staff not only requires strong magic support but also powerful mental guidance and control, so the conditions for someone to use it are very strict."
"More importantly, staff crafting is also very demanding." Gandalf pointed to the blue gem embedded at the tip of the staff, "The core of the staff is that magic gem, but magic gems are very rare. I only obtained mine from an Elven friend, which allowed me to create my own staff."
"Staffs are not as versatile as your magic Wand, which is why I said your magic Wand is a genius creation! Because you give those with not-so-strong magic the possibility of casting spells."
Upon hearing Gandalf's words, Luke also realized. He hadn't expected his magic Wand crafting technique to be of such great value in Gandalf's eyes.
However, Luke was equally tempted by the staff. Although using a staff consumed a lot of magic and mental power, the power it unleashed was incomparable to a magic Wand. More importantly, a staff could influence and mobilize magic elements in the surrounding environment, producing large-scale magic effects.
It could be said that staffs and magic Wands pursued two different directions. Staffs were broad and grand, seeking powerful magic, while magic Wands were precise and detailed, seeking the ultimate variations of magic.
Luke was an adult; he wanted both.