Daniel silently pondered, glancing at Paladin Took beside him.
"Sign in."
"Sign-in successful! Congratulations on obtaining 'Prank Spells: Bringing a Little Fun to Your Life'!"
Prank Spells? Daniel was intrigued by the magic book's title. However, considering he was at someone else's home, he decided to put the book aside and read it during his private time.
"This is my wife, Rosalie," Paladin introduced, "And this is my son, Paladin II."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I am Wizard Daniel," he said with a polite smile.
Most of his attention was on young Paladin II, who was only seven years old. This should be Pippin's father. Like his father, he had golden curly hair, and even his feet were covered in golden fur. Meeting the future members of the Fellowship of the Ring's ancestors was a wonderful kind of fate.
Paladin's wife was a gentle woman. After serving refreshments and tea, she went into the kitchen to prepare a feast for their guest. Paladin II, a lively and active child, curiously observed the tall Wizard, listening to his father converse with him, his rolling eyes betraying his restless nature.
"Wizard Daniel, what kind of magic can you do?" he asked eagerly.
"Don't be so rude, Paladin!" Paladin reprimanded, then offered an apologetic look to Daniel.
Daniel smiled and shook his head, indicating he didn't mind. Performing magic had become a regular act whenever he visited a new place. He even considered that once the money Bilbo gave him ran out, he might earn money by performing magic.
Daniel raised his hand slightly, and little Paladin opposite him floated into the air. Little Paladin gasped, then happily waved his arms and legs in mid-air. Paladin watched this scene in shock, speechless for a long time.
In the evening, after being warmly entertained by the Took family and enjoying a sumptuous meal, Daniel was shown to the guest room. Finally alone, he eagerly summoned the rewards from his sign-in.
Opening "Prank Spells," Daniel's eyes grew brighter as he read. As the title suggested, the book contained prank-type spells: Densaugeo, Tarantallegra, Rictusempra, Flagrate, and Leg-Locking Curse.
The Densaugeo spell causes the victim's front teeth to grow continuously until they hang to the ground, leaving them unable to speak. Tarantallegra makes the victim dance incessantly; without a counter-spell, they will dance forever, akin to the story of the Red Shoes in Andersen's fairy tales. Rictusempra makes the victim itch all over, laugh uncontrollably, becoming limp and unable to move; if the spell isn't broken, they will laugh themselves to death. Flagrate causes the victim's skin to feel as if it's being roasted by fire, producing intense pain and a burning sensation. The Leg-Locking Curse sticks the legs together, preventing walking, only allowing hopping.
Although these spells seemed to have little power and were meant for pranks, if used on non-magical people, they could produce unexpected effects. Looking at the contents of the book, Daniel really wanted to try out the Prank Spells. But considering he was still at someone else's home and had no one to practice on, he put it aside for now.
Over the next few days, under Paladin Took's introduction, Daniel met other members of the Took family. The Took family was large, numbering hundreds, all living in the Great Smials. The family members expressed curiosity and welcome towards Daniel, the Wizard. Each family enthusiastically invited Daniel to be a guest, preparing lavish meals.
In the Great Smials Banquet Hall, the Took family banquet was in full swing. In front of Daniel were a dozen children lined up, all looking at him with eager anticipation. Daniel smiled and chanted a spell at the first Hobbit child in line.
"Tarantallegra!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a red light flew from his palm, striking the leading Hobbit child. The child's body stiffened, and the next second, his legs began to dance uncontrollably.
"Cool!" all the children exclaimed, their eyes wide with amazement.
"Next!" Daniel called out.
"Me! It's my turn!" The second child raised his hand, shouting excitedly.
"Alright, don't worry, it'll be your turn soon!" Daniel said with a smile.
"Tarantallegra!"
The second child's legs also began to move, dancing a cheerful tap dance, giggling as he joined the dance party. The children lined up behind immediately squeezed forward impatiently, their eyes full of anticipation for Daniel.
The adults of the Took family present, far from stopping them, instead showed eagerness, ready to join the children's ranks at any moment. Seeing this, Daniel could barely suppress the urge to smile. Indeed, practicing Prank Spells on spiders yields different results than practicing them on people. If he had a proficiency system panel at this moment, his mind would probably be constantly prompting "Proficiency +1."
After not staying long in Tuckborough, Daniel once again set off on his journey. This time, the wealthy Paladin Took directly gifted him a pony-drawn carriage. With a means of transport, Daniel was naturally very happy. Moreover, the ponies raised by Hobbits were very obedient and intelligent; Daniel didn't need to urge it much, it would follow the road forward on its own.
Sitting in the carriage, Daniel had a mouse in a cage in front of him. He had entrusted Paladin Took to catch it for him, specifically as an object to practice Prank Spells. Although Prank Spells were named pranks, they were very practical. For example, Densaugeo could make a person speechless, which was a very useful trick, especially against those who couldn't cast spells silently. The Rictusempra spell made people laugh uncontrollably, losing the power to resist; Tarantallegra made people dance involuntarily, unable to pose a threat; the Leg-Locking Curse could restrain an enemy's attack or escape. Flagrate would cause severe pain to the skin as if burned by fire, distracting the enemy.
So he planned to first master a few Prank Spells to enhance his combat strength.
"Rictusempra!"
"Rictusempra!"
On the flat road, Daniel's chanting echoed continuously from inside the carriage. The pony pulled the carriage forward with its head down, the wheels creaking incessantly.
"Success!"
Daniel didn't know how many times he had tried, and when his mouth was almost dry, the spell finally reacted. The mouse squeaked with laughter, as if its funny bone had been tickled. By the time the poor mouse was almost out of breath from laughing, Daniel successfully broke the spell, preventing the mouse from dying of exhaustion from laughter.
"Whoa," he murmured as he pulled the reins, slowing the horse. Daniel looked at the green grasslands on both sides of the road, which had unknowingly turned into endless tobacco fields, and gazed into the distance.
"Are we almost at Longbottom?"