Magic Luggage Space, Spell Training Room
In the spacious training room, Captain America, Steve Rogers, was carrying his shield and instructing Ian, Remy, and Vera in front of him.
"Ian, tell me, what do you think is the most important thing in a fight?"
Ian thought for a moment and then shared his understanding.
"Instructor Steve, I think the most important thing is sufficient magic power and faster spell-casting speed."
Steve neither confirmed nor denied this, and continued to ask Remy next to him: "Remy, tell me your understanding."
"Instructor, I feel that for a wizard, knowing advanced magic spells is the most important thing. With mastery of a powerful spell, you can completely defeat your enemies," Remy replied confidently.
"Vera, what about you?" Steve asked the girl next to him.
"Instructor," Vera hesitated but continued, "I personally feel that what Remy and Ian said is right, but I think for a battle, rich combat experience is the most critical."
"If we can seize the right opportunity and use our experience to defeat the enemy at the minimum cost, that would be a successful battle."
After listening to the answers from the three students, Steve clapped his hands gently, showing satisfaction with their responses.
Then, he said to the three of them, "Ian, Vera, Remy, let's have a battle."
"After the battle, I'll share my answer with you."
Upon hearing Steve's request, the three of them were eager to give it a try. This was the first time they would fight with an instructor hired by their mentor.
They were quite interested, especially since they had heard about Captain America's fame in history.
However, Ian thought for a while and asked, "Instructor, do you mean you'll fight all three of us?"
"Of course, I'll fight all three of you. Don't worry, use all your abilities—you don't have to worry about any accidents," Steve replied with a calm smile.
As for teaching students, this was his first time doing it specifically, and he felt pretty good about it.
The four of them then took a few steps back, creating some distance.
Lockhart's three disciples looked at Instructor Steve, who was carrying a shield, and exchanged serious glances.
Following dueling etiquette, they raised their wands and bowed slightly.
Steve, familiar with the customs of wizards from Lockhart's previous messages, returned the bow slightly.
Then, he shouted, "3, 2, 1."
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian, Remy, and Vera quickly cast the spell according to their previous training.
In an instant, three red rays of light shot from their wands toward Steve.
When Steve saw this, he didn't dodge but instead ran directly toward the spells. Just as he was about to make contact with them, he leaped high into the air, jumping over the three magic spells.
After evading the charms, he charged toward the three of them. In just a second or two, Steve had closed the distance and was right in front of them.
The three students, who had just reacted, immediately raised their wands, preparing to cast another spell.
But...
Boom!
Steve raised his left hand, shield in front of his chest, and used his left shoulder to knock Ian and Remy to the ground.
While doing so, he reached out and grabbed Vera's wrist, squeezed it hard, and gave it a sharp twist.
"Ah!" Vera cried out in pain.
Unable to control herself, she opened her right hand and dropped her wand. With quick reflexes, Steve caught the falling wand.
The next moment, seeing that Ian and Remy were lying on the ground but looked like they were about to get up and raise their wands, Steve quickly dashed in front of them. He turned his palm into a chop and struck at their wrists.
In an instant, the wands they had just raised fell to the ground.
Steve swiftly picked up the two wands, then stepped back, looking at the three students while holding their wands in his hand, gently waving them in front of them.
Ian and Remy stood up, rubbing their wrists, still feeling some pain. Vera, standing next to them, did the same; Steve's strength had not been weak, and their wrists were still sore.
The three of them then stood together, looking at Instructor Steve with a hint of resentment.
It was as if they were silently blaming him for using too much force, causing them unnecessary pain.
Seeing this, Steve smiled, as if comforted by their reaction, and asked, "Does it hurt?"
The three nodded in unison.
Steve continued, "It seems you'll need to do some pain tolerance training in the future. Losing your combat ability and dropping your weapons because of some pain is a bit embarrassing. Look at the soldiers and agents out there—do they lose their firearms or weapons because of a little pain in their wrists?"
Hearing this, the three students hung their heads, realizing that they had just inadvertently added another kind of pain training to their regimen.
Noticing their expressions, Steve coughed lightly and spoke seriously, "Your weaknesses are obvious, and I believe you know them too."
"Your melee combat capabilities are weak. Once enemies close the distance, your reaction time drops significantly, and you can't even cast spells. Even after losing your wand, you have no ability to fight."
"This is your biggest weakness. Even ordinary people can find ways to steal the wand from your hand, rendering you unable to cast spells."
Upon hearing this, the three students' expressions became serious, and they nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Steve continued, "To address this weakness, Professor Lockhart specifically asked me to train you. You must not lose your focus just because the enemy closes in."
"I'm not asking you to defeat the enemy in close combat, but you must have at least a certain degree of resistance so that you can create distance and use your magic."
After hearing what Steve said, the three nodded firmly to express their understanding.
Seeing that they were listening attentively, Steve slowly said, "The question I asked you earlier—what is the most important thing in a battle?"
"Actually, there are many answers, and everyone might have a different one, but they all share one common goal: to defeat the enemy."
"No matter the battle, we go in with the goal of defeating the enemy."
"The magic spells, magic power, spell-casting speed, and combat experience you mentioned are all just means to that end."
After pausing to let them absorb his words, Steve said in a deep voice, "What I want to do is help you find a fighting style that suits you."
At that moment, suddenly...
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Steve heard the sound of applause.
Looking sideways, he saw that it was Professor Lockhart.
Then, Steve heard Lockhart praise, "Ian, Remy, Vera, listen carefully. This is the experience of a hero who has been through countless battles."
"I wholeheartedly agree with what Instructor Steve said. Everyone has a fighting style that suits them. You must train hard and, with Instructor Steve's help, find your own way of fighting."
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Magic Luggage Space, Spell Training Room
"Okay, mentor."
Ian, Remy, and Vera nodded in unison.
Steve, who was standing beside them, smiled after hearing Lockhart's praise.
Steve then promised, "Lockhart, don't worry, Ian, Remy, and Vera all have great potential."
"With their efforts, they will definitely improve quickly."
Hearing this, Lockhart nodded with satisfaction. He then stretched out his wand and tapped it gently in the air.
A light-yellow ball of information appeared at the tip of the wand.
At the same time, Lockhart explained, "Captain, this is some information I collected. I'll leave the subsequent combat training to you. You can choose the appropriate mission targets based on their progress."
This information was, of course, obtained from Sitwell.
Now that he had planted a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D., it would be a waste not to use it.
It just so happened that Sitwell was the head of the intelligence department. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity to gather more intelligence.
With these thoughts, Lockhart flicked his wand, and the pale-yellow ball of light flew toward Steve.
Seeing this, Steve said solemnly, "Okay, Lockhart."
He had no objections to having the students engage in practical training.
In his day, they would have to train in the army for a few years before going to the battlefield.
Therefore, the more they sweat in peacetime, the less they bleed in wartime.
Especially when it comes to evil organizations like the Hand, Steve would show no mercy.
Lockhart nodded slightly, satisfied with Steve's response.
Then, he said to Steve, "Steve, I need to discuss something with my disciple. It won't take long, please excuse us."
He had two main purposes for coming here.
The first was to observe how Steve was teaching Ian and the others.
Lockhart had watched the entire process just now.
He had to admit that good teachers share one common trait—they know how to teach students according to their individual strengths.
Steve not only had experience in this area, but he also paid great attention to tailoring his teaching to each student's needs, helping them search for, explore, and develop a fighting style that suited them.
Lockhart was very reassured by what he saw today.
The second purpose was to discuss the Vientiane Book Cafe with his disciple.
Lockhart had originally arranged for Vera, Ian, and Remy to take turns managing the Book Cafe.
It turned out that Ian was fine, but Remy was a bit out of place. He was always a little restless when asked to manage the cafe, and sometimes things even went wrong.
As for Vera, perhaps due to her female advantage, she had a softer temperament and was more patient.
Most of the Sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were willing to become friends with Vera. Even Kaecilius had personally praised her.
Well, although the male Sorcerers admired Vera's exquisite appearance, the female Sorcerers also appreciated her gentle yet firm personality.
It was clear that Vera was the best suited for operating the cafe.
Seeing this, Lockhart decided to let Vera continue managing the Vientiane Book Cafe and make the most of her strengths.
Of course, Lockhart was also concerned about how this might affect her magical practice, so he made sure to provide her with ample resources.
Overall, Vera's progress in magic had actually improved, and she was quite comfortable managing the cafe.
Even Ms. Peggy had praised Vera's talent for management and suggested that Lockhart train her further in this area.
So, Lockhart usually discussed matters related to the Book Cafe with Vera.
After hearing Lockhart's request, Steve nodded slightly to Vera, his brows furrowed but he said nothing more.
He had always been a person of strict self-discipline. Although he was slightly unhappy about interrupting training, he wouldn't say much.
What's more, this was Lockhart needing to speak with his own student.
After Vera saw it, she politely thanked her instructor Steve and walked toward Lockhart.
Seeing this, Lockhart stretched out his wand and drew a slight circle in mid-air.
A portal opened, leading Vera into his study.
It was now night, and the silvery white moonlight shone through the glass onto Lockhart's desk, illuminating the books, notebooks, and cups scattered on it.
At the same time, the soft chirping of cicadas could be heard, making the night even quieter.
Suddenly, a portal with sparks opened.
The entire study seemed to sense the return of its owner, and bright lights quietly appeared, illuminating the entire room.
The next moment, Lockhart led Vera into the study.
"Vera, sit down."
Lockhart stood in front of his desk, pointed to the seat opposite him, and gestured for Vera to sit.
"Okay, mentor," Vera nodded gently and sat across from Lockhart.
"Vera, would you like some coffee, tea, or honey?"
"Just tea, please."
After hearing her choice, Lockhart stretched out his wand and pointed lightly at the cup in front of Vera. Tea rose into the cup, stopping at three-quarters full.
At the same time, an identical cup of tea appeared before Lockhart.
Vera was not surprised by this. She held the cup in both hands and took a sip of tea.
Lockhart didn't go straight to the topic. Instead, he asked with concern, "How have your recent classes with Instructor Steve and Ms. Peggy been?"
"Instructor Steve is very experienced and very patient with us," Vera replied thoughtfully. "Although Ms. Peggy is a bit strict, she also takes good care of me and shares a lot of her management experience. It's been very helpful."
Hearing this, Lockhart nodded slightly.
He didn't just ignore the instructors he hired.
Occasionally, he would have private tea sessions to discuss the students' performance.
Overall, the three students had different personalities. Although Remy was a bit impatient, he corrected his mistakes when pointed out. Ian was very calm, thorough, and rigorous in his approach.
Vera, though gentle in nature, was very determined and always committed to what she set out to do.
It could be said that all three of them were excellent.
After chatting for a while, Lockhart shifted to the main topic. "Vera, you've been in charge of the Book Cafe for some time. Let's talk about the current situation."
Regarding her mentor's question, Vera paused, as if considering something, and then slowly said, "Mentor, as you mentioned before, the hostile Sorcerers from Kamar-Taj's side seem to have started taking action."
"In recent times, the number of Sorcerers visiting Vientiane Book Cafe has decreased significantly."
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