Morning, Queens.
Steve, wearing a black peaked cap and a brown leather jacket, was carefully looking at every shop on the street as if trying to find his destination. He glanced back and forth several times but didn't seem to find anything unusual.
Recalling Coulson's previous reminder, Steve put his right hand into his pocket and took out the black card. Again, he looked at every shop on the street.
Suddenly, the silver-white walls seemed as crystal clear as jade. On the walls, dark blue lines appeared, outlining a delicate pattern. In the middle of the lines, he could vaguely see liquid flowing, emitting a faint blue light. Directly above the store, there was a dark plaque with a pale golden dragon slowly moving around the words in the middle. The text read in big words: Vientiane Book Cafe.
Finding that the scene in front of him was the same as Coulson described, Steve nodded secretly. Then, he walked towards Vientiane Book Cafe.
Steve walked to the book cafe door, looked at the black door handle in front of him, took a deep breath, then pushed it open and entered. The moment he entered, Steve suddenly found himself in a small square with marble floors and bright, soft lights above.
Subconsciously looking back at the door of this Vientiane Book Cafe, the changes in the space made him feel shocked. Immediately afterwards, Steve felt the surrounding air, which seemed sweeter, or the overall environment was very pleasant. Just staying at the door made him feel very comfortable. He felt that his muscles, tense due to long-term freezing, began to slowly relax, as if he had taken a bath in a hot spring.
Suddenly, his pupils shrank. A red flame-colored halo appeared not far away, and a figure in yellow clothes walked out of it. This scene shocked Steve, but he tried to keep his composure. He kept in mind what Coulson said: there might be some things in the Book Cafe that were beyond common sense, but try not to make a fuss.
Breath in! Breath out!
Steve controlled his inner emotions by taking deep breaths, holding the black card, and walking forward like the yellow-clad figure not far away. Along the way, Steve discovered that this small square-like place seemed designed for these strange people to leave or come in. He occasionally saw someone walking out or entering through a portal with a red flame halo.
The door he came in through seemed to be of no use, merely a decoration. No mage used it; everyone seemed to use the portal. This surprised Steve secretly.
Soon, he saw the person in yellow clothes walking to the counter. The person said a few words to the girl at the counter, picked up a black card similar to Steve's, swiped it, and then turned to leave. Before leaving, the person glanced at Steve with a hint of surprise but said nothing.
After the person left, Steve walked to the counter and said to the girl, "Hello, I'm looking for Professor Lockhart."
Well, in his eyes, although Vera was tall and had a pretty face, she was still a girl. After all, she is only about 20 years old, and he is already eighty or ninety years old.
At this moment, Vera looked at Steve and felt his face was somewhat familiar, but she didn't think much about it and replied gently, "Hello, why do you want to meet with Teacher Lockhart?"
"Mr. Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D. suggested that I come to Vientiane Book Cafe," Steve said. "Professor Lockhart might be able to help me."
Vera asked directly, "What is the specific matter? Please make it clear. My teacher doesn't like unnecessary trouble. I can convey your request to my teacher, but if you express it clearly and my teacher directly refuses, there is nothing I can do."
After hearing what Vera said, Steve was silent for a moment, thought about it, and then slowly said, "I am Steve Rogers. I hope to get a magical potion or other things from Professor Lockhart that can make people healthy or return to youth. I am willing to pay the price."
When it came to the price, Steve felt a little guilty. Although Nick Fury said that S.H.I.E.L.D. could provide the cost, he still felt a little uneasy.
After hearing Steve's self-introduction, Vera was stunned. She recalled the list of key individuals her mentor had given her, looked at Steve's face again, and realized it was indeed the famous Captain America. She felt surprised inside.
According to the information she had, Captain America had been missing for nearly 70 years, and it was incredible that he appeared as young as before. Well, it would be great if she could stay young forever like Captain America.
The thought flashed through her mind, and Vera said to Steve, "Mr. Rogers, wait a moment. I'll contact my teacher."
Steve nodded slightly to express his understanding, then stood aside and carefully observed the surrounding environment. From the direction of the counter, he could see the small square behind and many people in the book cafe drinking coffee and reading leisurely.
Just as he was about to take a closer look at the names of the books, a voice came from his ears.
"Mr. Rogers, my teacher said he will arrive in a while. It may take some time. Would you like to stay in the study room for a while or find a seat in the hall to have a cup of coffee and read a book?"
After hearing Vera's voice, Steve thought for a moment and said directly, "I'll just wait for Professor Lockhart in the study."
"Okay, Mr. Rogers." Vera nodded and rang the bell next to her.
In an instant, the house elf Coffy appeared in front of Vera and glanced at Steve. Coffy said directly, "Miss Vera, which desk or study is this gentleman going to?"
In recent times, House Elf Coffy had become very familiar with this process. Vera calling her usually meant taking guests to a certain desk or study room.
"Coffy, take this gentleman to study room 101. The instructor will discuss something with him later."
Coffy was a little surprised when Vera mentioned study room 101—it was the master's exclusive study room. Coffy couldn't help but look at the person next to her. A Muggle?
After noticing that there was no magic power fluctuation in the guest's body, Coffy felt surprised again. However, due to the special training of Master Lockhart, Coffy's expression did not change. She waved directly to Steve and said, "Come on, sir, I will take you to the master's study."
Steve looked at the strange creature Coffy in front of him, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. But he refrained from asking any questions, nodded directly, and followed Coffy to the study.
Well, seeing Professor Lockhart was the most important thing now. For the rest, he wouldn't make any unnecessary actions.
Following Coffy and walking into the depths of the book cafe, Steve could easily observe many mages reading or chatting, as well as a snake coiled on a desk. Yes, Steve was a little surprised when he discovered this snake. But when he saw that the people around him were not surprised at all, he realized that everyone was already familiar with it, so he didn't say anything more.
Soon, Coffy opened the door to study room 101. Steve entered and saw the desk and chair in the middle of the study room. He understood instantly, thanked Coffy, and sat in the chair.
Without asking any questions, he closed his eyes quietly and waited for Professor Lockhart to arrive.
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