Begging gently
[Wait, you said something about the sons of Steel being able to block magic or something. How do they do that? That sounds like a good plan for sure! If we can manage to grasp that ability...]
We could totally use that to avoid the AoE spells that will be thrown at us inevitably at some point.
"It's not that complicated in theory, but it takes insane practice to get it right. The concept is very simple. You make the ambient mana fluctuate in order to mess with the spells that are being cast in that area."
[Wait, won't that disadvantage the caster a lot too?]
"Not really, close-range stuff and self-enhancement can still be used. That's what they mainly focus on, so it simply gives them a shield with little downside."
[So how do I make mana fluctuate?]
"Well, it all depends on your ability to sense it and..."