Chapter 183: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Synthetic Gold Galleons

Vientiane Book Cafe, Study Room 101.

Study Room No. 101 has always been Lockhart's exclusive study and a place where he receives his friends. Therefore, when Vientiane Book Cafe was renovated, Study Room No. 101 was also carefully designed.

To avoid making the room appear too empty, Lockhart didn't expand the space excessively. However, the room's privacy, the concentration of magic power, and the placement of items were all meticulously adjusted. Even the paintings on the wall emitted magic power fluctuations.

At this moment, Lockhart was sitting at his desk, engrossed in the magic book in his hand. This was a gift from Kaecilius, thanking him for joining the hunting team. The book contained Kaecilius's insights on Mirror Dimension, portals, Sword of Vishanti, and other magics, making it a valuable resource for Lockhart.

For instance, he learned that staying in the Mirror Dimension for too long would result in being repelled back to the real world, a detail he wouldn't have known if Kaecilius hadn't mentioned it.

Suddenly,

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Teacher, Mr. Coulson is here," Ian's voice accompanied the regular knock on the door.

"Please come in!"

Click!

The door opened, and Ian walked in with Coulson. After greeting Lockhart, Ian left, closing the door behind him.

Coulson, now seated opposite Lockhart, quietly observed the magic books next to him, then gave Lockhart a gentle smile.

"Coulson, would you like tea or coffee?" Lockhart asked softly.

"Coffee will do. Thank you, Professor Lockhart," Coulson replied gently.

Lockhart smiled, picked up his wand, and pointed it lightly at the cup in front of Coulson. The empty cup quickly filled with coffee, its fragrant aroma wafting over.

Coulson took a sip and found it to be definitely coffee, tasting like hand-brewed coffee. He was even more shocked by the method, which seemed to defy the laws of nature he knew.

The thought flashed through his mind as he said, "Professor Lockhart, I came here to discuss the matter of Gold Galleons with you."

"Oh," Lockhart replied lightly, a half-smile on his face. "I thought you came to find out more about Vientiane Book Cafe."

Hearing this, Coulson felt happy. Lockhart's statement meant there was progress to be made. "Of course, Professor Lockhart. Our director also wants me to ask about Vientiane Book Cafe to see if SHIELD can be of any assistance."

"Tell me, how is the Gold Galleon project doing now?" Lockhart returned to the previous topic.

Coulson understood that if he answered well, everything would proceed smoothly. He paused, reorganizing his thoughts. "Professor Lockhart, the Gold Galleon project has made great progress. We have successfully synthesized a Gold Galleon."

He handed a gold galleon from his document bag to Lockhart. "However, Tony discovered a problem. There's a special kind of radiation in the original gold galleons that we can't replicate. We don't know if it will affect the quality of the gold galleons."

Lockhart was initially pleased with the successful synthesis. The combination of SHIELD's resources and Tony's R&D capabilities was indeed formidable. However, upon hearing Coulson's concern, he realized it was likely the goblin's magic, used to prevent counterfeiting.

He took the synthetic gold galleon, analyzing it carefully with his mental power. The color, weight, material, and magic conductivity were consistent with genuine Gold Galleons, but it lacked the goblin's magic.

To be sure, Lockhart waved his wand, opening a sparking portal in front of Coulson. On the other side was the goblin Bruno, studying the short stick weapon from Master Kamar Taj.

"Bruno, come here," Lockhart called through the portal.

Hearing Lockhart's voice, Bruno quickly focused and saw his master through the portal. He ran over, jumped through, and stood before Lockhart. "Master, what do you need me to do?"

He glanced at Coulson, recognizing him as a Muggle and showing disdain before returning his attention to Lockhart with a loyal smile.

"Come and look at this Gold Galleon. Apart from the lack of goblin magic, is there any other difference?" Lockhart asked.

"Okay, Master," Bruno replied, examining the synthetic gold galleon closely.

Coulson watched Lockhart open the portal and summon Bruno, feeling shocked and pressured. The casual use of such advanced magic demonstrated their capabilities starkly. If Lockhart wanted to go anywhere, there was nothing SHIELD could do to stop him.

Seeing Bruno, Coulson's thoughts raced. The goblin's strange appearance and intelligent demeanor suggested a highly intelligent life form—perhaps even an alien. Bruno's use of "master" and Lockhart's natural demeanor increased Coulson's realization of the complexities of the wizarding world.

"Master, the refining method of this gold galleon is very clever, almost identical to a normal one," Bruno said, examining the synthetic galleon. "It even has the anti-counterfeiting patterns inside. But there's no magic."

"Can you give it the corresponding magic power?" Lockhart asked.

Bruno nodded hesitantly. "I can, but my magic power, while similar, is different from typical goblin magic. It would take a lot of effort to adjust it to match."

Lockhart frowned. He needed to refine gold galleons in large quantities, not just a small number.

Suddenly, Coulson spoke up. "Professor Lockhart, perhaps SHIELD can help with this."

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