In Noah's eyes, Wanda wasn't particularly intelligent-though that was likely tied to her age and emotional maturity.
She was essentially still at high-school age. Add to that her long confinement in Hydra's base for experiments, and her exposure to the outside world had been severely limited.
As for raw intellect, Noah didn't think she could surpass Strange.
By any reasonable standard, Strange was top-tier.
He had been a leading doctor, and in Europe and America, medicine was an elite profession. Strange wasn't just good-he was exceptional. Before his accident, he was a world-class neurosurgeon, praised as a gift from God to the surgical field.
If he hadn't been speeding while reading patient files, the accident might never have happened.
Of course, in the original timeline, it definitely would have happened.
Otherwise, how would the Ancient One have found a successor intelligent enough-and stubborn enough-to take the position?
Shaking his head, Noah considered whether he should become Wanda's teacher.
If the Mind Stone was the deciding factor, then yes-he would need to do it. Control magic worked, but Noah didn't like pushing things too far.
After thinking it over, he decided to observe first.
He needed to meet her before making any judgment.
There was also another point.
Her later abilities were no joke.
Especially when she went berserk.
The first time had been after her brother's death, when the power she unleashed wiped out a massive number of robots.
The second time was even worse.
She had beaten Thanos.
That alone said enough about her potential.
But potential was just that-potential.
Fully unlocking it wasn't easy.
Noah didn't want to complicate things unnecessarily.
So he chose to see the situation for himself.
"Long time no see, Erik. Though technically, it's only been half a year."
Noah walked into the hall, greeted Erik casually, then picked a sofa and sat down.
Glancing at Erik-who looked slightly uneasy-and Wanda, who sat beside him with a cold, expressionless face, Noah found the father-daughter pair more interesting than he had expected.
"Half a year is a long time," Erik forced a smile. "Just got back? I've been here for a while. Your sister seemed to be looking for you."
"Avril?" Noah tilted his head. He hadn't seen Madam Heffy, but didn't dwell on it. "Probably went to Kamar-Taj. I just came back from there."
"Kamar-Taj..." Erik sighed. "That legendary holy land. Shame I've never been."
And he truly hadn't.
Entry to Kamar-Taj was harshly restricted. Aside from selected apprentices, the only ways in were through examination-or the Kamar-Taj Magic Award.
Erik was far past the age limit for exams, and there was no way he'd enroll in a magic academy.
As for the Magic Award?
Winning it was absurdly difficult.
Even Noah had only won it once.
The award had been issued every five years for a long time now. Sorcerers lived long lives, and truly groundbreaking magic didn't appear every year.
After debate, the Ancient One had changed the schedule.
There had been complaints.
But Kamar-Taj was Kamar-Taj.
With the Sorcerer Supreme, Noah Finnell, and over ten Archmages, no magical force dared challenge its authority.
Under those conditions, Erik had no chance.
Of course, Noah wasn't going to break Kamar-Taj's rules.
Though, thinking back, he had technically broken them once-many years ago-when he took Snape and Lupin there.
Shaking his head, Noah smiled.
"Maybe there'll be a chance someday. So, Erik-what do you need this time?"
"Maybe," Erik shrugged. "I came because of her."
"Your daughter," Noah said calmly. "You want me to teach her?"
"Yes."
Erik admitted it without hesitation.
"You know... I want her future to be better. And my relationship with her..." He sighed.
It clearly hadn't been smooth.
As Erik talked about the past six months, Noah could only shake his head.
After bringing Wanda and Pietro back to London, their relationship hadn't improved.
If anything, it had worsened.
Erik's methods were... forceful.
Coercive might have been a mild word.
At one point, he'd done worse.
The result was predictable.
For a long time, neither Wanda nor Pietro called him father.
Still, no matter how strained things were, Erik fulfilled his responsibilities. He taught them seriously and diligently.
They studied just as seriously.
That change gave Erik hope.
What he didn't realize was that their motivation was simple.
They wanted to defeat him.
They worked hard-but Erik was a terrible teacher.
Progress was painfully slow.
Not nonexistent.
Just completely incomparable to the pace Erik and Charles had once achieved.
Worse, whenever they made even slight progress, they would try to ambush Erik.
Even when he deliberately lowered his mental defenses, they failed.
The result?
No improvement in relationships.
No meaningful learning.
Erik had no choice but to change tactics.
He handed Pietro over to Charles.
The result was brutal.
Erik realized-very clearly-that his teaching ability was awful.
Pietro began improving almost immediately. Their relationship eased. Pietro even tried persuading his sister.
Wanda didn't change.
That was when Erik decided to bring her as well.
Charles wasn't enthusiastic.
Teaching Wanda alongside Erik's expectations would only emphasize the gap between them.
Even though Erik lagged behind Charles in magic, he didn't want to lag behind everywhere else.
And he certainly didn't want his children molded into Charles's ideology.
"But Charles specializes in mental magic," Noah said, looking at Erik strangely. "Wouldn't he be more suitable?"
"She refused."
Erik looked at Wanda helplessly, then back at Noah.
"She said if she chose a teacher, she wanted someone like you."
"Me?"
Noah pointed at himself.
"You're joking."
"She said..." Erik took a deep breath, his expression complicated. "She said your mind is very calm. Like the ocean. Being near you makes her feel calm too."
"...?"
Noah was genuinely speechless.
He hadn't expected this.
She probed his mind?
That was impossible.
Even Charles and the Ancient One couldn't do that.
His Mind-Shielding Charm was maxed out-just like Erik's. And even without it, the system made him untouchable.
He'd evaded the Ancient One back in America using the system.
He'd cheated through the Illusionary World during the Archmage examination.
There was no way Wanda could see anything.
So what was this so-called calm?
He looked at Wanda, then at Erik.
"Are you serious?" Noah asked flatly.
"Yes," Erik said, exhausted. "I told her it was magic. She said she didn't care. She only feels calm with you."
Damn it.
Noah cursed inwardly.
This was the last outcome he'd expected.
Rubbing his temples, he looked at Wanda, who still sat silently, expression cold.
High-school girls were terrifying.
"Listen," Noah said directly. "The calm you feel is fake. It's a spell. A mental protection spell. Don't misunderstand it."
"But you really make me feel calm," Wanda said quietly. "Magic or not, you're the first."
Noah glanced at Erik.
Erik nodded.
That didn't help at all.
Turning back to the girl, Noah thought for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"Fine. You can stay."
He sighed.
"But you are not my apprentice. I don't think you're smart enough for that."
"Hey-" Erik immediately protested.
"Enough," Noah interrupted, looking at him. "If she stays, she follows my rules."
He turned back to Wanda.
"Until I decide you're qualified, you are not my apprentice. Understood, Miss Maximoff?"
Wanda looked up at him.
After a brief pause, she nodded.
"I think..." she said softly, "I understand."
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