After bidding farewell to Amelia, Carlotta returned to her dormitory.
Perhaps due to the chaos caused by Soren being somewhat significant, the academy had given the students a half-day off, with classes resuming in the afternoon.
Not long after returning to her dormitory, Carlotta heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it, she found her mentor, Estelle Marlowe, standing outside.
"Is there something you need, Professor Mason?" Carlotta inquired, though she had a rough idea of Estelle's purpose, as Amelia had already informed her that the compensation provided by the Carlisle family, to which Soren belonged, included a share for her as well.
Indeed, Estelle smiled and said, "Miss White, yesterday's events have undoubtedly caused you quite a bit of trouble. The Carlisle family deeply regrets this and, through the academy, has offered you some compensation."
Carlotta was pleased with Estelle's directness and promptly asked what the compensation was.
As for the notion that the Carlisle family felt remorse, Carlotta didn't believe a word of it.
She suspected that Soren still harbored resentment towards her and, given the opportunity, would seek revenge.
Of course, she had no intention of being an easy target. If Soren really came looking for trouble, she would do everything in her power to make her suffer.
"You won't need to come to me individually for magic lessons anymore," Estelle said, handing her a book.
Another book?
Carlotta's expression was slightly perplexed, but she still accepted the book. On its brown cover were the words "Comprehensive Guide to Card Magic."
This made Carlotta's heart skip a beat, as a sense of déjà vu washed over her.
Seeing Carlotta's cautious demeanor, Estelle couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
She was aware of Soren's previous actions, knowing that Soren had once given Carlotta a magic book, nearly succeeding in ambushing her.
Others who had been controlled by Soren had also received magic books from her.
"Rest assured," Estelle said with a smile, "this magic book has been thoroughly inspected by the academy multiple times and has been confirmed to be safe."
"Are you sure there's nothing tampered with in the book?" Carlotta couldn't help but double-check.
"Even if you don't trust the Carlisle family or Soren, you should trust the academy's professionalism. We are, after all, the fifth academy of Kestholm," Estelle said with a hint of pride.
In the Kestholm, the four major arcane academies were in a league of their own. Even though Caerwyn Academy was the fifth strongest, it still didn't compare to the four major academies.
However, the people of Caerwyn Academy liked to refer to themselves as the fifth academy, believing that such a title made it seem as though Caerwyn was on par with the four major academies.
In any case, since the academy had carefully inspected the book and found no evidence of tampering, it was likely safe.
Carlotta flipped through the magic book, which contained various methods and techniques for practicing card magic, similar to the book Soren had given her but more detailed, with additional annotations on cultivation.
Estelle added, "We've also checked the contents of the book, and they're fine. All the methods are correct."
The value of such a magic book was immense, as it encompassed the entire early-stage series of card magic. In the outside world, it would be worth more than a fortune!
After flipping through a few pages, Carlotta found herself quite fond of the book.
Although her primary focus would be on the more powerful Elven Knight Path, card magic was also her major, and she had no intention of neglecting it.
Seeing Carlotta's delighted expression, Estelle smiled and said, "Miss White, with this magic book, most problems won't be able to stump you. However, there are some things that can't be fully explained in writing. If you have any further questions, feel free to come to me anytime."
"I understand, thank you, Professor Marlowe," Carlotta expressed her gratitude.
Estelle patted Carlotta on the shoulder and said earnestly, "I know you're also studying Elven Knight Manual Path. You only need to devote a little attention to those techniques; don't focus too much on them, lest it hinder your progress in card magic, which is your primary focus."
"I understand," Carlotta nodded.
Estelle didn't say much more, only reminding Carlotta not to reveal the truth about Soren's expulsion before leaving.
Closing the dormitory door, Carlotta quickly skimmed through the "Comprehensive Guide to Card Magic," rapidly familiarizing herself with the book's general content. It didn't take long for her to finish flipping through the entire book.
"Card magic seems quite extensive, with so much content in the early stages," Carlotta muttered to herself. She still needed to focus on the Elven Knight Manual path.
In the initial stages, most of the cards in card magic were designed to make life more convenient. However, some of these convenient cards were quite enticing.
For example, storage cards, which had spatial effects, could store various non-living items in a small card, making travel much simpler.
The good news was that storage cards could be made by second-tier apprentices.
The bad news was that storage cards required a material called space stone, which was astonishingly valuable, often costing millions of fels for a single piece, far beyond the means of the average person.