Over the past seven years, Mirac had absorbed a vast range of knowledge during his lessons.
History, politics, economics, and—though to a lesser extent—even Math!
And as Mirac himself had expected, all of this had led to the acquisition of new magical abilities!
In fact, during those years, Professor Warnock had introduced the fundamental physical quantities: mass, length, volume, and temperature, explaining their meaning and importance in the real world.
Every time Mirac assimilated a new concept, at night, during his dreamlike visions under the starry sky, the usual white, floating messages would appear:
[ You have learned the concept of: Length ]
[ You have learned the concept of: Mass ]
[ You have learned the concept of: Volume ]
[ You have learned the concept of: Capacity ]
[ You have learned the concept of: Temperature ]
[ Length: A physical quantity that measures the distance between two points in space. Length describes the extent of an object or a segment in a specific direction and, depending on the context, can be referred to as width, height, distance, or depth. Its fundamental unit of measurement is the meter ]
[ Meter: Defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second ]
[ Mass: A fundamental physical quantity that represents the amount of matter contained in a body, as well as a measure of its inertia—the resistance of a body to changes in its state of motion. Its fundamental unit of measurement is the kilogram ]
[ Kilogram: Defined in relation to Planck's constant (h), which is precisely set at 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ Js, through a relationship involving frequency and the speed of light ]
[ Volume: A derived physical quantity that represents the space occupied by a body or substance, defined as the three-dimensional extent of an object. Its fundamental unit of measurement is the cubic meter (m³) ]
[ Cubic Meter: Defined as the volume occupied by a cube with edges of one meter in length ]
[ Capacity: A physical quantity indicating the maximum volume of fluid (liquid or gas) that a container can hold. It is expressed in volume units such as liters (L) or cubic meters (m³), but specifically refers to the usable internal space of a container, distinct from the total volume of the object ]
[ Liter: Defined as one cubic decimeter (1L = 1dm³ = 0.001 m³) and is therefore closely related to the cubic meter ]
[ Temperature: A fundamental physical quantity that measures the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system, describing the degree of thermal agitation of the molecules. Its fundamental unit of measurement is the kelvin ]
[ Kelvin: Defined in relation to the Boltzmann constant (k), fixed exactly at 1.380649 × 10⁻²³ J/K. One kelvin corresponds to an increase in thermal energy equal to k for each thermodynamic degree of freedom of the system. Absolute zero (0 K) represents the state of minimum thermal energy, where the thermal motion of the particles ceases at the classical level ]
[ You have learned so many things lately! ]
[ Math is truly proud of you! ]
[ Math wants to reward you… ]
It was precisely among these messages that, one day, Mirac noticed something he had initially overlooked: the definitions of the concepts that appeared in his dreams did not match at all with those taught by Professor Warnock.
They were more detailed, more precise… and, most importantly, they were identical to the ones he remembered from his previous life!
From this discovery, Mirac realized that even though he already possessed prior knowledge, it only transformed into actual magical abilities after being reviewed or restudied.
Otherwise, by now, he would have acquired far more abilities than he currently had…
But there was another detail that intrigued him: learning a new subject did not always result in gaining a magical ability!
For example, after fully understanding the existence and use of negative numbers, Mirac had not obtained any new power.
This led him to hypothesize that there was an additional, still unknown factor that determined whether and when a new mathematical power would be unlocked.
Not that he particularly cared about it, actually.
The future Prince of Ardorya had no intention of dedicating himself to the study of Math just to gain new abilities. If the powers came, all the better, but he certainly wouldn't start studying Math solely for that purpose!
However, from each of the lessons and "learnings" about physical quantities taught by Professor Warnock—although they were concepts more related to physics than math—Mirac had still acquired several magical abilities:
[ Congratulations! ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Dimensions ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Distance ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Mass ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Volume ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Capacity ]
[ You have obtained: Instant Knowledge of Temperature ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Dimensions: You can instantly know the dimensions of an object or an individual with a single glance ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Distance: You can instantly know the distance between yourself (or another entity) and an object or another individual ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Mass: You can instantly know the mass of an object or an individual with a single glance ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Volume: You can instantly know the volume of an object or an individual with a single glance ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Capacity: You can instantly know the capacity of a container or a three-dimensional space with a single glance ]
[ Instant Knowledge of Temperature: You can instantly know the temperature of whatever you are observing ]
Meanwhile, by learning to name increasingly larger numbers, Mirac had expanded the range of his "Instant Counting" ability:
[ Current Range of "Instant Counting": 0 → 999 999 999 999 999 ]
However, Mirac cared relatively little about all of this.
Aside from knowing exactly how many trees surrounded the castle, how tall people were, the dimensions of rooms, or the number of books in the library, there was one ability in particular that had caught his attention and interested him more than any other: "Instant Knowledge of Distance."
After all, it had turned out to be a very useful skill for combat!
* * *
An almost unreal silence enveloped the training field as the two swordsmen assumed their guard—ready for the duel.
Only the wind dared to move, lifting light swirls of dust and making the leaves of nearby trees dance.
Suddenly, one of them detached from the highest branch, slowly swirling through the air before gliding precisely between Mirac and Leonard.
Their hands gripped the hilts of their swords tightly, their fingers perfectly adjusting to the grip.
Their gazes met.
And in that instant, the battle began!
Mirac attacked without hesitation, launching himself forward towards Leonard.
As soon as he reached him, he struck a quick and precise blow, a round jab aimed at the center of his opponent's torso.
Leonard, with the calm of a veteran, blocked the strike with a fluid motion, as if he had anticipated every move of the young Prince.
Mirac, however, was not discouraged!
'Let's try a thrust!' he thought, executing the attack with flawless technique.
Then, with surprising agility, Mirac began delivering a series of blows, one after another, constantly changing angle and rhythm, trying to find a gap in his opponent's defense.
Leonard, instead of counterattacking, began to retreat, step by step, forced to give ground under the relentless barrage of attacks.
Yet, despite the pressure, his face showed no sign of worry.
Leonard's left hand, resting behind his back, highlighted his mastery with the sword, making the fight seem almost like a game to him.
"Very well!" he exclaimed confidently, parrying another strike with disarming ease.
With his heart racing, Mirac stepped back, gathering his energy for a new assault. Then he sprang forward again, his body charged with primal strength.
He attacked once more, this time with greater intensity, delivering an upward thrust.
But once again, the Master blocked with surgical precision, his sword deflecting the blow at the perfect angle, with seemingly no effort.
Still, Mirac didn't stop: he continued to attack, strike after strike, with growing confidence, his gaze determined, as if to prove his worth.
At one point, wanting to take a step back and catch his breath after the barrage of attacks he had unleashed, Mirac made a long leap backward.
But at that very instant, Leonard moved.
With astonishing speed, the Grand Knight charged towards him, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
A few years ago, for Mirac, this would have been the moment when defeat was inevitable.
However, now the speed of his opponent was no longer an insurmountable problem!
It was precisely in these moments that his ability, "Instant Knowledge of Distance," came into play!
This magical ability, in fact, provided him with a constant and immediate perception of the distance between him and anything within his line of sight.
As soon as someone or something moved—whether approaching or distancing itself from him—his mind instantly registered the change in that distance.
And this also applied to weapons!
In this duel with Leonard, for example, Mirac only needed to observe his opponent's sword to know exactly when it was approaching or moving away from him, allowing him to intercept each strike with millimetric precision.
There was just one small problem, though: knowing exactly when an attack was coming didn't automatically mean being able to block it.
Mirac's reaction and movement speed played a crucial role. If his body couldn't keep up with the speed of the information flashing through his mind, the ability would lose some of its effectiveness.
Additionally, the ability only helped him with things within his field of vision, meaning he couldn't predict attacks coming from directions outside his view—like those from behind him.
But despite these "flaws", Mirac was still significantly advantaged!
His ability to sense the distance between him and his opponent in real time, and consequently their movements, gave him almost superhuman reflexes!
This was exactly the potential of the ability "Instant Knowledge of Distance" that Mirac had recognized and continued to refine over the years!
And it was therefore thanks to this that Mirac was able to perceive the exact moment when Leonard moved suddenly towards him.
'He's coming!' thought Mirac, as the distance value between him and the Grand Knight began to drastically decrease.
In the blink of an eye, Leonard appeared in front of him, his sword already raised for an overhead strike: a blow that could end the fight instantly.
But Mirac intercepted it, protecting his head, as his sword clashed with Leonard's in a metallic ring that echoed through the training field.
The exchange was so quick and precise that it even surprised the Grand Knight.
'Did he just block that?' Leonard wondered, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.
A few meters away, General Rassing held his breath, his eyes wide open.
'Incredible!' he thought, almost with his mouth agape. 'He has superhuman reflexes!'
Around Mirac, dust and shards of grass were kicked up with every step, while his sword clashed with Leonard's.
Both moved with incredible precision and speed, their strikes following an unrelenting rhythm.
The young Prince, wielding the sword with the only hand he had, displayed a surprising mastery.
Each thrust was more determined than the last, each parry more flawless.
Even Leonard, though a master swordsman, had to exert himself to dodge and block those quick and powerful attacks.
"Excellent work, young Prince! Keep it up!" exclaimed the Grand Knight, pride evident in his voice.
At one point, Mirac spotted a gap in Leonard's careful defense and struck from above.
The blade came down with force, forcing the master to step back.
The swords vibrated on contact, the metallic echo ringing in the air, and Leonard smiled, proud of his student's progress and determination.
But just as Leonard made an agile leap backward to regain control of the situation, Mirac disappeared from his sight.
'What the-?!' thought Leonard, his heart racing with surprise. The same thought crossed General Rassing's mind, as if they were in perfect sync.
As soon as Leonard's feet hit the ground, a shiver ran down his spine: he sensed a presence behind him.
'Impossible!'
He spun around quickly… and saw him!
Mirac was behind him!
Normally, such a rapid, almost instantaneous movement would have been impossible for anyone to make.
However, Mirac had focused his mana into the muscle fibers of his legs to achieve it, turning them into a sort of spring loaded with energy.
What he had used was an advanced variant of Body Magic Enhancement, a technique that involved circulating one's Mana through the body to enhance physical performance.
Mirac had spent years perfecting this skill, learning how to focus the flow of energy into specific parts of the body to achieve different effects.
And at that moment, to make that quick dash, Mirac had chosen his legs.
It was precisely because of this targeted application that the young Prince had moved with lightning speed, a flash that caught Leonard completely off guard.
The Grand Knight, in fact, had not expected it at all: after all, it was the first time Mirac had used the technique solely on his legs.
Although initially disoriented, Leonard reacted almost immediately, spinning around and finding himself face to face with the young Prince.
But at that very instant, Mirac transferred all his Mana into his right arm, which seemed to glow with a barely perceptible light.
Then, with superhuman strength, Mirac struck the master's sword with such force that the weapon slipped from Leonard's expert grip, flying and spinning through the air.
Leonard stood still for a moment, stunned.
"What the-!" he exclaimed incredulously, his eyes fixed on the sword spinning high above him, far from his reach.
'Perfect!' Mirac thought, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. 'And now… the final blow!'
With a lightning-fast movement, Mirac delivered a lateral slash, spinning on himself to increase the speed of the strike.
But just as he expected to land the attack, Leonard's hand lit up with a red glow—a magical, vibrating light that pulsed with power, radiating warmth into the air.
With a decisive gesture, he caught Mirac's blade barehanded, stopping the strike with ease, as though the sword were nothing more than a simple wooden stick.
"Huh!" Mirac huffed, surprised but undeterred. 'He used Body Magic Enhancement too!'
He smiled, because that was also part of his plan!
Without hesitation, Mirac let go of the sword, channeling the Mana back into his legs. With a lightning-fast movement, he launched into a long leap upwards, defying gravity.
As he floated mid-air, his hand shot quickly towards the hilt of Leonard's sword, which had remained suspended until that moment, as if time itself had forgotten it.
With breathtaking agility, Mirac performed a somersault in mid-air, building speed and momentum. His body twisted in a perfect spiral, ready to strike his master with an overhead attack.
Leonard, impassive, lifted Mirac's sword—the very same blade the young man had abandoned just moments before. His blue eyes carefully followed the student's movement, calculating every possible trajectory.
As he was falling, Mirac channeled half of his Mana into his legs and the other half into his right arm.
Meanwhile, Leonard had already prepared to intercept him.
And just as the young Prince was mere centimeters from landing and touching the ground, his sword struck down with force.
His downward slash was so powerful that his body remained suspended in the air for a moment, held up by the sheer intensity of the clash.
The blades met with a deafening clang, the metal screeching as the impact shook the ground beneath them.
A crack opened at Leonard's feet, a tangible sign of the force unleashed by their duel.
For a moment, suspended in time, master and student locked eyes, both smiling, electrified by the adrenaline of the battle.
Mirac, more than anyone, was excited: he had learned and perfected several Mana-based magical techniques, many of which he had not yet shown to anyone.
But now, things were about to change: considering this would be the last time his father would assist him during training, Mirac had decided he would give his all!
And in doing so, he would showcase all the magical techniques he had learned so far!