I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy-Chapter 25

...Of course, Flamelious's situation wasn't an exact parallel to the sophists' debates.

The sophists focused on abstract, metaphysical discussions, whereas alchemists dealt with more practical, tangible knowledge.

Nevertheless, the philosophy in The Dialogues gave him new inspiration for thinking, and once his way of thinking changed, he began to see things he had been blind to before.

“...”

In the end, Flamelious set aside all the ancient texts that had once symbolized his pride and shredded the accumulated knowledge he had once accepted unquestioningly.

He began a rigorous new investigation, peeling away the outer layers of what he had previously taken as "truth" and critiquing it, just as Socrates had challenged the sophists' complacent wisdom.

Time passed, his gray hair slowly turning white.

“Haha... ha...”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he gazed at the radiant, shimmering red liquid bubbling inside a transparent flask.

“I... I actually did it!”

In that moment, he instinctively knew.

He had now achieved everything a human alchemist could achieve.

There was no need to cling to life any longer—he could leave this world peacefully and with dignity.

“Thank you. Thank you, Socrates. And thank you, Phantom.”

The two individuals who had brightened his once-clouded vision... The elderly alchemist blew his nose into a handkerchief and quietly offered his thanks.

Then he picked up a quill and began writing on the worn parchment beside him.

He wanted to leave a message to his beloved and brilliant students, the ones he had spent his life training.

He wrote down everything they needed to know.

<><><><><><>

"Uh... sorry, what did you just say this is?”

Thinking I had misheard, I rubbed my ears and asked again.

But the young alchemist who had come all the way to the Kiligruger theater to see me, Phantom, stood firm.

“Please accept this. It is the Philosopher’s Stone, the ultimate goal of all alchemists.”

The young man had begged to see me, claiming he had to fulfill his master's final wish.

Now, as he stood before me, he handed over a transparent glass vial containing a mysterious substance.

“My late master, Flamelious, instructed me to give this to you as a gift. He said that thanks to you, he was able to achieve the greatest accomplishment of his life.”

“Uh... well, first of all, may he rest in peace. But, uh... did you say this is the Philosopher’s Stone? The Philosopher’s Stone from legend?”

I stared at the liquid sloshing inside the vial.

The reddish hue, reminiscent of freshly squeezed blood, gave off an unsettling aura.

Maybe it was because of all the anime I’d watched in my previous life, but just hearing the name "Philosopher's Stone" immediately brought to mind a certain anime.

And if it was anything like that, the ingredients used to make this...

“Rest assured. The Alchemists’ Guild does not use any dangerous or unethical materials. Such practices would violate the principles of alchemy.”

Noticing my expression, the young man quickly reassured me.

It seemed even in this world, rumors about alchemists conducting shady experiments with dubious materials were rampant.

“Philosopher’s Stone, Philosopher’s Stone... I’ve certainly heard the name often, even as someone outside of alchemy,” I said, carefully taking the vial from him.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that this strange substance might explode if handled the wrong way.

“But I’m not really sure what it does. Could you explain it to me?”

In my world, the Philosopher’s Stone was said to transform base metals into gold. In popular media, it was reimagined as an elixir of immortality.

So what exactly did the Philosopher’s Stone do in this world?

“The Philosopher’s Stone is a substance that can permanently alter the structure of matter.”

Pointing to the symbol of a serpent devouring its own tail, engraved on the glass, the young alchemist explained,

“All things in nature have a specific structure. By altering that structure, the properties of a material can change—just like how water can turn to steam or ice depending on whether heat or cold is applied.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And, broadly speaking, humans are also material,” he continued, placing a hand over his heart, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he pondered the possibilities.

“The Philosopher’s Stone can alter the 'properties' of the person who consumes it, granting them a mysterious ability based on their deepest desires. That ‘desire’ could be something functional or purely personal.”

“Alter their properties and grant them abilities, huh? That sounds... intriguing. So, could someone turn into an elf or a dwarf with it?”

“Haha, no. It’s not like that. Creating life is the domain of the divine. The Philosopher’s Stone can tweak structures, but it can’t completely override the essence of living beings.”

“Hmm, I see.”

That’s a bit disappointing.

For a second there, I was hoping it might be possible to transform small animals into kaiju-like monsters, like something out of a movie.

You know, Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, King Ghidorah... Owning one of those would be the ultimate dream, wouldn’t it?

“If you’re curious about what kind of ability you might gain, feel free to try it after I leave. My master, the greatest alchemist, thoroughly tested its safety, so there’s no need to worry,” the young alchemist said.

“Right, about that... Why did your master decide to give me his life's crowning achievement? I’m just a playwright with no connection to alchemy.”

I asked what I thought was a perfectly reasonable question. The young alchemist smiled, reached into his robe, and pulled out something familiar.

It was a worn-out first edition of The Dialogues, clearly well-read, its pages dog-eared from constant use.

“Your Dialogues. That book gave my master profound inspiration. He urged us not to blindly follow outdated authority but to forge our own path in the pursuit of knowledge.”

“I... I see.”

“And that’s why my master, Flamelious, decided to give this creation to you. Without the inspiration from The Dialogues, he would never have completed the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“...”

“He respected ancient knowledge but didn’t let it bind him. Thinking with your own mind—that’s the wisdom you imparted to us alchemists. On behalf of the entire Alchemists’ Guild, we thank you.”

...So, because of Socrates, he opened the door to truth and completed his life’s work?

I almost burst out laughing, imagining a white-haired, bald Socrates shouting, “That is correct, alchemist!” but I held it in.

Laughing at the delivery of a mentor’s final legacy would definitely be in poor taste.

‘Not a good time to start giggling over anime references, Phantom.’

Honestly, I didn’t fully grasp the connection, but after thinking it over, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

After all, the foundations of medieval alchemy were laid by the philosopher Aristotle, and Aristotle had been a student of Plato, who in turn was a disciple of Socrates.

Though their philosophies had diverged, their roots could still be traced back to Socrates’ influence.

...Even so, there were still some things I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.

“Are you sure it’s okay to just hand over something this valuable to me?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, you said the Philosopher’s Stone is the greatest aspiration of all alchemists. Did your master pass down the method for creating it to you?”

“No, he did not. He left us some hints, but that’s all. He told us to figure out the rest on our own.”

“Then shouldn’t this completed stone be used for further research in the lab? Even if it was your master’s final wish, this seems like something that should stay with the alchemists.”

In modern terms, it would be like inventing a room-temperature superconductor and then just handing it off to someone without the blueprints.

Shouldn’t the Alchemists’ Guild be in an uproar over this?

“There’s no need. As Socrates said in The Dialogues, a life unexamined is not worth living.”

The young alchemist’s demeanor remained resolute.

Staring at me as though I were a sage, he said,

“We, too, have read The Dialogues. And we now understand the value of the journey, not just the end result.”

“...”

“We intend to follow in the footsteps of Flamelious and find our own way to create the Philosopher’s Stone. This decision has already been approved by the Guild’s elders, so please accept it. Consider it a gesture of respect for the Hero of the Pen.”

The elders had approved it as well...

In that case, there was no need for me to argue any further.

Refusing such a thoughtful gift now would only be rude.

And so, I returned to Bronde Academy, with the Philosopher’s Stone in my possession as the Hero of the Pen.