I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy

“Cough cough, ahem!”

Coughing up from deep in his throat.

Sensing that his days were numbered, the old alchemist, Flamelios, sighed.

He had taken pride in his life’s achievements.

As an exemplary alchemist, he even produced excellent disciples.

He had diligently studied ancient knowledge and achieved great results as a scholar.

But no matter how many disciples he trained or how hard he researched old texts, there was one answer that remained unreachable.

The greatest hope shared by everyone since the dawn of the alchemist profession.

To create the legendary ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ with his own hands.

“Know thyself. I know nothing.”

Muttering this like a magical incantation, the alchemist closed his book.

Imperial alchemy is fundamentally based on the insights of ancient texts passed down through generations.

For alchemists, regardless of age or gender, past knowledge is an undeniable truth.

And having dedicated a lifetime to reading ancient texts, he firmly believed that he was indeed the rightful person to complete the study of alchemy.

However, his thoughts changed while reading Phantom’s Legé drama.

Sophists who revealed their own ignorance yet never admitted it.

He happened to see his own reflection in their narrow-mindedness.

…Of course, the situations from the Dialogues couldn’t be directly compared to Flamelios in a 1:1 situation.

While sophist discourses were mainly focused on the mental and metaphysical,

Alchemists dealt with far more physical and technical knowledge.

Yet, the philosophy of the Dialogues gave him new inspiration to think differently.

Once his way of thinking changed, things he had been blind to began to come into focus.

“……”

In the end, he put away all the ancient texts that had symbolized his lofty pride.

He ripped apart accumulated knowledge with a gaze of doubt and analysis.

Then relying on his intuition, he started a serious investigation, peeling away the shell of ‘truth’ he had passively accepted all this time.

No longer bound by the conventions of the past, he meticulously critiqued the inconsistencies.

Like Socrates, who clung to the complacent wisdom of the sophists in search of a single objective truth.

As time passed and his gray hair turned completely white,

“Ha, hahaha…!”

Bubbling liquid in a transparent flask.

Staring at its resplendent and beautiful red color, Flamelios shed tears.

“I… I really did it!”

In that moment, he instinctively realized.

Now he had achieved everything a human can accomplish as an alchemist.

Thus, he could depart with elegance and comfort, no longer fixated on this world.

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

The two figures who brightened his vision, wandering through a dark fog.

With tissues stuffed up to his nose, the old alchemist quietly murmured his thanks.

Then he picked up a quill from the side and began to scratch something on old parchment.

For the cute and proud juniors he had dedicated his whole life to nurturing.

He wanted to leave behind all the advice he must impart.

“Um… excuse me, but what is this exactly?”

Wondering if he misheard, he dug into his ear with a finger and asked.

Yet, the attitude of the alchemist, who had come all the way to the Killgrewber Theater Company to meet Phantom, remained unwavering.

“Please accept this. The Philosopher’s Stone, the desire of all alchemists.”

A young man who fervently begged to meet Phantom, insisting he must follow the master’s last wishes.

On the day he heard the sad news, he presented the substance contained in a transparent glass bottle.

“The master, Flamelios, who completed this and passed away, instructed me to present it as a gift to Phantom. He said it was thanks to Phantom that he could fulfill his lifelong wish.”

“Ah, um… first, I pray for the soul of the deceased. But the Philosopher’s Stone? Is this really the legendary Philosopher’s Stone?”

Looking at the liquid rippling in the glass bottle, he spoke.

The reddish color reminiscent of freshly squeezed blood gave an oddly ominous feeling.

Was it because he used to watch so many animations in his past life?

Upon hearing the name, something from a certain anime suddenly popped into his mind.

According to that, the materials needed to create the Philosopher’s Stone likely involved many…

“Don’t worry. The Alchemist Association never uses dangerous or unethical materials. Such things are heinous acts that go against the ethics of alchemy.”

Seeing my expression, the young man quickly alleviated my misunderstandings.

It seems rumors about alchemists conducting dangerous research with suspicious materials were rampant in this world too.

“The Philosopher’s Stone, the Philosopher’s Stone. I’ve often heard the name, even as someone who’s not familiar with alchemy…”

I carefully took the glass bottle and asked.

Somehow, I felt that such a bizarre substance might explode if I touched it wrong.

“I actually don’t know about its effects. Could you please enlighten me?”

In the real world, the Philosopher’s Stone was a catalyst that turned ordinary metals into gold.

In popular media, it was reinterpreted as a mystical elixir that granted immortality.

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

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

Pointing to the symbol of the ‘circling serpent’ etched on the surface of the glass bottle,

The young alchemist began to explain.

“All natural things possess specific structures. Depending on how you manipulate that structure, the properties of the matter change. For example, when heat or cold is applied to liquid water, it becomes vapor or solid ice.”

“Oh ho.”

“And broadly speaking, a person is also matter.”

Placing his hand on his chest, the young alchemist’s eyes sparkled.

Reflecting on the infinite possibilities laid out before him, he continued.

“The Philosopher’s Stone can change the ‘nature’ of the user into the form they desire most, granting them some mystical ability. The criteria for ‘wanting’ can be a functional necessity or simply a personal desire.”

“Changing nature and granting mystical abilities? That’s a very intriguing effect. Is it possible for a human to transform into an elf or a dwarf?”

“Hahaha, such childish fantasies won’t happen. Shaping life is the domain of the holy Creator. While shifting the structure a bit might be possible, one cannot deny the very structure of a living being with a mere potion made by humans.”

“Hmmm, I see?”

A bit disappointing.

For a moment, I was hopeful about the idea of turning small animals into monsters from movies.

Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, King Ghidorah, those colossal monsters.

Honestly, it’s a boy’s dream to raise something like that at least once!

“If you’re curious about what abilities you might gain, you can give it a taste after I return. This item has already passed the safety test conducted by the greatest alchemist, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, about that… why did your master decide to pass his life’s last work onto me? I’m just a literary worker unrelated to alchemy.”

To my most reasonable question, the young alchemist smiled broadly.

He reached into the folds of his robe and suddenly pulled out something familiar.

It was a worn-out first edition of the Dialogues, already tattered with age from being read countless times.

“This is the Dialogues written by the author. It provided your master with clear inspiration. It advised against blindly following outdated authority and to pioneer scholarship with one’s own eyes.”

“R-Really?”

“So, our master, Flamelios, officially transferred the product of that inspiration to the author. If it hadn’t been for the author’s Dialogues, the feat of completing the Philosopher’s Stone would never have been achieved.”

“……”

“Respecting ancient knowledge, yet not being overly bound by it and thinking for oneself. This is the wisdom that the author gifted us alchemists. I want to thank you on behalf of everyone in the association.”

…So it’s thanks to Socrates that the door to truth was opened and the task was achieved?

At that moment, I nearly burst into laughter at the thought of the pure white bald philosopher shouting, “That’s right, alchemist-!!” but held it back as it would be rude.

“What if I giggle at the heirloom of his master that I brought due to an anime?”

Honestly, I didn’t quite understand the correlation between the two, yet when thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

The foundation of medieval alchemy was none other than the theories of the philosopher Aristotle.

And Aristotle’s master was Plato, a disciple and follower of Socrates, right?

Of course, they parted ways as they pursued different things, but going back to the roots, they were ultimately both heavily influenced by Socrates.

…Even so, there were still parts that made it difficult to accept.

“No matter how I look at it, is it really okay to hand such a precious item over to me?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you said the Desire of Alchemists is to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Did the late master pass on the method for making it?”

“No, he didn’t. He left a few hints, but that’s all. He said the rest should be figured out by oneself.”

“Then shouldn’t this completed product be used in your lab for the advancement of study? Even if it’s under the late master’s will?”

In reality, it would be like handing over a superconductor one just invented to an individual, right? Especially without a bluepring!

Usually, the entire alchemy society would be flipped upside down, asking how such a thing could happen.

“… No need. After all, as Socrates said in the Dialogues, a life without inquiry and struggle is not worth living.”

But the attitude of the young alchemist was highly resolute.

Gazing at me with eyes reminiscent of a legendary sage, he said.

“All the alchemists have read your Dialogues. And they’ve realized the value of the tedious journey of gradually uncovering hidden truth as scholars.”

“……”

“Just like the elder Flamelios, we too will find a way to create the Philosopher’s Stone ourselves. This has been discussed with the elders, so please accept it with peace of mind. This is our association’s way of honoring a candidate for the Hero of the Pen who has enlightened us.”

The elders of the association agreed, huh. Then I had no grounds to voice objections as an outsider.

If they were pushing this much, refusing would be a great disrespect.

In the end, I returned to Bronde Academy, having received the Philosopher’s Stone as the candidate for the Hero of the Pen.

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