NOVEL WEB Chapter 24
“Ugh. Honestly, I’ve been quite displeased to see you students so captivated by the playwright Phantom until now.”
sniffle
Professor Prunel, wiping away tears, shook his shoulders.
“I thought he was a clown corrupting the souls of young people and leading them away from a pure way of life. Turning students away from what they should truly learn, inducing them into frivolous and unwholesome pleasures.”
Then, raising the Dialogues high so everyone could see, he solemnly proclaimed.
“However, a book written by him, this Dialogues, has elevated my soul to a higher level. Oh, I’ve finally come to understand. Phantom was not just a mere literary giant but a sage of our time— a true intellectual!”
Self-awareness of his ignorance and a thirst for true wisdom.
An exploration of objective essence and truth that everyone could universally agree upon.
The pursuit of virtue, more important than wealth, status, and honor, even beyond the grasp of death.
As Professor Prunel recited, detailing every aspect that established Socrates as a great philosopher with a voice full of emotion, he said, “Therefore, this month’s assignment and quiz will be replaced with reading this Dialogues and writing a reflection. As proud Academy students, interpret the profound intellect of Socrates and the Phantom who created him!”
“The Dialogues? Phantom wrote a book?”
“Crazy? I’m running to the bookstore right after class.”
“Wow, is today really a day with no classes? What if it’s sold out when I get there?”
Upon hearing the news of Phantom’s publication, students immediately prepared for a buying competition.
Even friendly classmates were engaging in deadly eye battles, reminiscent of war day during course registration.
As Professor Prunel glanced around the atmosphere, he declared boldly.
“Hey, class cancellation! Today’s lecture is canceled! So everyone, go buy Phantom’s Dialogues! Reading it once is far better than studying Political History a hundred times!”
…Is that something a Political History professor should say?
Regardless of my disbelief, as soon as the cancellation was announced, students scrambled to their feet.
“Move! I’m first!”
“Don’t push, you jerk!”
“Yikes! Are you pulling my hair?!”
As they rushed out with a commotion, Maurice also inadvertently found himself slipping out of Professor Prunel’s classroom.
Thus, the Dialogues spread to all Academy students, and on the day they submitted their reflections based on it to Professor Prunel.
“What the?!”
I received a C- for lacking effort in understanding the genius of the Dialogues author.
Meanwhile, Maurice flaunted an A+.
Hey, I’m the author! What’s this nonsense about understanding genius and whatnot!
“Ahh, Tes- hyung!!”
Just like during the cosplay competition! What is wrong with this world!
clatter
Phantom’s self-penned drama, Dialogues.
It sold like hotcakes at all bookstores across the capital.
Thanks to Plato’s literary finesse, it was much easier to read compared to other philosophical texts.
With Phantom’s meticulous proofreading and adaptation added, readability and enjoyment rose significantly.
Of course, not everyone recognized the true value of Dialogues from the get-go.
When first reading it, its characteristic philosophical difficulty had readers tilting their heads.
…But Dialogues is not just a book; it’s also a play.
[Oh, great oracle of Delphi, is there anyone wiser than Socrates in Athens?]
[None. There exists truly no one wiser than Socrates in Athens.]
Naturally, buyers began to take on roles, acting out Dialogues themselves.
Some sat on their couches, some faced each other, while others gathered in cafes.
They began to experience the life of the philosopher like a psychological drama.
And gradually, people’s thoughts began to deepen.
Socrates, in search of so-called wise men in Athens, testing their wisdom.
People found themselves increasingly drawn to that seemingly old philosopher who merely quibbled with words.
“Is there truly no one wiser than Socrates?”
“At first, I just laughed it off, but what does that really mean?”
“How strange. Is knowing one’s ignorance such great wisdom?”
Socrates’ assertion of ignorance.
It’s not simply saying humans are foolish and ignorant.
Rather, it served as a stimulus encouraging the listener’s metacognitive abilities.
Through repeated dialogues resulting in self-contradiction, the paradox, aporia.
That turned out to be the absolute prerequisite and soil to obtain true knowledge.
[Dear citizens of Athens, the unexamined life is indeed not worth living.]
Socrates called himself a midwife sitting upon the beast that is Athens.
His speech that awakens critical thinking was referred to uniquely as the art of midwifery.
The rational ability to seek truth, inherently possessed by humans.
He saw it as his mission to annoy and trouble others to awaken that ability.
And that sense of mission was proving effective in a fantasy world of the medieval-style that was entirely different from ancient Greece.
[After the execution of the death penalty, a punishment far heavier than the one given to me will await you all.]
[Thinking that by killing someone you can stop a life of debauchery is a great mistake.]
[The right life does not come from suppressing others, but from refining oneself.]
The elderly bald philosopher, ready to embrace death for his beliefs, took the poison willingly.
The impact from that action, rendered complete through philosophy, was almost sensational.
People were greatly moved by the philosopher’s life spent caring for his soul.
And finally, as it approached his end, everyone felt an indescribable emotional lift.
[Take care of your soul. Communicate with your soul. That is the beginning of your rational self.]
And that emotional lift soon led to a wave of intellect trying to emulate Socrates’ teachings.
In this fantasy world where the existence of God was proven, philosophy had ironically stagnated.
The rusted gears of thought that had been still started turning ever so slowly with a drop of oil.
The study that had been unable to shine under the shadow of theology finally began to stir.
“Socrates talked about virtue. Does it really arise from our nature, or is it learned?”
“Can truly good essence come from human nature? Or is it conferred by the gods?”
“What universal value should humans pursue?”
As seeds of contemplation gathered, they would eventually blossom into a gigantic flower.
In the first place, what Socrates wanted was simply to allow people to ‘do philosophy themselves.’
And the drama Dialogues was sufficiently fulfilling that purpose.
Thanks to Dialogues, more and more people joined in the quest for universal truth.
Discussions about right and wrong expanded, laying the groundwork for the world to progress further.
Literally, Phantom unleashed a storm of philosophical thought into this world.
…But behind such a whirlwind of excitement, there were also unintended ‘side effects’ of Phantom.
“Ah, it really is Phantom’s Dialogues. The more I chew on it, the more the taste resonates differently. Thanks to Socrates’ wisdom, my heart feels purified!”
“Right? It’s no wonder he was recommended as a candidate for the Sword of the Pen. That reputation as a literary giant is absolutely deserved.”
In a dorm room, an Academy student praised while performing the drama with a friend.
As he closed the book, his friend nodded in agreement, giving a thumbs up.
Pausing to savor the aftertaste of contemplation, the student suddenly spoke up.
“But borrowing Dialogues’ expression, would Phantom ultimately be that? Someone who exhibits an ‘excellence’ in the field of playwriting which no one else can match.”
“Yeah, of course. Who else could dare claim excellence in playwriting besides Phantom? Honestly, calling him a deity of creation wouldn’t be blasphemous!”
“Yo. But, you know. If there are objectively and universally valid values, then there must be objectively superior or inferior disparities in someone’s excellence too, right?”
“Yeah. Probably. But why?”
“If that’s really the case, don’t you get curious?”
Watching his friend nod, the Academy student smiled subtly.
Then, standing up abruptly, he put a friendly arm around his buddy’s shoulder.
“Out of all Phantom’s scripts, what objectively possesses the highest value as a work?”
Inherently, philosophy brings forth subjective interpretations from those learning.
The ideal of Socrates seeking objective truth was unwittingly distorted in a somewhat absurd direction.
As they clumsily debated the concept of universality, the instinct to distinguish things began to awaken within them.
And it wasn’t just the student who became captivated by that instinct.
“The objectively best work? Hey, it’s obviously that one. Right, my wise and wonderful friend?”
“Hehehe, right? That’s exactly what I’m thinking!”
“Wow, we truly are best friends! We can read each other’s minds without saying a thing! So let’s count to three and say it at the same time?”
“One, two, three!”
“Admiral Lee!”
“Julius Caesar!”
“……Huh?”
“……Huh?”
The two friends stared in shock at each other due to their mismatched answers.
Stepping back slightly, they eyed each other scornfully and began to argue.
“Hey! Phantom’s greatest work is Julius Caesar, how could you say Admiral Lee? Where else can you find a work that handles a human’s rise and fall with such precision like Julius Caesar?!”
“What are you talking about? Obviously, Admiral Lee is objectively superior! It’s a masterpiece that grandeurously captures the noble fidelity of a loyal subject who cannot be broken even in the face of fire!”
“Honestly, Admiral Lee’s protagonist is so unrealistically noble! In contrast, Caesar is a realistic character who possesses human charm, you know? Don’t you see the vivid observation of human psychology reflected in Phantom’s writing?”
“To express a theme, you also need to appropriately use unrealistic elements! Rather, that romantic expressiveness allows the audience to receive the message much more intuitively and clearly!”
Just then, clatter!
“Why are you two making such a racket? What are you arguing about this time?”
Just then, the roommate of the student who had finished the lecture opened the door and returned.
Noticing the flustered faces of the two, the roommate wore a perplexed expression, and sensing the moment had come, the two friends quickly sought aide.
“Hey! Johannes! You’ve read Dialogues! Let’s ask! If we could objectively distinguish the values, what would be the best in the universal sense among Phantom’s works?”
“What’s to ask? It’s obviously Admiral Lee! It’s a perfect play in terms of artistry and entertainment!”
“No way, it’s Julius Caesar! When approached from a humanities perspective, there are few narratives that touch upon such a high-level impression like Caesar!”
“Admiral Lee!”
“Julius Caesar!”
“……What are you two babbling about?”
Without waiting for their roommate’s response, the two friends ramped up their argument again.
The roommate looked at them with an incredulous expression, adjusted his glasses, and jumped in.
“To be honest, the objectively best piece is Exodus, right? Phantom wrote that and even got nominated as a candidate for the Sword of the Pen! Which of his works can compare to that?”
“Huh?!”
“Huh?!”
…And thus, the competition to determine superiority escalated from a fierce argument to a far more intense three-way battle.
Clearly, the best skill of guy brains is to distort the teachings of the sages however they like.
Didn’t the thoughts of the four great sages—Jesus, Buddha, Confucius—walk a similar path?
The love of Jesus was misinterpreted, leading to the rise of heretical Christianity.
Buddha’s emptiness was misconstrued, giving birth to full ownership.
Confucius’ benevolence and propriety were distorted, creating the Confucian Taliban.
In this alternate world, the extreme extreme self-indulgent extremists who misinterpreted Socrates’ beliefs had emerged.
clatter
Meanwhile, at the same moment.
In a dusty, old laboratory.
“……The wisdom of knowing nothing!”
With bubbling flasks and neatly stacked research papers in front of him, an old man murmured as he closed Dialogues.
His identity was a veteran alchemist affiliated with the Alchemist Guild.
Having raised numerous disciples and accumulated impressive achievements, he was an experienced man of a respectable age.