Chapter 147: Further Study in Alchemy (Patreon)

Nicolas Flamel had Wade stay at the estate.

After conducting an initial assessment of Wade’s knowledge of alchemy, the more-than-six-hundred-year-old alchemist couldn’t help but be astonished.

Of course, he could tell that Wade’s studies were rather scattered, but his foundations were exceptionally solid. His control and perception of magic, in particular, were on an entirely different level compared to ordinary alchemists.

A genius.

A true genius in the field of alchemy.

Given enough time, his achievements would undoubtedly be no lower than Flamel’s own.

Nicolas Flamel could only regret that his life had already reached its end. He beat his chest in frustration, nearly cracking his own fragile bones in the process.

What a pity.

If he had met Wade ten years earlier, perhaps he could have nurtured another legendary alchemist.

“Your foundation is excellent, but your weaknesses are also obvious. Your knowledge lacks a proper system. That’s a common problem among self-taught people.”

Nicolas Flamel pointed out the problem with remarkable precision.

“Do you have any alchemical creations of your own?”

“Yes.”

Wade took out the wand he had crafted using lightning-struck wood and magical crystal as its primary materials.

Nicolas Flamel struggled to pick it up and carefully examined it from beginning to end.

“Tsk, tsk! As expected. I can see the styles of several different alchemists in this.”

“I imagine you must have drawn up a design before making it, then followed the plan step by step.”

“Is there something wrong with that, sir?”

“Nothing at all. Even I carefully consider how I’m going to proceed before creating an alchemical artifact.”

Nicolas Flamel smiled.

“This wand is nearly perfect. It’s extremely well suited to your magic. But the process you used to create it was far too complicated.

“It’s like solving a mathematics problem. There can be a simple solution and a complicated one.

“Both may lead to the correct answer, but the complicated method involves too many steps. It wastes time and gives you more opportunities to make mistakes.

“Creating an alchemical artifact doesn’t mean you can never make a single mistake. But if you can’t even figure out where to begin, then the problem is impossible to solve.”

“I understand, sir.”

Wade accepted the lesson humbly.

“So I’ll first teach you how to simplify complicated problems. That shouldn’t be difficult for you.”

Nicolas Flamel drew his wand and gave it a casual flick.

A carpet roughly ten square meters in size flew out from behind the door.

He stepped onto it, and the carpet steadily lifted him a few centimeters above the floor, carrying him securely.

“Walking around normally has become rather inconvenient, so I made this thing.”

Professor Flitwick would definitely love this.

That was the first thought that crossed Wade’s mind.

Professor Flitwick was so short that he couldn’t even reach the blackboard. He had to stand on a stack of books whenever he taught.

A carpet like this would certainly make things much easier for him.

“I originally wanted to modify my body instead, at least enough to make my legs function normally. But Perenelle firmly refused to let me turn my body into an alchemical construct.

“Once you take the first step into such a forbidden practice, there will be a second, then a third, until eventually you’ve transformed yourself completely into a sentient alchemical puppet.

“Perhaps that would truly allow you to achieve immortality.

“But you wouldn’t really be human anymore.”

Wade: “...”

Master, this is exactly what I want to learn.

If I master the art of creating artificial life, I can leave a clone at Hogwarts while controlling it remotely. That would give me far more freedom to act.

Nicolas Flamel led Wade to the library.

The flying carpet automatically rose and descended, moving back and forth through the air. With a wave of Flamel’s wand, books, notes, and manuscripts flew down from the shelves one after another.

“You have seven days to finish all of these.

“Read the books first, then the notes, and finally the manuscripts. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, come to me at any time.

“Don’t mix up the order. Otherwise, all this knowledge will start fighting inside your head.”

Wade nodded, then looked toward the surrounding bookshelves.

“Sir, can I read some of the other books?”

Nicolas Flamel paused before giving him a solemn warning.

“You can’t digest more than you can swallow.”

“Then after I understand all of these, can I read the other books?”

“You seem rather interested in the other books.”

Nicolas Flamel looked intrigued.

“Are you looking for a particular type?”

“I can’t hide anything from you, sir.”

Wade had no intention of concealing it.

“Artificial life. I want to learn how to create advanced alchemical puppets.”

“Why?”

“Whether in my kingdom or in the wizarding world, there are simply too many things that require personal attention. It’s very inconvenient.

“So I want to try creating some puppets to reduce the burden.”

“That won’t be easy to learn.”

“I can learn it. And I already have some ideas.”

Wade took a notebook from his pocket and handed it over.

Nicolas Flamel picked it up and began flipping through the pages.

The more he read, the more fascinating his expression became.

These were not ordinary low-level puppets that could do nothing more than household chores.

Wade’s design was for a special form of alchemical life capable of using magic, possessing a certain degree of intelligence, and even thinking independently...

It was far too ambitious.

In terms of how forbidden it was, it might even rank just below the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone.

And yet...

What was he supposed to do when he found the idea rather tempting?

After a long while, Nicolas Flamel finally spoke.

“You’re very bold. It’s obvious that you’ve put a great deal of effort into this. Even I couldn’t have reached this point when I was your age.

“But your design is still far too immature. Based on the theory alone, the probability of failure exceeds seventy percent.

“In alchemy, a probability like that is essentially the same as saying it’s impossible.”

“This is only my initial concept. After a month, I’ll revise it again. I might even discard the entire design.”

“That would be going a little too far.”

Nicolas Flamel smiled.

“There are quite a few valuable ideas in it. I can help you make some simple modifications and solve part of the problems. But the rest will have to be handled by you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

Nicolas Flamel waved his hand with a sigh.

“Artificial life... I considered it myself when I was young, but ultimately I gave up on it.

“Your requirements are also far too high. You’ll need to incorporate some special forms of magic before there’s any chance of success.

“And even if you succeed, it will always be an incomplete creation, because its potential will be completely fixed from the moment it is made.”

“You’d be better off buying a house-elf.”

Nicolas Flamel tried to persuade him.

“They’re loyal enough, possess magical abilities, and can completely fulfill your requirements.”

“Sir, I completely understand what you’re saying.”

Wade spoke sincerely.

“But something you create with your own hands is ultimately different.

“What I want isn’t merely a servant. I want an assistant who can help me, someone who can walk alongside me and become a friend.”

Nicolas Flamel was stunned for a moment.

After understanding what Wade meant, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I understand. Several once-in-a-century geniuses I’ve known were lonely people as well.”

He waved his wand toward an entire row of bookshelves.

More than a dozen ancient, locked books flew out and landed in front of Wade.

“These are the books you’re looking for. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, you can come and ask me.

“But I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to answer everything. After all, even I have never truly attempted to create something like what you’re planning.”

“Thank you, Mr. Flamel.”

“Don’t be so formal. Call me teacher.”

“Yes, Teacher Flamel.”