The delicate, traditional koto [1] music playing in the background evoked an image of a relaxing stroll in a bamboo forest. Iris sat inside a private room at the best Japanese restaurant in the city, sipping a hot tea blend of Gyokuro and dried sakura blossoms. The ambience was a combination of modern and traditional aesthetics.
Jiang Ying Yue stood stone-faced by the door, while Iris waited at the plush leather seats amidst the traditional décor. The two of them were currently the only ones in the room.
Moments later, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Ying Yue opened it and three people entered. A server led two foreign people into the room.
The foreign man was advanced in age but he still looked tall and imposing. His back was straight, not stooped at all unlike other men his age. He had a full head of white hair connected to his equally white beard and mustache. The wrinkles on his face didn't diminish the stern and sharp look in his eyes. Walking beside him was a middle aged petite blonde woman who looked like she had a perpetual smile on her face.
Iris stood up and gave them a welcoming smile. She glanced at Jiang Ying Yue and nodded. Jiang Ying Yue bowed her head before exiting the room.
The blonde woman stepped forward and extended a hand to Iris. She spoke in German. "Hello. My name is Giulia Moretti. You must be Miss Xiulan Long. We have spoken on the phone before. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Hello, Madame Moretti. It's a pleasure to meet you too," Iris replied in fluent German.
Then they turned to the older man. Giulia Moretti introduced him.
"This is Professor Erwan Dupont, Headmaster of Cross Academy."
"Professor Dupont, it is my great honour to meet you, sir," Iris respectfully greeted the Headmaster. "Thank you very much for taking the time to fly here all the way from Switzerland to meet me despite your busy schedule."
They seated themselves. The server poured tea to the two new arrivals and then took their orders. The food arrived a few minutes later. They chatted good-naturedly about each other's countries while eating. Though it was mostly the women doing most of the talking.
After eating, they finally talked about the purpose of this meeting.
"Miss Long, the Headmaster and I, with my capacity as the admissions counselor, have come here today to officially invite you to become a student of Cross Academy." Giulia Moretti handed Iris a thick envelope.
"Thank you." Iris received it with a smile and opened it, reading the official offer from the academy, an enrollment form, and other documents.
Giulia Moretti: "As you may already know, Cross Academy is an exclusive, one-of-a-kind institution. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in the entire world. Following the original purpose of our great founder 250 years ago, we continue to gather only the most talented and skilled individuals in various fields across the world. Successful enrollment is only available through direct offer from us and never by application. Miss Long, do you know why we extended an offer to you?"
"Yes," Iris answered.
Professor Dupont finally spoke. "Your recent hacking exploits have left a trail of chaos all over the world. As an individual, I say your actions were utterly irresponsible and cruel. However, as the Headmaster of Cross Academy, I daresay that your superior skills undoubtedly make you deserving to become a student of our academy. We only care about skills, not motivation or reputation. We nurture but it's up to the individual to grow."
Iris bowed her head, acknowledging his words.
Professor Dupont: "You say that you know the reason why we extended an offer to you. Pray tell."
"Correct." Then his eyes became sharper as he directed them at her. "Drakon, what is your connection to Fantom?"
She took two deep breaths before answering. "Fantom…taught me everything I need to know about hacking and computers. You can say that Fantom is my master."
Professor Dupont looked like he already expected her answer. "Since that's the case, do you know Fantom's real identity?"
Her eyes darkened. "Yes."
They waited for her to say more. It took almost a full minute before she finally answered.
"Fantom is…was Evelina Vetrova, a Cross Academy alumni," she whispered in a flat tone. "And she's dead."
Everyone was quiet after that. Nobody said a word. The atmosphere became heavy, almost suffocating.
Professor Dupont sighed heavily. "Indeed. What a sad life she lived. She was one of the brightest talents that I have known. Our Cross Academy will always be proud of her."
Iris' hands clenched into fists. They trembled a bit, before she forced them to relax.
"Yes, sir. I want education but I have no interest in wasting my time at a regular school."
He nodded. "Indeed, your past school records are horrendous. Fortunately, Cross Academy doesn't judge base on that. Specialized talent and skills aren't necessarily reflected on school report cards. Miss Long, you are indeed a disciple of the late Miss Vetrova. Not only did you inherit her world-class skills as a hacker, but you're also skilled in languages. As you requested, we will not enroll you to our Computer Science Program like her but in the Foreign Languages Program instead with minor focus on Business Administration. After all, with Fantom as your master, we can't really teach you anything new as a hacker since she herself had a huge influence to the development of our current Computer Science program when she was still a student and later on as an alumni."
Then he gestured to the blonde woman sitting beside him, silently instructing her to take over.
Giulia Moretti nodded and then smiled at Iris. "Miss Long, would you be willing to accept our offer to become a student of Cross Academy?"
"Of course," Iris answered. "It will be my honour."
Giulia Moretti: "Excellent! Please complete the form I gave you and provide the necessary documents. The Headmaster and I will be staying in this country for a week to process your official enrollment. If you have any questions or issues, please feel free to give me a call and I'll do my best to assist you."
"Thank you very much, Professor Dupont and Madame Moretti."
The Headmaster's stern and sharp eyes softened a bit, showing a pleased glint within them. "Miss Xiulan Long, as the Headmaster, I welcome you to Cross Academy."
###
Footnotes:
[1] A Japanese 13-stringed musical instrument which is also Japan's national instrument.