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The Sacred Acrobat – Part 01

Chapter 4: The Sacred Acrobat

Atelier Liza consisted of a main house and a forge, nestled between the public farmland of the Seventh District in the Independent Trade City and the gray forest dusted with volcanic ash. The sky above split in two colors at the forest’s edge—clear blue on one side, ashen white on the other. From the city side, the faint outline of a volcano’s ridgeline could be seen through the grayish haze.

A young master smith and his apprentice lived together at the workshop. On warm days, it was their habit—mostly the girl’s idea—to set a small table and chairs outside and eat lunch together. Lately, though, others had begun to join them at that table.

It was early summer.

In the gentle sunlight and fresh breeze, a heap of freshly steamed sweet potatoes sat in the center of the table, still letting off steam. Beside