Transmigrated? My Cheat is a Random Dice?!

Sierra only nodded shyly before quickly darting back behind her mother, hiding once again. Sierra's mom chuckled softly, her laughter light and cheerful. "Thank you so much, Desmond. Please give my regards to your mother."

Desmond nodded politely, then bid farewell to them. He turned and started his walk home, but his mind was already racing with new ideas.

He had to do something useful. He couldn't just sit around waiting for answers to fall from the sky. Knowledge was power and he needed much more of it.

As he made his way back along the dusty path, he passed by the blacksmith's workshop. The rhythmic clang of hammer striking metal rang out sharply, echoing through the crisp morning air.

Desmond's eyes landed on the village blacksmith, a burly man with arms like tree trunks and a thick, shaggy beard, who was heating a rod of iron in the forge.

But what caught Desmond's attention wasn't the man's muscles or the glowing metal, it was how the blacksmith was heating it.

The man wasn't simply using fire. A shimmering heat aura flowed from his hands directly into the iron, causing it to glow red-hot much faster than normal flames ever could.

Desmond's eyes widened as he recalled his mother's words about the Polaris Path.

The blacksmith murmured something under his breath, but Desmond's sharp ears caught it clearly. a chant that sounded strangely familiar:

"Open Polaris Path. Conduction Plus."

Desmond's heart pounded with excitement. This was it! This was a chance to learn something real!

Without hesitation, he changed direction, marching straight toward the blacksmith. He approached carefully, making sure not to get too close to the blazing forge.

"Um… Uncle Blacksmith?" Desmond called out softly, his voice small but polite.

The blacksmith turned, surprise flashing across his face when he spotted the tiny boy standing beside him.

Then, a wide smile split his face, his thick beard wobbling with the movement. "Oh, Desmond! What brings you here, young man? You usually just pass by."

"Uncle… how… how did you make that metal so hot?" Desmond asked, his eyes round with curiosity as he pointed toward the glowing iron and the forge.

The blacksmith let out a booming laugh, warm and hearty, his voice filling the entire workshop. "Hahaha! It's not every day a young man like you wants to learn about blacksmithing! Most kids just want to watch the sparks fly!" He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"But tell me, why do you want to know, young man? Do you dream of becoming a blacksmith like me?"

Desmond shook his head firmly. "No, Uncle. I… I'm just curious."

The blacksmith's smile softened, his eyes twinkling with a hint of wisdom. He studied Desmond for a long moment, as if peering deep into the boy's soul.

"This boy of Celestine's… really is something else," the blacksmith murmured to himself under his breath, a note of quiet admiration in his tone.

"Always so curious about everything." He sighed, then in a sudden, grand gesture that made Desmond flinch in surprise, he crouched down until they were face-to-face.

"All right, Desmond. Since you're such a curious kid, I'll give you something special."

He reached into the pocket of his worn, soot-stained work robe, pulling out a book. It was an old, leather-bound volume, the brown cover weathered but well cared for.

The front cover was etched with faded gold lettering spelling the title:

Codex Polaris

The blacksmith held it out to Desmond, who stared at the book, eyes wide and shining with wonder.

Codex Polaris! He was sure of it. This book had to contain secrets of the Polaris Path, the same mysterious power his mother and the blacksmith both used!

"In this book," the blacksmith said in a low, serious voice, "you'll find knowledge about the power you're so eager to learn, kid. Study it carefully. Mastering this power won't be easy, but if you're diligent, you'll come to understand it."

Desmond reached out with his tiny hands and took the book, clutching it tightly against his chest like it was the most precious treasure in the world.

"Thank you, Uncle! Thank you so much!" he said, his voice bursting with pure excitement.

"One day… when I'm big… I'll come back and buy the strongest sword you've ever forged! The best sword in the whole village!"

The blacksmith let out another thunderous laugh, this one so hearty it rattled the tools hanging on the walls. He extended his massive hand and patted Desmond's small shoulder with a gentleness that belied his size.

"Hahaha! I'll be waiting for you, boy! You're a strange and special kid. Remember your promise. When you're grown up, come straight to me for your first sword!"

Desmond set off toward home, his heart pounding with excitement. In his hands, the Codex Polaris felt like a key. Perhaps the key, to finally unlocking the secrets he so desperately needed.

He couldn't wait to open it, even though he knew it would take time and effort to make sense of its contents with the mind of a mere three-year-old.

When he arrived home, the front door was already open. Celestine stood in the doorway, waiting.

The moment she laid eyes on Desmond, a look of relief swept across her face, and her warm smile bloomed. She rushed forward, kneeling to ruffle Desmond's hair with gentle, loving hands.

"My sweet boy," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You're back. Did Sierra and her mother like the food?"

Desmond nodded seriously. "They liked it," he replied softly.

Celestine's smile grew warmer, but Desmond caught something strange in her eyes.

There was a subtle shimmer, a hint of moisture that suggested tears she was fighting to hold back.

He couldn't understand why. His mother looked happy to see him home, but there was an unmistakable sadness lingering just beneath her joy.

And then he realized something else was off. His father, Cassian, wasn't there. Usually, if Celestine was waiting for him outside, Cassian would be nearby. Either standing beside her or at least somewhere visible inside the house.

They were always together, like the sun and sky. But today, Cassian, his father. Was nowhere to be seen.

Desmond frowned, a strange sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. Had something happened? Or was he just imagining things? He didn't ask. Instead, he let his mother pull him into a tight hug, burying his worries for now.

He hugged her back, holding the Codex Polaris close to his chest as if it were a talisman.