At the insistence of the gnome, Leander had to send some golems to shift the rubble and retrieve the tarot deck that the gnome was sure was in an ivory chest.

The golems had to dig deep, but they managed to get the chest out. It had minor burn marks, but was otherwise undamaged. A good payment for their flight back.

They opened it, and saw a faded velvet cushioning inside, and a deck in a glass case laying on top of it.

"All my life, I have searched for this," the gnome spoke, eyes misty. "Now, I can find out what the future holds."

"Hey, read ours too," Morris piped in. He wanted for them to take something more than the chest out of this quest.

"I will. As thanks for saving my life. Let me see, we start with the first step," the gnome took the glass case and opened it after a bit of fumbling. Then, with shaky hands, he took the tarot deck out. The green-haired creature poured mana inside the cards, and they flew in the air.

"It is beginning," spoke the gnome with bated breath. The tarot deck shifted in the air, and then the card began to glow. Finally, the first card appeared. It showed a wolf with a healthy pelt and a hungry gaze.

"The lean wolf. You will never be satisfied, no matter how many riches you have," the gnome told them the meaning, and another card came out of the deck. It was a bard, laying on a field of roses. With a bright star over his head.

"Ah, the eternal lover. I think the deck is reading the future of a single one of you, but who can that be?" They all first looked at Armaros, then their gazes shifted to Leander. It was one of them, surely.

The deck showed them another card, and this time, the gnome chuckled.

"Ah, the cup of change. A great change is happening to one of you. These are the red wine filled cups, so, the change is good," the gnome told them, and Morris clapped Leander on the shoulder.

"See, lemon cake? You will lose weight. Just don't give up," Leander chuckled at that. There was no doubt in his mind, or in the mind of the rest, that this tarot reading was for him.

Then, the tarot deck showed them dark mountains enveloped in mist, and the gnome's face grew grim.

"Ah, this one is not good. The strive mountains. A big battle is approaching, and the outcome is uncertain. See the mist? It can go either way," they all gulped. This could only be the Father of Monsters and no one else.

Then, the tarot deck spat out a card with a lovely field that had rolling, lazy clouds on top of it. The gnome smiled.

"The fields of hope. No matter what happens in the mountains, the fields will be calm, as the saying goes. You will have hope until the end," Leander smiled at that. If someone had told him that he would dare to hope, back before he had started to exercise, he would have just shaken his head and looked down. But now, he did hope, and he had the guts to keep his head high.

Finally, the tarot deck showed them the last card. It was an angel with one white wing, and one dark one. Leander was confused. Did that mean that he was going to die?

"The angel of morality," the gnome sighed. He looked at Leander and sized him up. "You won't always do the good thing, but you will do the right thing. Or, if that was not the case, we would have seen a devil with one white and one black bat wing."

Leander nodded. As guild master, he knew that he couldn't always listen to his morality. He had not listened when he sent the guild in multiply platoons to deal with the dungeons. He knew that a lot of parties were not ready, despite the training. Yet, he had still sent them.

"Well, you are a guild master," Alklair spoke, brows furrowed. "It is to be expected."

The tarot deck glowed again, and the cards came back together. It slowly drifted back in the glass case, and the case locked with a click after the cards shifted in place.

"I wanted the first reading to be mine," the gnome lamented. "But the tarot deck chose. Next time, I will have the reading by myself."

The gnome pocketed the deck, and pulled out a coin pouch.

"No need for that," Leander told him. They had plenty of treasure already.

"Yes, sir. Please — keep all of this for yourself. We are glad to help," Valerie told the gnome, and he looked around.

"Could I ask you, kind adventurers, for a ride to a settlement? I fear that some wild beast is going to eat me, if I am left in the forest by myself," they all nodded, and Morris took the chest and carried it to Ebony.

"See this? This is made of ivory. You can put a crown inside and keep it open. Or, a ring. You know, for a lady," Ebony puffed a puff of smoke, considering it. The dragon knew that they were bribing him with potential mates to give him less treasure, but the chest was finely made. Surely, next time, they will gift him with more jewels?

"Place it in the bag," Ebony spoke, and Morris grinned. He placed the chest in the bag and mounted up.

On the back of the dragon, Morris felt like a true berserker. Ready to jump off his trusty dragon and maul the mobs with his axe. He straightened up a bit, waited for the rest to mount up.

Ebony carried them in a much gentler fashion, this time. But, when they came back, Asmodeos was waiting for them with a shit eating grin.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me," Alklair spoke, as Asmodeos waved them over. He dragged his feet to the man, and noticed he had a map in his hands.

"What is this?" Alklair asked, and Asmodeos held the map high.

"This is a map, a self-updating one, of the location of the Father of Monsters. He is at the heart of the world, right now. And, Al, you do remember I am a spooner, right?"

Alklair sighed. Yes, he did remember all those nights when Asmodeos would cuddle up to him and use him as a replacement for a bed. He looked at the bubbly necromancer. It was almost cruel of the elf to indulge Asmodeos, but a bet was a bet. And, technically, they had never broken up.