To the South!

Two weeks passed slowly, and the alleyway was now filled with groups of Beastkin, humans, and laughter. They joked heartily about a variety of things, prepared feasts for one other, and drank until the stars shone every night. The original fifty disciples of the makeshift Pimple Clan had spread Jason's wisdom to friends and family, convincing many in the region to seek him out.

Upon arrival, these new disciples saw that their Supreme Leader slept, ate, and meditated in a run-down alleyway and over time, began to see him in a new light. As more and more Islesians began to migrate and stay with him, his alley slowly turned into a "church" or meeting space for new members.

Furthermore, during these two weeks, Jason had learned that the God of Skin Lotion's curse was actually more powerful than he had initially imagined. In fact, because of his extreme dislike for the hate reader, the god had decreed that the "plague" would spread to anyone within fifteen minutes of direct contact. Contrary to the god's desired effect however, the curse actually deepened the blind faith of his followers as he spread pimples to each follower that was willing to dedicate himself / herself to the cause.

In addition to merry laughter and peaceful living, many had watched Jason carry out his daily training. Though he appeared weak and slow on the surface, the wise members of the Pimple Clan knew that their Messiah was simply a master of humility and began to spread new rumors about his paralleled power, even comparing him to the prodigal S-ranked fighters and tenth-circle magicians. After all, how could someone so powerless dare to challenge the immortal gods and hold such immense wisdom?

Eve, on the other hand, refused to interact directly with the other members and enjoyed her time training and eating with Jason. During these daily interactions, she would often smile in Jason's direction, which caused a variety of misunderstandings among the Pimple Clan.

"Aroooo," roared a Beastkin. "Jason's sister is such a beauty. I can't believe she blessed me with her smile."

"No, the Priestess smiled at ME!" said another human. "Look, look. She's definitely interested."

"Wait no, she was glancing at me!" said another.

Jason laughed at the little skirmishes and sighed, knowing that one day the young vampire would grow to be a beauty capable of bringing countries to ruin and starting wars across the Isles. As the crowds began to die out, and fewer and fewer people needed to be blessed, Jason decided that it was about time to leave for their adventure. His burning desire for exploration had not yet been satisfied, and his promise to Eve loomed in the back of his mind.

However, not wanting to leave unannounced, Jason gathered his disciples the next day for his "final" message. He told them that he would be gone for a while and requested that they spread the word of the Pimple Clan across the world. Many cried at the departure of their Supreme Leader, while many others felt inspired by his grandiose aspirations. Slowly but surely, the alleyway began to clear once more as Jason shook hands with and hugged each of his members, one by one.

When the last person had finally left, the hate reader turned to Eve and asked,

"Hey Eve, should we finally begin our journey?"

"Yeah! But there may be a tiny problemmm," Eve said with a confused look on her face. "I don't really know where my father is. I haven't seen him since I was little."

She wrinkled her eyebrows, deep in thought.

"I think the last thing my Mom told me before she died was that he moved to Garlacia, in the South. Oh…but also!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I realized that I can sense other vampires when we are nearby, so maybe that can help us find him when we're there."

"Alrighty then, Garlacia it is," Jason said with a smile as he piled Eve's clothes into a single shopping bag. Though he didn't know the details of Eve's tragic past, he had decided not to prod further until she felt comfortable enough to rely on him. After all, he would always be there for her if she needed it.

For his own bag, Jason packed several dupigs and befish (the umami of Wagyu A5 mixed with the tenderness of sea bass), which he had asked Servant 1 to prefreeze using his ice magic. Though the spell could only last up to two weeks, he felt that it was better to be prepared than to go starving on his first real adventure.

"Are you ready Eve?"

"Yeah! Fun! Fun!"

"Wait, how do we get there?"

Eve stared blankly at the hate reader and shook her head. Naturally, the hate reader, who had dropped the novel after fifty chapters, had no idea about the geography of the world either. The two stared at each other with confused looks, exchanging glances of uncertainty as to what to do next.

"HAAHHAHA," Jason cried with laughter as he pet Eve on the head. "Well, no worries. I'm sure if we just go south, we'll find it eventually."

"Mm…If you say so, Big Brother. I trust you!"

The two double-checked their rations once more before saying their silent goodbyes to the alleyway that had given them both so much. And with a final glance, they headed south.

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