The story was simple enough. This merchant dealt in lumber. He worked hard, kept his head down, and loved life. His family was comfortably off. He had a daughter and a son. Both were ordinary people with zero Soul Power, but growing up in a household like theirs still promised them a decent future.
It happened near Suotuo Intermediate Soul Master Academy. The girl's beauty caught the attention of some young Soul Masters. They whistled at her and put their hands on her, and her brother argued with them while trying to protect her. Honestly, Jodio found it hard to understand why the boy had argued. He should have just pulled his sister away. When you were weak, lowering your head—even backing down completely—was sometimes necessary. It was how you survived.
But Jodio soon understood what that "argument" had probably been. Those Soul Master scum had likely tried to drag the girl away for something worse, and the boy had fought back. Jodio had seen it happen before. Back in the era of Soul Land 2, a Soul Master could often force a woman to spend the night with him for a few copper coins.
Even the father did not dare say so outright. He could not be sure Jodio would confront those Soul Masters. If it was merely a dispute, Jodio might help. But if it meant taking revenge over a matter involving Soul Masters' reputations, the father could not be sure. After all, Mr. Jodio was a Soul Master himself, and Soul Masters always sided with their own.
"I've worked hard and lived honestly all my life. I've never wronged anyone. I lived like most people in the Balak Kingdom. I never imagined this could happen! Ah! Lord Jodio, do you know what they did to my son? They broke both his hands, cut off his left foot, and tore out his tongue! If we hadn't hired a Healing Soul Master, he might have died that very day!" the middle-aged man sobbed.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun were both shaken. Despite everything Jodio had taught them about the world and how adults thought, they were still innocent children. Jodio had never let Ma Hongjun get involved with women, either, so there was even less chance of him turning crude. Both boys were much better than they had been in the original story, and their values were closely aligned with Jodio's.
"I went to the Knights and pleaded with them, like anyone in Balak would. But after they took those Soul Masters away, they ordered them to pay just five silver soul coins for treatment and let them go! Lord Jodio, those pieces of shit even smiled at me when they came out!"
"No way. Isn't beating someone against the law?" Ma Hongjun whispered to Oscar, bewildered.
"No. They probably have connections," Oscar guessed. He was right. However exalted Soul Masters were, they could not usually get away with something this vicious without paying a hefty sum to the City Lord and the nobles. If a few silver soul coins had settled it, those men were probably backed by someone powerful.
"So... so I went home and told my wife there was nothing else we could do. Only Lord Jodio Joestar could get us justice," the middle-aged man said respectfully.
Jodio did not answer for a long time. He sat in the shadows with his arms crossed, his face hidden from the middle-aged man by a curtain. At a small wave of Jodio's hand, the female Soul Master on the sofa beside him rose and poured the man a glass of wine, indicating that he could wet his throat.
"Why did you go to the Knights instead of coming to me first?" Jodio asked calmly.
The middle-aged man thought he could see a pair of eyes behind the curtain. Their pupils were small, their irises bloodred, and their gaze bore down on him. A chill ran through him as he suddenly remembered who sat there: the leader of a gang, the boss of Passione, the organization that had recently become famous throughout Suotuo City.
"What do you need me to do? Just say the word! But please, you must help me get revenge!" the middle-aged man said fervently.
"What would revenge mean to you?" Jodio asked, his voice cold.
"Do you want him dead? No, you probably wouldn't dare kill a Soul Master." Jodio stood and casually turned his back on the middle-aged man. The man caught sight of a star-shaped birthmark on Jodio's neck. His nerves tightened, and he no longer knew what to say.
"Let's be frank. Your name is... Maventi, isn't it?" Jodio went on. His voice was cold yet pleasant, carrying an Emperor's authority while somehow offering a glimmer of hope. Maventi knew no one else who could help him now.
"Maventi, you run the lumber shop on this street. You're forty-seven. When I founded Passione half a month ago, you sent one of your men over with a few gifts to congratulate me. Have I got that right?" Jodio asked.
"I'll give you anything you want. Please." Maventi felt so desperate and anxious that he nearly jumped to his feet.
"Maventi, Passione isn't a tool for you to hire a killer. I founded it to give ordinary people justice, and that's what it has done. We've never even demanded protection money from the neighbors. We only take a commission when they need us to handle a problem." Jodio slowly walked behind the middle-aged man.
"This happened a week ago. I was performing surgery at the Medical Clinic down the street that day. Little Ma and I both saw you clutching your child, scrambling into a carriage, and fleeing. Even then, you never thought to ask me for help. Maventi, what have I done to earn so little respect from you? What have I done to make you so afraid of me?"
Jodio's question was soft and low, almost ghostly. To Maventi, it sounded like the murmur of a monster, a voice he would never want to hear in his dreams.
"Your business is doing well. You never offend anyone. You always give way, and you always pay your taxes on time. When the Lord or the Knights hold a celebratory banquet, you're among the first to arrive, bearing your most heartfelt gift. Not that they ever let you stay for a meal."
"You live well, and you're an honest man. You thought that if you kept bringing gifts, those important people would help you someday. You didn't need someone like me as a friend. You didn't need someone like me to get you justice. But now you've come here to say, 'DIO-sama, please get me justice.' Justice? You're not even willing to call me Boss." A trace of hurt and displeasure entered Jodio's voice.
"How much money do you need—"
Maventi could say no more. A knight-like figure had suddenly appeared beside Jodio. Majestic and terrifying, it held a sharp blade and stared at him from just behind Jodio. Words failed Maventi. His legs began to tremble.
"Oh, Maventi. If you had come to me as your Boss, I'd have made sure that scum died horribly. He'd have died in a way that left you so pleased you could eat a hundred Devil-Spicy Lamb Skewers. I admire people like you. If they crossed you, they crossed me. I'd make them fear you the way they fear me. But even now, you insult me by offering money, like a customer tossing coins at a prostitute. Like a cat charging into a henhouse and tearing the chickens apart for fun."
"So what should you call me now?" Jodio asked calmly, his back still turned.
"DIO-sama, please get me justice." Maventi bowed, took Jodio's hand, and spoke with utter sincerity.
"My dearest Boss."
←To Be Continued
Before you continue