Yoru had indeed chosen a grand restaurant for them to dine in. The opulent interior was filled with patrons in elegant attire, making Clover and Yoru look like humble islanders by comparison.
But when the manager recognized Yoru, he rushed over and escorted them to a private room upstairs.
As they ate, Clover's mind drifted to Sakuta. Could he be from Matea Island as well?
"Have you looked into that Sakuta? Is he from this island?" Clover asked.
"I'm not sure," Yoru admitted, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Clover eat, her gaze fixed as if trying to figure him out.
"Let's find out. If he's got family here, they'll likely come for revenge. Better I deal with them first," Clover said, ready to handle any threats before they had a chance to materialize.
Obliging, Yoru made a quick call to Ryan, asking him to investigate Sakuta's background. It wasn't long before Ryan confirmed that Sakuta's family was indeed one of Matea Island's wealthiest, with assets totaling billions of Beli.
Ryan initially suggested leading a team to eliminate the entire family. But Clover, tempted by the potential riches, quickly told Yoru to halt that plan. After wrapping up their meal, he asked Yoru to get Sakuta's address and set off for his mansion.
"I intend to kill them all; any issues with that?" Clover asked as they walked.
"Of course not. They did target the princess, after all. Even if you didn't, Ryan would've handled it," Yoru replied with a nod, giving Clover her blessing.
With that assurance, Clover felt free to act without restraint.
Soon, they arrived at Sakuta's residence, a large estate perched on a hillside. Four sharply dressed guards stood at the entrance, while others patrolled the grounds. Above the door hung a sign reading: Kuritani Estate.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon," Clover told Yoru, who nodded, knowing full well Clover's capabilities.
He swiftly unsheathed his blade, Ryu no Ha, dispatching the guards at the entrance with swift, silent strikes.
Inside the mansion, Sakuta's father, Okita Kuritani, paced back and forth anxiously.
"Why hasn't Sakuta returned yet? It's been an entire day!" he fumed at his advisor, Kazuki.
"Sir, please calm down. The man he was after is just a small-time pirate with a bounty under 30 million. Sakuta's more than capable of handling him," Kazuki assured him.
"Still… given the time, he should've been back by now," Okita muttered, glancing at the clock.
Bang! The villa door burst open, slamming directly into Kazuki and sending him sprawling into the wall.
"What in the world…?!" Okita whipped around, pulling out a pistol, though against Clover, it was practically useless.
Clover strode in, a dark mask concealing his face, Longsong gleaming and streaked with fresh blood. Okita's gaze shifted past him to the bodies of his guards littering the estate grounds outside.
Kazuki, groaning, pulled himself up from the floor, finally catching sight of Clover's face as he pulled off his mask.
"Clover…!" Kazuki's eyes widened in recognition.
"Hmph. Remember me," Clover sneered.
"What did you do to my son?" Okita roared, firing a shot into the floor in a fit of rage.
Clover's senses told him the shot was harmless, so he didn't bother dodging. He looked at Okita, unimpressed. "Such arrogance runs in the family, I see," he remarked.
"Where's my son?!" Okita demanded, his grip on the gun tightening.
"Probably feeding the fish by now," Clover replied with a sinister smile.
"You…!" Okita, enraged, aimed for Clover's head and fired again. Clover dodged easily, lunging forward to stab Kazuki, pinning him to the wall. In a flash, he appeared before Okita, grabbing the pistol and crushing it in his grip.
"Hand over all your wealth, and I'll let you live," Clover said calmly, while Okita paled, drenched in sweat.
"You're dreaming! I'd never give you a single Beli!" Okita spat, his pride overriding his fear.
At that moment, a woman appeared at the top of the staircase, wearing a white nightgown. Startled by the sight below, she screamed and bolted back upstairs.
"Ryoko! Go hide!" Okita shouted, trying to hold Clover back.
Clover just stood there, mildly amused. "Really? You think I'm here for her? Let go; I don't care about your wife."
"Oh…" Realizing his mistake, Okita awkwardly released his grip on Clover, his face flushing.
Clover looked at him with cold disdain. "She's your wife, right? Hand over the money, and I'll spare both of you. If not, I'll make you watch her suffer in ways you can't imagine."
Okita's face twisted in rage. "You're… despicable."
Clover calmly wiped the blood from Longsong using Kazuki's shirt before sheathing it. "It's not like she or you could escape anyway."
"Our family is under the royal protection of Matea Island!" Okita snarled. "If you make a scene here, reinforcements will arrive any minute. You're the one who can't escape!"
"Oh, really?" Clover laughed, taking a seat on the sofa. "Your son attacked a royal princess. You actually think the royals will save you?"
"W-what?" Okita stammered, finally piecing together what Kazuki had told him. It all started because of a woman—the princess, no less. The Kuritani family was now completely doomed.