Chapter 13: Swan Lake Castle

Charles knew that Kaitō Kid had first stolen from the British Museum, and then even snuck into Brant's home and made off with his Night-Luminescent Pearl. So, naturally, he assumed Brant had faced Kaitō Kid twice and must know a thing or two about him by now.

But Brant's response completely let him down.

"Mr. Charles, I don't know either."

If Brant had really figured out Zhang Yang's methods, he wouldn't have been humiliated twice in a row—both times suffering complete failure.

And besides, Swan Lake Castle housed several thousand pieces in Charles's private collection. No one could be sure which one Zhang Yang would go after.

Charles had already lost the mood for going out. He climbed into his car, ready to head over to the castle.

"I understand. Brant, I'm heading to Swan Lake Castle now."

But Brant hadn't called just to be friendly or give a heads-up. He was hoping to use Charles's influence and resources to catch Zhang Yang—or even have him eliminated.

"Mr. Charles, I'm also pursuing Kaitō Kid. If possible, I sincerely hope we can work together."

That was a proposal Charles could easily get behind.

He didn't know anything about Zhang Yang personally, but Brant had already suffered two hits. That experience would be useful.

Charles agreed without hesitation.

"That would be ideal. I'll be waiting for you at Swan Lake Castle."

Brant smiled faintly.

"No problem, Mr. Charles."

After hanging up, a wicked grin slowly spread across Brant's face.

"Kaitō Kid, if you really have the nerve to steal from Charles, then you're walking straight into your own death."

He stepped outside and immediately called Bob.

"Hello, Brant!"

Brant didn't waste time. "Bob, where are Kelly and Carl?"

He was middle-aged and overweight. Expecting him to chase down Zhang Yang himself was laughable.

The only reason he was going to Swan Lake Castle was to see Kaitō Kid get caught—or killed—with his own eyes.

Kelly and Carl had already been on the job for three hours by now.

"They're already tracking Kaitō Kid. What's up?"

But even after three hours of investigating, they had found nothing.

It wasn't until Zhang Yang posted his new announcement that they finally had their first lead:

Kaitō Kid was going to Swan Lake Castle.

"What? They haven't seen Kaitō Kid's new calling card yet?"

"He's hitting Swan Lake Castle tonight to steal one of Charles's treasures!"

"Tell them to get over there now. I'll be waiting."

Bob responded with a low hum.

"Got it. No problem."

Now that Zhang Yang had targeted someone like Charles, the internet was exploding with attention.

[Oh my god! Kaitō Kid must be out of his mind! Charles has a private security team at Swan Lake Castle. There's no way he's getting in!]

[Charles owns multiple security companies. His protection detail is elite. Even the British Museum's guards can't compare!]

[I really want to know what Charles thinks about all this!]

[Brant must be overjoyed right now. Kaitō Kid's going after Charles? He's probably gloating!]

[What the hell? Why would Kaitō Kid pick Charles? He's definitely going to get caught this time!]

Because Charles's resources were so overwhelming, hardly anyone believed in Zhang Yang this time.

Charles's security wasn't ordinary at all—it was made up entirely of private bodyguards, elite guards trained for high-level protection in premium venues.

And Swan Lake Castle wasn't just where Charles stored his personal collection—it could practically be called a private museum. Normally, only invited guests were allowed inside.

Outsiders couldn't get in at all.

Even though the estate was massive, patrol guards were stationed throughout. Charles was extremely protective of every single item in his collection.

In Britain, Charles had a huge reputation. That's why almost no one believed Zhang Yang had a chance.

But netizens tuning in from Huaxia? They had complete faith in Kaitō Kid.

[Damn, this Charles guy sounds like a big deal.]

[Is this it for Kaitō Kid? Barely made his debut and already about to fall?]

[Lmao, "The late emperor's grand endeavor was cut short halfway"—he's quoting classics now!]

[I still believe in Kaitō Kid! Like we say back home, if you don't have the skills, don't take the job!]

[No lies detected. The wisdom of our ancestors never fails.]

By the time Brant arrived, Kelly and Carl were already standing outside the front gates of Swan Lake Castle.

But they hadn't been formally invited. Without an invitation, they were blocked by four elite security personnel.

And it wasn't just them—even Brant wasn't allowed in.

He knew how strict the rules at Swan Lake Castle were, so he just waited patiently for Charles to arrive.

"You two are Kelly and Carl?"

The two men nodded in sync.

"Mr. Brant, I'm Kelly."

"And I'm Carl."

These two were the kind of men who had crawled out of battlefields. There was an unmistakable air of danger in their eyes.

That kind of ruthlessness couldn't be trained—it was forged in real war.

Brant nodded.

"Alright. Did Bob explain the details?"

They both nodded again.

Right now, Brant was the one paying them, so they took his lead.

"You've seen Kaitō Kid's calling card, right? He'll be at Swan Lake Castle tonight."

"When that time comes, I don't care what you have to do or what methods you use—make sure he never opens his mouth again."

Just then, a luxury car slowly rolled up, coming to a stop at the gate.

The window lowered.

Charles glanced over and said casually, "Brant, hop in. Let's talk inside."

Brant replied immediately, opened the door, and got in.

"Mr. Charles, these are the men I brought to catch Kaitō Kid. Both of them are ex-mercenaries."

Charles gave them a once-over and then waved at the elite guards at the gate.

"Let them in."

The window rolled up again, and the car cruised through the grand entrance of Swan Lake Castle.

The estate had a history of more than two hundred years, but Charles had spent a fortune restoring it to near-palatial grandeur.

Even by car, it took nearly two full minutes just to get from the front gate to the castle's main entrance.

Inside the car, Charles finally spoke.

"Brant, why did Kaitō Kid slip past you twice?"

The British Museum's security team wasn't exactly weak, and their numbers were nothing to scoff at either.

Brant looked ashamed, his face turning stiff.

"Well… Mr. Charles, Kaitō Kid is extremely crafty. He's a master of misdirection and deception."

"But this time, if he dares to come, he's not leaving."

Charles frowned.

"Why?"

"What makes you so sure you'll catch him this time?"

Half of Brant's confidence came from Charles's top-tier security force.

The other half?

That came from Kelly and Carl.