Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 135: Chapter 134: The Family of Divine Favor

“Bishop Carl, who is that young man?”

Standing on the balcony of the second floor, a middle-aged man turned his head and looked toward the Vampire Bishop beside him, asking softly. He had a head of brilliant blond hair and a resolute face that seemed as if it had been chiseled by the wind and rain, solemn and serious. The man stood about two meters tall, dressed in silver-colored Templar armor with a bright red cape draped over it, and on the cape, one could clearly see the image of an Old Eagle spreading its wings in flight.

He was one of the Knight Captains of the Sanctuary, and one of the strongest within it, “Blade of Justice” Brand Castina.

The Castina Family was a family under the Divine Favor of the Deity.

Ever since the foundation of the Sanctuary, there had been rumors that the Castina Family was not like the Holy Spirit Knights who were guarded by Angels. In fact, there were few members in the Castina family, and on the surface, they seemed quite ordinary. But…they had the Goddess’s Favor.

Of course, this was an internal view within the Sanctuary. To everyone else, the Castina Family was no different from ordinary people, lacking any special bloodline or Holy Spirit Protection. Yet, this family seemed to have strange “luck.”

Yes, luck.

The ancestor of the Castina Family was an ordinary Templar who, in the battle against Chaos, became separated from the main force by accident, and then stumbled upon a Temple. There, the ancestor of the Castina Family received the legacy of the Ancient Holy Light, and after tireless cultivation, he returned to the Sanctuary with great power, helping it to repel the onslaught of Chaos. Thereafter, the Castina Family became a shining star within the Sanctuary.

Of course, any family that grew too powerful would become a target for their enemies. In the centuries that followed, the battle between the Castina Family and the forces of Chaos and evil never ceased. And since their enemies were formidable, they eventually pushed the Castina Family to the brink of destruction. At that time, the Castina Family was reduced to just two brothers. Chased by assassins sent by Chaos, they fell off a cliff by misfortune…

Hmm? Why does this pattern seem so familiar?

Yes, just like everyone suspected, after these brothers fell off the cliff, they “accidentally” discovered another mysterious altar. There, they formed a pact with the Sacred Beast of Light, and then… well, do I need to go on? With the power of the Sacred Beast of Light, the Castina brothers not only eliminated the mastermind behind the scenes but also reestablished their foothold in the Sanctuary. After that, the Castina Family flourished once again.

However, good days are always short-lived. A hundred years later, Hell targeted the Castina Family for another assassination. The old Clan Leader had just passed away, and the new one had not yet married or had children. So, Hell sent a confidant to tear open a space rift on the day of the funeral and dragged the new Castina Clan Leader into Hell!

If I can’t kill you in the Main World, you surely won’t be able to jump around in Hell.

And then… well, the Demon King of Hell indeed succeeded in capturing the current Castina Clan Leader and imprisoned him. This excited the Demon King, who even invited other Demon Kings to witness the public execution of this “Chosen One!”

It’s a pity, had that Demon King read a few more novels, he would have understood what it means to strike first and suffer later.

The result was that, while in the Demon King’s prison, the Castina Clan Leader of that generation “happened” to meet an imprisoned Angel, who sacrificed its life to help the Clan Leader escape prison. Following the Angel’s guidance, he found the Holy Sword — Blade of Justice — lost in Hell during the great war between Heaven and Earth!

What comes next is predictable. On the day of the ceremony, the hero emerged with the divine weapon to slap the unlucky Demon King’s face, cracking open space to return to the Main Dimension, leaving behind only the ashen faces of the other Demon Kings…

And that person was the father of the current Knight Captain.

This is also why the Sanctuary says that the Castina Family enjoys the “Goddess’s Favor.” Others would have fallen off a cliff to meet their end or drowned in water, but somehow, when it came to the Castina Family, they kept encountering these miraculous adventures and divine weapons… If you say that’s not the Goddess’s Favor, no one would believe it to their death!

However, there was a cost.

Perhaps it’s the so-called rule of three; although the Castina Family had various “adventures” and “divine weapons,” almost none of them made it to the third generation in the family’s hands.

The Holy Light knowledge that the first Clan Leader of the Castina Family had learned was lost after three generations due to the fragmentation of the family, with the profundities of its legacy scattering away during the struggle.

And the brothers who had made a pact with the Sacred Beast of Light had only secured its protection for three generations.

Brand Castina was the second generation that inherited the “Blade of Justice,” and the third generation is his daughter, Connie Castina.

He was a staid, serious man, devoted his life to his faith and the Sanctuary. Defending justice and combatting evil were his tenets. His daughter, Connie, also inherited his detestation for evil, but being much younger than Brand, she was somewhat impulsive. Yet, seeing someone daring to give Connie trouble right to her face, Brand still got upset. Although he too thought Connie was a bit rash, she was essentially a good child; and in the Sanctuary, it was rare for anyone to target her so.

But that young man seemed an exception.

“His name is Fang Zheng, Lord Brand.”

Upon hearing Brand’s inquiry, Bishop Carl beside him didn’t even blink as he directly replied.

“The young Grand Knight?”

As he heard Carl’s response, Brand became even more puzzled.

“What kind of grudge exists between him and Connie?”

“According to Grand Knight Mart’s report, during their first meeting, Connie accused him of being a Cultist and even fought with Grand Knight Fang Zheng. She was defeated and retreated.”

“A Cultist?”

Faced with this unexpected answer, Brand was stunned, then he turned his head to look at Carl with a clearly dissatisfied expression in his eyes. In response to Brand’s scrutinizing gaze, Bishop Carl snorted coldly.

“All Grand Knights are knighted after a rigorous scrutiny by the Bishopric.”

What he meant was clear: Fang Zheng’s identity was not in question.

“But he disappeared for over half a year, and no one knows where he went.”

“The man has Holy Spirit Protection.”

Bishop Carl’s eyelids remained firm, betraying no emotion.

“Do you doubt the will of the Goddess?”

“……….”

Brand furrowed his brow slightly, then turned to look at the girl beside Fang Zheng. Although Nymph had used special means to hide her wings, in the eyes of a powerful Legendary being like Brand, they were still somewhat visible.

“What’s with the collar around her neck?”

“No one knows, but looking at her, she seems not to mind it.”

As Carl said, to Nymph, she was actually more concerned about the small cat in Fang Zheng’s hands.

“…I will keep an eye on him.”

“You’d better be just ‘watching,’ as you said.”

This time, Bishop Carl finally reacted, opening his eyes and gazing at the Knight Captain before him. Brand was one of the top combatants in the Sanctuary, but he was also rigid and stubborn, never looking back once he was set on something. The reason Connie had become what she was now was inseparable from Brand’s “teachings.”

“He’s a Holy Spirit Knight, and you should understand the Bishopric is very interested in him.”

“But no one is allowed to act recklessly.”

Brand seemed no longer inclined to speak further with Bishop Carl, simply turning around and walking towards another direction. Watching Brand’s retreating figure, Bishop Carl furrowed his brows, then he sighed imperceptibly.

“I truly hope that young man doesn’t get into any trouble…”