Three months later, at the construction site of the castle at the mouth of the Yabok River, about a thousand Saracens who had converted to Christianity were hard at work. The castle, which had been under construction for a year, was now almost complete. The main keep stood tall, and the two outer walls had been fully enclosed, with numerous defensive structures and towers built into the inner walls.
Although the moat, defensive features of the outer walls, and some functional rooms like stables and blacksmith shops were still under construction, the castle was already capable of providing basic defense.
On the nearby roads, many Templar Knights patrolled, keeping an eye out for bandits and Saladin's scouts.
Otto stood on the main tower of the castle, gazing southward as if waiting for something. It wasn't until he saw a 200-strong convoy slowly approaching from the south that a smile appeared on his face.
The convoy bore the lion banner—it was Norn leading the way, bringing supplies to his uncle.
Norn, leading the convoy, sighed deeply. He had hoped that his uncle's promotion would quickly lead to a great achievement and the acquisition of a letter of indulgence. But to his surprise, Grand Master Odo valued Otto so highly that he appointed him as the castle's commander.
This place was a focal point of contention between the kingdom and Saladin.
If Saladin had any sense, he wouldn't allow the castle to be completed.
That was why King Baldwin had stationed about 3,000 troops nearby; they could provide immediate support if Saladin launched an attack.
Strangely, however, as the castle neared completion, Saladin remained conspicuously silent.
While outsiders might think Saladin was still recovering from the damage inflicted by the Battle of Montgisard, Norn, through Sassan, had gathered more intelligence: Saladin had already begun to rebuild his strength and had recruited numerous archers, engineers, and other technical personnel.
Norn believed that if Saladin wasn't out of his mind, there was only one possible explanation for his inaction: he was waiting for an opportunity to completely defeat the kingdom's forces and erase the humiliation of Montgisard.
"Damn it, why does it have to be my uncle again?" Norn gritted his teeth in frustration. After all, if someone else were stationed here, losing this territory wouldn't be a big deal. Even if Saladin annihilated the kingdom's army, the loss wouldn't be significant to Norn. But with his uncle here, there was no way out; he couldn't just abandon his uncle.
For the sake of his unfortunate uncle, Norn had no choice but to have his craftsmen work overtime to produce a batch of plate armor, distilled kerosene, and...
Thinking of this, Norn glanced back at the two strange carriages towed by two heavy draft horses. The carriages were entirely covered in white cloth, revealing only a vague outline of a thick cylindrical shape.
"I hope we don't have to use them," Norn sincerely prayed to all the gods and Buddhas that something would hold Saladin up and prevent him from coming for the next two months.
The convoy slowly approached the castle gates, where Otto was already waiting.
"Uncle Otto! I've brought you some good stuff!" Norn still pretended to have the mindset of a child in front of Otto, after all, in this world, there were only a few relatives who truly cared for him.
Otto responded with a smile, his gaze slowly shifting from Norn to the convoy behind. Besides some supplies and livestock, what pleased Otto the most were the 150 soldiers guarding the convoy.
These 100 men from Norn's manor guard and 50 Norse mercenaries had been tempered by the Battle of Montgisard.
Not only had their demeanor become more fierce, but they were also now fully armed with Mamluk equipment and cold-forged weapons produced by Norn's manor. They were literally armed to the teeth, with heavy chainmail and mantles covering every part of their bodies except their eyes and feet, and high-end Mamluk handmade shoes on their feet.
In addition to their spears and shields, they also had the armor-piercing hammers that Norn had specially equipped. Since they were on the march, they hadn't put on their plate armor, or they would have looked even more formidable.
Seeing Otto's astonished expression, Norn felt very satisfied inside. It was worth the effort to have the soldiers wear their armor to show off.
"Norn, it seems your guard is very well-trained!" Otto remarked, after all, in this era of constant warfare, Norn's guard was undoubtedly top-notch.
"Lord Otto! I've missed you so much!" William, accompanying Norn, rode over and gave Otto a friendly punch on the shoulder.
The other two knights, Patrick and Hamo, also rode up to greet him.
Naturally, Otto responded to each of them in turn and then ordered his Templar Knights to arrange a campsite for the convoy.
That night, Norn's chef once again showed his skills, delighting the knights with a feast. During the meal, Norn anxiously asked,
"Uncle, how's the progress of the castle?" This was what Norn cared about the most. After all, once the castle was completed, even if his uncle couldn't be transferred back, he would be safe as long as he stayed inside this fortress.
"It's almost done. It should be finished in another two months," Otto thought about the construction progress and said confidently.
"Have you heard anything from Saladin lately?" Norn immediately asked, although he had intelligence from Sassan, it wasn't as fast as the frontline reports.
"Saladin hasn't made any moves. But..." Otto paused for a moment, thinking about Norn's remarkable past, and decided to tell him the situation: "The border has become unstable again. King Baldwin led the kingdom's army away just a day ago."
"So, isn't the castle in danger now?" Norn asked worriedly.
"It's okay. There are 80 Templar Knights, 160 knightly squires, 300 soldiers, and nearly 1,000 workers in the castle. Saladin won't be able to take it easily," Otto said confidently. He was sure that even if Saladin had more men, he could hold out for over 20 days.
"Besides, if Saladin does attack with his army, the kingdom can quickly send reinforcements, and he will surely retreat."
These words somewhat comforted Norn, but he felt that if Saladin didn't come, it would be better. If he did, he would definitely be well-prepared.
"But Norn, you're right. You should leave early tomorrow to avoid getting involved," Otto said. Although he had become a Templar Knight for penance, he didn't want his promising nephew to get caught up in this whirlpool because of him.
However, when something has the potential to go wrong, it will.
The next morning, as Norn had just mounted his horse and was saying goodbye to Otto, preparing to head back, he saw a messenger galloping towards them. Upon seeing Otto, the messenger shouted,
"Urgent military report! Saladin is coming with an army of 8,000!"
Norn's world came crashing down: Couldn't Saladin have waited just one more day?