The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 82 Bertheschenburg

Lyon and his group left the village of Ramla and continued north to the quarry near the hills north of Ramla.

Along the way, Accord asked all sorts of questions out of curiosity, while Zahir glanced at Lyon with a complicated expression, his heart filled with turmoil.

"Oh dear, you little rascal, although you've always been full of clever ideas since you were little, but..." Yage was trying to find an excuse, "Everything you've done is outrageous. Don't tell me you learned it all from books."

"Otherwise what? Haven't you seen me either practicing swordsmanship with Balian every day, or staring blankly at that pile of papyrus and parchment scrolls with the King?" Leon laughed. "It's all from sweat and hard work!"

Lyon blinked: "What we did in Ramla was just a start. Now we're going to the quarry in Ramla. You'll be even more surprised later."

The sound of Lyon's horses' hooves on the road leading to the Ramla quarry was gradually swallowed up by a rhythmic, deep rumble. In the distance, the once desolate hillside had been completely transformed.

The first thing that catches the eye is a newly built, gently sloping road, wide enough for two oxcarts to pass side by side, replacing the old, rugged path.

On the road, oxcarts, fully loaded with square boulders, were steadily transported down the mountain to the stone storage area with the help of logs and the chanting of laborers.

Theodore remarked with emotion, "A year ago, when Mr. Robert brought me here, the Ramla Quarry was all done by hand, which was inefficient and dangerous. It's really changed now."

As they approached, the entire quarry came into view.

On the towering rock face, iron wedges were precisely embedded into natural cracks by the miners. Amidst shouts, heavy hammers fell, and the giant rock crumbled in response.

In the open space of the processing area, dozens of craftsmen were using improved ink lines made according to the blueprints provided by Lyon to refine the roughly chiseled stone. The clanging of chiseling echoed as nearly neat blocks and square stones were produced.

Most striking is a combination of mechanical systems erected beside the rock face. A huge axle is pulled by mules, and ropes pass through a set of pulleys installed high on the tilted cantilever of a crane, easily lifting hundreds of kilograms of stone vertically. The cantilever can be raised, lowered, and rotated freely, smoothly transferring the stone to a waiting oxcart.

"God...this is a miracle!"

Accord was stunned, remaining silent and only making the sign of the cross in front of his chest.

Zahir swallowed hard, glanced at the Accord, and then made the sign of the cross on his chest.

Lyon simply nodded dismissively at the scene before him, then turned to Theodore and asked, "Theodore, how's the matter of asking Robert to select a site for the dam on the Jordan River coming along?"

Theodore replied respectfully, "Your Highness, after Lord Robert and the craftsmen's exploration, the west bank of the Yarmouk River has been preliminarily selected, not far from the Beitshean Castle."

Lyon nodded approvingly. The location chosen by Robert and the craftsmen largely coincided with the site of the modern Israeli dam, suggesting that the Jordan River and its tributary, the Yarmouk River, had not changed much in the nearly one thousand years since.

"It's getting late. Let's camp here tonight and head to Bertheshen Castle tomorrow to check on the progress of the project."

Lyon gave the order, and the knights and squires sprang into action, setting up camp for the night.

The following day, just as dawn was breaking, Lyon and his party continued north to the Château de Bertheine.

Beit She'an Castle is located on the west bank of the Yarmouk River, guarding the main road between Jerusalem and Tiberias. If Saladin wanted to launch an attack on the heart of Jerusalem from Damascus, he had to either go north through Tiberias or south through the Golan Heights, then cross the Yarmouk River to the west to reach Beit She'an Castle.

Lyon's party came to a steady stop in front of the newly renovated drawbridge of the castle.

The castle's owner was Guillaume de Saint-Omega, the second son of Count Raymond's wife and her ex-husband. Hugues de Saint-Omega, who now resides in Tabaré, is Guillaume's brother.

Guillaume was already there with several attendants to greet him. He was dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, and his face still had a touch of scholarly air, but his demeanor revealed a composure and competence beyond his years.

"Your Highness, welcome to Beitsheen." Guillaume bowed with his hand on his chest. "As per your plan from a year ago, Beitsheen is ready and awaits your inspection."

Guided by Guillaume, Lyon entered the newly renovated fortress.

The first thing that catches the eye is the diamond-shaped bastion at the four corners of the city wall, which replaces the old square arrow towers.

Guillaume pointed to the sharp angle of the bastions, a hint of pride in his voice, and said, "Your Highness, exactly as you designed, these bastions have eliminated all blind spots. Now, any enemy attempting to approach our base will be simultaneously exposed to at least three sides of crossbow fire and crossbow fire."

As Guillaume walked past the thickened, sloping city wall, he pointed out some barely noticeable holes in the ground at the base of the wall, as well as an iron pot filled with a black, viscous liquid set up behind the battlements.

"The defenders can pour boiling oil or molten lead here, which is incredibly effective against enemies gathered at the base of the wall."

Upon entering the main tower, Guillaume specifically drew Leon's attention to the clockwise spiral staircase.

"Your Highness, the craftsmen constructed the structure strictly according to the blueprints, ensuring that the rotation direction of each step was advantageous for right-handed defenders to swing their swords from top to bottom, while the attackers would be hampered."

The castle's most crucial entrance was fortified to the extreme. A heavy iron-clad wooden gate hung high, its bottom iron teeth exceptionally sharp.

Guillaume gestured for the soldiers to demonstrate; as the winch turned, the gate crashed down, enough to cut off or trap any enemy who broke through the outer gate.

Behind the main gate is a meticulously designed barbican.

"Your Highness, this is the cage that was specially designed for the heretics in the blueprints," Guillaume said smugly. "Once the enemy vanguard pours into this courtyard, the inner and outer gates will be closed at the same time, and they will be trapped like turtles in a jar, at the mercy of our crossbowmen who will unleash a rain of arrows."

After the inspection, in the castle hall, Guillaume presented Lyon with thick ledgers and construction records.

Lyon casually flipped through the pages, secretly admiring Guillaume's talent.

Giving CK3 two stars for his management trait is too low. With more experience, he could completely replace Jocelyn.

"I am satisfied with the condition of the city's defenses, but the city walls can be further expanded," Lyon said to Guillaume, putting down his account book. "The dams and bridges connecting the two banks of the Yarmouk River are already under construction. I believe that in time, Beitshean can also develop into a prosperous town like Taybala."