Chapter 346: I’ll Go!

As night slowly fell, the sky darkened across the land.

After regrouping, the Imperial Guards began cooking and preparing camp.

Aiden explained how the hot air balloon worked, leaving Lancet absolutely stunned.

"This hot air balloon is incredible! We could even rescue people from the middle of an enemy army with it!" Lancet said in amazement.

Aiden gave a small, wry smile. "It’s not that simple. The balloon has a lot of limitations; it’s not easy to control."

This time, Prince Simon had taken a big gamble. If Jayden and Martin could deliver the message in time, it would be great.

But if they failed, the army would have no choice but to launch a full attack on the city.

As the two were talking, Randy suddenly pointed to the sky. "Look! The balloon is coming back!"

Aiden looked in the direction Randy pointed, and sure enough, a dark dot was drifting through the sky toward them.

Aiden then realized something: the wind had changed. In the morning it had been blowing from the south, but now it was blowing from the north.

’Makes sense.’ He thought. ’Autumn is coming, so it’s normal for the wind to shift.’

"Thank the heavens," Aiden said joyfully.

Lancet and Randy were also filled with excitement.

Meanwhile, Jayden and Martin were piloting the balloon over Cobblestone. Just like they’d done in Preston, they dropped a message into the city.

From above, they also spotted the Imperial Guards camped outside Cobblestone.

With their high vantage point, they could see the battlefield clearly, watching the entire enemy formation.

Jayden controlled the balloon while Martin focused on drawing a detailed map of the reaver troop positions.

The north wind kept strengthening, and soon they left Cobblestone behind, drifting back toward the imperial camp. The journey had been tough, and they knew if they had to do it again, they might not be so lucky.

The balloon floated closer to the camp. As they approached, Jayden shouted. "Quick! Drop the ropes, or we’ll float past them again!"

They were still about half a kilometer from the camp. Because the balloon couldn’t be steered accurately, it was about to drift past entirely.

Martin quickly put away the map and got the ropes ready.

"I hope Governor Aiden is already there, otherwise these soldiers won’t know what to do with us." He muttered.

As soon as he said that, a signal smoke rose from the camp, and a hundred cavalrymen came galloping toward them.

Seeing this, the two cheered. It meant the Brambleford army had arrived. They immediately dropped four ropes from the balloon basket.

Each rope dangled from a different direction.

The cavalry chased the ropes. One rider managed to grab one, but the kziizeo’x iltf was too strong and threw him off his horse!

Other riders rushed in, grabbing the other ropes. A few even grabbed the first rider to stop him from flying away.

Soon, all one hundred cavalrymen dismounted and pulled the balloon back toward the camp.

With people holding it down, the balloon slowly drifted toward the encampment. At the same time, the observing reavers confirmed once again that the flying device belonged to the Brambleford army.

As the balloon reached camp, Jayden and Martin turned off the burners. Slowly, the balloon began to descend.

The entire Imperial Guards camp, soldiers and officers alike, stood frozen in awe. The hot air balloon was just too incredible for them to process.

Flying was something they never imagined possible.

"Governor Aiden, we delivered the message," Jayden said as he jumped from the basket.

"Excellent! After the battle, I’ll definitely recommend both of you to His Highness for a reward." Aiden said excitedly.

The message was simple: once they saw three signal fires outside the city, it would mean it was time to launch the attack.

Lancet and the Imperial Guards gathered around the balloon, pointing and marveling at it.

Martin stopped anyone from touching it. "Careful, don’t mess with it. It’s going back up tomorrow to scout the battlefield for you."

"Scout the battlefield? What do you mean?" Lancet asked.

Aiden explained. "It’s like the saying, ’the higher you are, the farther you see.’ The balloon isn’t just for sending messages. Before battle, we can send someone with flag signals up into the sky to observe troop positions. That way, we can clearly see where the reavers have placed their forces. With so many troops fighting tomorrow, knowing the enemy’s setup in advance is crucial. We can also locate their cannons and strike them first."

"It can do that?!" Lancet was thrilled. It was way better than a telescope. "Can I go up in it? That way, I can give orders from above and adjust our formations in real-time!"

Telescope view was still limited; any obstruction would block the view. That’s why he was so excited.

"Well... I should go instead." Aiden said hesitantly. "There’s still some risk. If something goes wrong, the balloon could fall."

Lancet frowned. "You’re not afraid of danger, but you think I am? I’ve charged through thousands of troops; I’m not scared. And if we lose this battle, what’s the point of surviving?"

"I’ll go instead, Father!" Randy offered quickly.

"Back off!" Lancet snapped, eyes glaring. "You all think I’m too old to handle it, huh?"

Aiden thought for a moment. The balloon was still risky, but this time they had soldiers holding the ropes, and they could pile hay underneath to cushion any fall.

"Alright then. General, you’ll go up tomorrow to direct the battle." Aiden agreed.

The food supplies inside Cobblestone wouldn’t last long. The war couldn’t be delayed; it had to be decided quickly.

---

The next morning, just before sunrise...

The Imperial Guards’ camp was already full of movement.

The soldiers looked serious. Everyone knew today’s battle would be huge.

Aiden nodded as he watched the well-organized camp. These were truly elite troops.

According to Liam, this army had been trained personally by Lancet and had fought the reavers at the borders many times, a force hardened by countless battles.

Last night, Aiden and Lancet had finalized the plan: he would lead the musketeers and armored cavalry from the center and attack the south gate. Once they saw the signal fires, the Brambleford army inside the city would break through from the south gate and join them.

The Imperial Guards would support as the flanks.

To Aiden, whether they won or lost depended on how much firepower the Brambleford army could bring to bear. The reavers still had a numerical advantage.

Even though they technically outnumbered the enemy when including Prince Augustus’s troops, just like Simon had said, across the entire Eldorian Empire, the only people he could truly rely on were himself and Lancet with his Imperial Guards.

If the other princes weren’t stabbing them in the back, that was already a blessing.