Rescuing a Hostage

The Retrieval Squad slowly walked towards a large, heavily fortified castle. There were guards seen from the towers, keeping an eye out for potential intruders. Luckily, the castle was surrounded by a dense forest, which gave plenty of opportunities for cover.

Sofia, who was leading the group, stopped behind a large tree and gave her squad the signal to stop as well, which they did.

"How many guards are on the towers?" she whispered.

Satsuki took out her binoculars and views the guards.

"Six in total," she confirmed.

"Alright," Sofia said. "As stated in the briefing, we must locate the hidden entrance leading to the dungeon, locate our target and retrieve them. We do not engage hostiles until they attack us first. Now, do any of you have any questions?"

Minerva and Satsuki were silent, but Mikoto raised her hand.

"Yes, Mikoto?"

"Ma'am, the report indicated that there are numerous captive women in the dungeon along with our target. Will we be retrieving them as well?"

"Naturally," Sofia replied. "All of the captives will be rescued alongside our target. This is the core tenet of the Retrieval Squad: no woman gets left behind."

"Yes, Ma'am," the three young women said.

With that, the squad continued walking through the woods surrounding the castle, looking for the hidden entrance.