She answered without hesitation.
"The light side. Just so you know, it's obvious that you're human and on the light side just by looking at you. But that doesn't mean all humans are our enemies. I'm not so corrupt that I would kill someone innocent without reason. Don't worry."
Thank goodness. It looks like I won't be killed right away.
"Regardless of whether you're human or not, if you've been summoned to this world, I'll judge you based solely on whether you're a hero. If you do turn out to be a hero candidate, then I'm sorry, but I'll have to kill you."
"Y-Yes..."
I understood all too well that being reincarnated into this world has placed me in quite a predicament. From the moment my identity as a hero is discovered, I'll be in constant danger. Until then, I'll be living in fear, always on edge.
Despite her claims, the Dark Elf has been incredibly kind to me. She's explained this world's workings with great care.
Maybe, despite the factions of light and dark, she actually despises conflict. If that's the case, perhaps, with some careful maneuvering, I could avoid fighting her even if I turn out to be a hero. Maybe, just maybe, I could even become her ally.
But I have no idea how to approach that conversation.
"We should leave this place soon," she murmured, glancing around cautiously.
"I'll explain more as we go. For now, just follow me."
With that, she confidently strode through the dense forest, and I hurried to keep up, like a child trailing after a parent.
As we walked through the forest, we encountered monsters six times. Each time, she saved me. I barely-no, I didn't contribute at all. In fact, I was more of a hindrance.
Not all of the creatures, called monsters, in this world are vicious. Some of them are cute, like little animals, which gave me a brief moment of relief. But she reminded me that this is still a dungeon, and they're still monsters, so I needed to stay cautious.
After what felt like an endless journey through the monotonous scenery, probably an hour or so, we finally reached the staircase I had descended.
"Do you know what a dungeon is?" she asked suddenly.
"No."
I couldn't answer her unexpected question.
"I see. You really don't know much about this world. Now that we've come this far, I'll explain."
"Yes."
"This world is full of underground labyrinths known as dungeons.
Dungeons are home to many monsters, and they constantly try to eliminate any intruders."
"Intruders?"
"Yes. In a dungeon, anyone who enters is considered an intruder.
You've probably figured it out by now, but you and I are intruders here.
That's why we keep getting attacked by monsters."
"Um, can I ask a question?"
I felt a bit guilty for interrupting her explanation, but I asked anyway.
"Aren't monsters always hostile? I thought they would attack regardless of whether we're in a dungeon or not."
"No, that's not the case. Monsters only exist in dungeons. Outside the dungeons, there are various races living in the world. While there are conflicts, they're mainly between different races or factions. You can only fight monsters in dungeons; that's common sense in this world."
So, monsters are exclusive to dungeons, huh?
But it sounds like the outside world is even more dangerous. Isn't a conflict between intelligent races more terrifying? There's nothing more dreadful than a battle between those with knowledge.
In that case, wouldn't it be safer to just stay in a dungeon and fight monsters? But then again, I don't want to constantly battle monsters either.
"Back to the topic of dungeons, each one has a different level of difficulty. In this world, the difficulty is categorized by rank, from D to S, with S being the most dangerous. Dungeons typically go deeper, and the lower you go, the stronger the monsters become."
"So, what rank is the dungeon we're in right now?"
"S rank."
"What!? That's the highest rank!"
"Yes, it is."
She replied calmly, as if it were no big deal.
As we continued through the forest, where the stairs led, she suddenly stopped.
"This should do..."
It seems we hadn't been wandering aimlessly through the forest. She had stopped in a clearing with a massive tree stump. The stump was so large that it took a moment to grasp its size. It would probably take a hundred people holding hands to encircle it.
Placing her hand on the stump, she turned to me and said,
"Now, take off your clothes."
"Huh...?"
Her unexpected words left me stunned, and I let out a dumbfounded sound.
-----
The beautiful Dark Elf with silver hair and tanned skin looked at me with her sharp eyes and, with a serious expression, commanded me to undress.
I let out a dumbfounded sound, utterly shocked, and she continued.
"I need to check. Whether you're just a human or... a hero."
Wait! That's right. I completely forgot. I needed to confirm if there was a mark of the hero somewhere on my body. But I thought that would happen later-so soon, though? If she finds that mark now, she might kill me on the spot.
I never wanted to be a hero, but I also didn't want to be just an ordinary person. I didn't want to be some nobody, like Person A, in this world I've been brought to.
I wanted to be at least a little special, considering I've been reincarnated. But if I turn out to be a hero, I'll be killed. So, I guess I'll have to let go of that small hope.
It's better than dying, after all.
Urged by her, I began removing my clothes, starting from the top.
I took off my coat, my shirt, and my pants until I was left standing in just my underwear in front of her.
Even though we were both women, it was extremely embarrassing to stand nearly naked in front of someone.
I looked over my body, but I didn't see any marks that could be the hero's insignia.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"As you can see, there's no hero's mark on me. Unfortunately, I'm not a hero."
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
"You're still wearing something. Over your chest and below."
Her eyes were as serious as ever, indicating she wasn't going to let this go until she was absolutely sure.
After all, whether or not I was the hero would determine the nature of our relationship. The hero, being the greatest threat, had to be eliminated before they became powerful enough to cause mass destruction. This decision was crucial for her.
But still, stripping someone completely in front of them was humiliating.
"Hurry up."
Her firm tone left no room for argument. Blushing with embarrassment, I reached behind my back and unhooked my bra. My chest immediately felt lighter as I removed it, holding one hand over my breasts to cover myself.
"Covering up defeats the purpose, doesn't it?"
Ugh. This is so embarrassing.
But, realizing that covering myself wouldn't get us anywhere, I slowly removed my hand, exposing my chest.
If I had more confidence in my body, maybe I wouldn't feel so embarrassed. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with the curvaceous figure of the goddess Saraila, nor did I have a model-like, slender frame. I was just average, and I didn't even think my face was particularly pretty.
My face turned red with shame as I exposed my unremarkable body to this beautiful Dark Elf.
Her eyes scanned my body, searching for the mark. Then, suddenly, her gaze locked onto something.
What? Is there really a mark?
Just as I tried to look down at my body, she rushed over to me, her expression filled with shock and awe.
"Could it be...?"
"Does that mean I really have the hero's mark? Am I going to be killed?"
If I were the hero, she would kill me right here and now, as the enemy leader.
Without knowing how to fight, I would be killed by her in an instant, and I'd find myself back with Saraila.
She gave a small smile at my fearful question, then picked up the clothes I had taken off and handed them back to me.
"No one could possibly kill you."
Wait, isn't her tone a bit strange?
Why is she suddenly speaking so politely?
It's not like you'd talk to the hero like that. Could it be? I'm not the hero, but someone from the dark side, like her, and she's welcoming me as an ally?
"So, in the end, am I the hero?"
She stepped back and kneeled before me.
"You're not some lowly hero. You are..."
Her words were overly formal.
"The ruler of the dark side, our Demon King!"
"...Huh!?"