After descending the mountain, Aleph was greeted not by the beasts that terrorize mankind, but by a bustling city where the atmosphere is one of awe. The yellow light that radiates warmth just by one's gaze, and the cool air that sweeps away all cares.

And soon, without wasting any time. Aleph went to the nearest town to start his meaningful journey and reached the place where he could get what he wanted.

"Umm… Can I get a serving of curry, please?"

'Yes, I know. There is no Demon Lord, that is why you are having a peaceful breakfast. But I still wished you to be here to gather information about the Demon Lord'

And when Aleph had finished his meal, he went into the back alley of that place and approached a man. The man was sitting alone in a dark place, completely covered with dirty rugs. Aleph then leaned quietly to the man's ear and asked.

"Umm… Where can I find the toilets?"

'Not again!'

And later, on the same day, he walked about the whole town and returned to the same place where he had been before. And the one in white followed him everywhere. After sitting down near the serving table, Aleph asked a different question this time.

"Umm… Can I have a bowl of ramen and water, please?"

As soon as Aleph asked, the one in the white cloth banged his hand on the table and shouted.

"Wait a minute! Just what are you doing?! I have been watching you since the morning, but I can only see you practicing some English lessons!"

'Wait a minute! Just what are you doing?! I have been watching you since the morning, but I can only see you practicing some English lessons!'

The hood of the white cloth fell, revealing the face. It was a boy who looked no more than five years old. He was Kiddo.

Bewildered, Kiddo asked himself only one question, "Huh? Why am I in this story?"

Ignoring Kiddo's behavior, Aleph asked if there was anything he could help with, to which Kiddo apologized and grabbed all the excess white cloth lying on the floor and ran over to the table furthest away from Aleph, deciding to watch the story unfold in silence.

'I do not know what you are planning, Mr Knight, but I will play along because I feel guilty for what I did to Mr Tree.'

While Aleph waited for his meal, a few more customers came in and sat down at a table near his own. Although they spoke in low voices, there was something about them that caught Aleph's attention. Curious, Aleph went up to them and asked.

"Excuse me, I heard you talking about Beth. Do you know her by any chance?"

'Huh? Beth?'

"Sorry, we were talking about Bitch, not Beth," said one of the people at the table.

"My mistake. I heard it wrong."

"What kind of mistake?! Before that... Hey, Mr Knight, what kind of characters are you showing to a five year old?!" Kiddo shouted as he slammed his hand down on the table.

Confused, Aleph turned his gaze to Kiddo and began to walk towards him.

'Ah, this is bad. I should not interfere with the story any more than this.'

Aleph then put his hand on the table and said, "I know the feeling of hunger too," leaving a few coins on the table.

"Who the hell are you calling a beggar, you dimwit?!" Kiddo yelled in frustration.

Aleph made his way back to his table, and before long, a server arrived with his meal.

'I can no longer bear to hear this story. I will endure it until you try something strange again.'

The waiter placed the food on the table with a smile on his face. Aleph too smiled back and... punched the waiter in the face, sending him flying over three tables.

'And it is already happening!'

Kiddo stood up and shouted angrily, "Hey, Mr Knight! Why are you hurting innocent citizens?! I'm not..." but what stopped his angry tirade was Aleph's next words.

"You showed yourself, huh, demon?"

'Huh?'

While wiping his mouth with his hand, the injured waiter slowly gets up on his bum.

"I'm extremely sorry, dear customer! If there's anything wrong, can you please tell me?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I know a demon when I see one."

The customers from earlier stood up in bewilderment, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern as they spoke into the air. While everyone in the tavern was still in confusion, Aleph's next words helped everyone to recollect their thoughts.

"That face... That smiling face. It is the face of the demons."

Slowly, quietly, Kiddo sat down as he put his hood back on.

"I am really sorry, dear customer! I may have done something wrong, but can you please stop lying, dear customer?"

"Shut up, demon! The one who is lying here is you!"

'I am sorry…'

"Did you all hear what he just said?! Let's all fight alongside him!"

"Dear customers! Please! Uh! No! Uhh! Ahh!"

'I am sorry!'

"I have a family waiting for me at home! How can I be-! Ugh! Ahh! Ahhhh!"

"Shut up, demon! How long are you planning on lying?!"

'I am sorry!!!'

Neither did not stop... neither the waiter's cries of pain, nor the hammering of the customers. It was only when the waiter's voice was no longer heard that it was over.

"Hahahaha! How dare you walk among us humans! Everyone, tonight's menu is demon stew!"

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Yeah!!!"

Kiddo crashed his hands down onto the surface with a thud and yelled, "It was my fault, so stop it! I no longer know who is human and who is demon!" as he leaped up from the table.

"Wow! I never thought you would find out…"

'Huh?'

Soon the fierce brawl ended and everyone started to soften up, but amid the softening mood, the play-pretend unconscious waiter slowly got up.

"And today of all days. Keke."

"Not hiding anymore, are you? Stupid demon!"

"Huh! I did not think there was anyone who could identify us. Who the hell are you?!"

As the waiter and Aleph talk, the waiter starts to grow two little horns on his head.

'Huuuuuh?! You were really a demon?'

One of the customers stepped forward and questioned what the demon meant by saying today of all days, to which the demon grins and chuckles slightly.

As the demon continues to laugh, the remaining disguised demons move over and stand beside him, revealing their horns. The sudden revelation sends onlookers in stunned silence, their whispers filled with disbelief and curiosity about the chaotic reality amongst them.

"Have no fear, for I am here!"

At these words, every human and demon turns towards the source of the sound, and as the man who spoke walks forward, the demon's face turns pale and begins to sweat.

Kiddo, who does not have a clear view of the scenery, climbs onto the table and stands on his toe tips in amazement.

'Who is it? Someone famous?'

The muttering continued, but it was about the sweaty demon and a man approaching it. The scene was so shocking to the demon that it found itself muttering, trying to reassure himself of the man's identity.

"That black hair, but a red ahoge and closed eyes... You are... No way...?!"

"Yeah. I am that no way," confirmed the man as he approached the demon.

"You are… The man who, in whatever situation, will run to the aid of a girl younger than a 14-year-old in need and do all it takes to save her!"

At the statement the demon made, the man with his eyes shut, flashed a grin and introduced himself.

"Heh… Yeah! That's me! Secondary character - L!"

As soon as his name was heard loud, the whole tavern buzzed with excitement about him.

"I heard he won't even open his eyes unless he is standing in front of a young girl!"

"Yes, yes. I also heard whenever he sees a young girl he cries. Not normal tears but tears of blood!"

'Is he not just a lolicon?!'

But the nervous demon, not hearing the praise, searches around him.

'Liar! Which part of this is praise?!'

"If you are here… Does that mean… That… That he is too…?"

"Exactly," a mesmerizing voice confirmed the demon's worries.

At the sound of the voice, the girls clasp their hands together and burst into excited screams, while Kiddo and the demon turn in a hurry to find the man in question.

"No way!"

'No way!'

"You are… The man who, in whatever situation, will run to the aid of any woman in need and do all it takes to save her!"

At the statement the demon made, the man stepped forward while running his finger over his ear to adjust his hair, and introduced himself as "Indeed, I am. Secondary character - I," while trying to hold a nearby girl who, for whatever reason, vanished into thin air.

As soon as his name was heard loud, the whole tavern buzzed with excitement about him.

"I heard that every woman he touches has her clothes stolen the next day out of jealousy!"

"Yes, yes. I also heard that the stolen clothes were mysteriously found by him the same night!"

'As I thought he was just a pervert!'

But the nervous demon, not hearing the praise, tried to scare everyone around him.

'Lying again now?! Or rather, why are you giving them nicknames too?!'

"We had a great plan for today, and you have to show up out of the blue?! Hm! But it does not matter, because we have the generals of the demon army here!"

Demon's bold declaration sent everyone into an even greater panic.

"Everybody, fear not. You are all safe here with us!" exclaims Secondary character - L, with a wave of his hand.

'No, if I had to say anything, you two are the most dangerous ones here!'

The demons turn their backs to the secondary characters, fleeing while yelling, "Now that we have nothing to do, goodbye!"

Even amidst the chaos, there was still one who was ready to clash with demons at any given moment, and with a fierce declaration that the demons would not be allowed to escape, he leapt forward.

Kiddo, who had been watching the fleeing demons, turned his focus to the person who had just spoken.

The demon glanced back, to look at the same person the Kiddo was looking at. In an instant, at the corner of his eye, he noticed the person leaping towards him while unsheathing a sword, and before he could react, his head was already tumbling on the ground.

'Hu--?'

Despite being decapitated, the demon remained alive. Its severed head rolled away before coming to a halt at the feet of the one who had delivered the fatal blow.

'Wai--'

It was Secondary character - L.

"Wait a--"

◇◇◇

"Wait a minute!"

At my loud scream, Mr Knight stopped narrating the story and asked me a question in an uninterested tone.

"What is it? I was just getting to the interesting part…"

"Don't act as if nothing is wrong! This is a fantasy story, just like you said, but... But where is the main character?! Why is the secondary character the one who has to take care of the demon?!"

Mr Knight's eyes widened at my question, and he let out a laugh as he thumped his knee with one of his hands.

"My bad, my bad. I didn't tell you the title of the story before I started, right?"

As I nod my head, he reveals that the title is "And the Secondary Characters."

"No, why secondary characters? What about the main character then?"

"It doesn't matter if it's a main character or a secondary character, as long as the story is fun."

"Heeey, this man is saying something outrageous…"

"Let's continue then…"

"Wait, wait, wait! But I still have so many things to ask! There is something definitely wrong with this story! And don't you think this story is a bit long?"

With a small sigh, Mr Knight said, "I told you not to ask me any questions until the end. Even goldfish are not as forgetful as you."

"But…"

"Don't worry, it will all make sense in the end."

As I was wondering how much more outrageous this story could get, a [Crown Octopus] was standing next to me.

Yikes! How long has this creature been beside me? I better not make any sudden moves.

The octopus gradually drifted away, while Mr Knight carried on with the story.