An Extra’s POV

Esme ended up building strongholds for the people in those settlements and teaching them a few things they could use to develop their lands.

She aided in their agriculture, helped to defeat the Monsters that terrorized them, and solved a lot of their crisis; both internal and external.

The process was long and arduous—hence the reason for her late arrival.

"You should have seen them, Rey. They looked so miserable…"

To say his heart ached upon hearing all about what Esme witnessed would be an understatement.

"I… always thought I was helping all of humanity by siding with the Alliance. But, I guess I was wrong." He mumbled.

"I was only helping some."

"Yeah. From what I heard, the Alliance doesn't even bother with these small regions. I find that to be very distasteful." Esme's face darkened even further as she frowned.

"The people in charge here… I despise them."

"Is that why you barged in and caused such a commotion? You didn't care about them?" Rey chuckled as he sat on the bed, right beside her.

"It's not funny, Rey. The people out there were suffering greatly, yet the Alliance that's meant to be aiding humanity sat by and did nothing!"

"No, Esme. You're being a little too shortsighted." Rey sighed, finally settling in on the bed, crossing his legs as he sat up.

"What?"

"We still have insufficient information to blame the Alliance for the suffering of those people."

"Did you not hear a word that I said? Those people were—!"

"I did. I heard you quite well. And I understand that those people have been through rather unfortunate times."

"Then—!"

"It, in no way, means the United Human Alliance is at fault here." Rey sighed.

The United Human Alliance was—at its core—an amalgamation of different countries and cultures. When the war of the Dragons came, they gathered their strength together to fight.

"So it only follows that the Nations you saw were excluded from the amalgamation—either of their own accord, or due to their inability to reach the standards of an alliance."

are you

Human Alliance is doing nothing to help them, but is that

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

the Dragons?"

"…"

said nothing to the question. Perhaps because she already knew the obvious

to do that they need all the help they can get. It makes no logical sense that

Rey refer to the very people she saved—the ones who suffered before her eyes—as the

"Re, you—"

told you something along the lines of how the Alliance abandoned them, or how they were helpless against the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They said all those things,

suited their narrative. As long as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved into a potentially neutral scenario

at it, there's no reason why the Alliance would abandon those people unless, for

think of a few reasons why that

or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within the Alliance,

as the ruler of a

to rule in

I don't think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I

the leaders are aware of the deal with the Alliance, and they refused. The people were perhaps fed another narrative, which passed around until everuone believed they were

leaders

leaders who were approached with the deal and refused are already dead. It's been over ten years since the Alliance formed, after

fell silent once

disappear, but she was also not as headstrong about her views as she was moments

she didn't want to believe that the victims she rescued were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were, if the narrative they

motives I am unaware of. There's also the fact that they hid the information about

was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense

group that was actively fighting

a bad taste in my mouth…'

of Esme, he didn't like the fact that he was made unaware

where his logic clashed with his

that is the Dragon Scourge. I'm not saying the framework is perfect. No, it's far from that. There are

Rey, the solution I offered them was

had been done to these people for over a decade could not be resolved by Esme in

week in each settlement, so it wasn't

the Alliance

both hands on

don't want

eyes met once again—a mix of red and blue, reflecting

They both smiled.