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."

you talking

United Human Alliance is doing nothing to

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

fighting in the war against the Dragons?"

"…"

the question. Perhaps

to do that they need all the help they can get. It makes no logical sense that they would ignore potential fighting power, so chandes are that

heard Rey refer to the very people she saved—the

"Re, you—"

the might of the Dragons, while the

tell a story that suited their narrative. As long as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved

the Alliance would abandon those people unless, for some reason, they refused to

could already think of a few

chances are that they don't have much to offer in terms of resources or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't have

as the ruler of a small land than to

better to rule in

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

the deal with the Alliance, and they refused. The people were perhaps fed another narrative,

leaders

it's possible that the previous leaders who were approached with the deal and refused are already

fell silent

but she was also not as headstrong about

victims she rescued were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were, if the narrative they

There's also the fact that they hid

the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense to divide the attention of their saviors to those

to be focused on the group that was actively

bad taste in

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

was where his logic clashed with

not saying the framework is perfect. No, it's far from that. There are many

get it. But, Rey, the solution I offered them was

these people for over a decade

so it wasn't like she could do

they weren't able to join the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I don't

hands on Esme's shoulders and

don't want

once again—a mix of red and blue,

They both smiled.