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

is doing nothing to help them, but

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

the war against the Dragons?" Rey asked, his

"…"

nothing to the question. Perhaps because she already knew

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

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

"Re, you—"

they were helpless against the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They said all those things, presenting themselves to be the victims… but is that really the

always tell a story that suited their narrative. As long as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved into a potentially neutral scenario would often present themselves as

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

a few reasons why that could

small nations, so 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 much of governmental control

to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a small land than to merely be little fish in a

in hell than become a servant

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

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

leaders

and crisis, it's possible that the previous leaders who were approached with the deal and refused are already dead. It's been over

fell silent

to disappear, but she was also not as headstrong about her

the victims she rescued were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were, if the narrative they fed her was wrong, then the Alliance was not the

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

Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in a

to be focused on the group

leaves a bad taste in

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

was where his logic clashed with his

are many unsavory parts about them. Still… we can't blame them for every misfortune that has befallen these people." He concluded as

the solution I offered them

figured that out as well. The damage that had been done to these people for over a decade could

each settlement, so it wasn't like she could do

Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I don't want to sit by and

placed both hands on Esme's shoulders

also don't want

of red and blue, reflecting in each

They both smiled.