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

doing nothing to help them, but

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

fighting in the war against the

"…"

to the question. Perhaps because she already knew the obvious

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

moment she heard Rey refer to the very people she saved—the

"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

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

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

of a few reasons why that

It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within

some people would rather cling to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a

essence, it was better to rule in

think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber?

they refused. The people were perhaps fed another narrative, which

the leaders

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

fell silent

also not as headstrong about her views as

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

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

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

the group that was

a bad taste in my mouth…'

he just supported the United Human Alliance in front of Esme, he didn't

his logic clashed

combat the great evil that is the Dragon Scourge. I'm not saying the framework is perfect. No, it's far from that. There are many unsavory parts about them.

the solution I

people for over a decade

fact, she barely spent a week in each settlement, so it wasn't

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

hands on Esme's shoulders and

don't

again—a mix of red and blue, reflecting in

They both smiled.