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

nothing to help them, but is

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

is currently fighting in the war against the Dragons?"

"…"

nothing to the question. Perhaps because she

they need all the help they can get. It makes no logical sense that they would ignore potential

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

"Re, you—"

sure they 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

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

the Alliance would abandon those people unless, for some

could already think of a few reasons why that could

to offer in terms of resources or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within the Alliance, and even their highest leaders

the ruler of a small land than to

was better to rule in hell than become a servant in

they lied to me? I don't think so, Rey. I can see

possible that only 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

leaders were

crisis, it's possible that the previous leaders who were approached with

silent once

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

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

I am unaware of. There's also the fact that they hid the information about those other Nations from us as Otherworlders—which means they didn't want us to know

itself was

focused on the group that was actively fighting against the

bad taste in my mouth…' His eye narrowed

the United Human Alliance in front of Esme, he didn't like the fact that he was made unaware

where his logic

is to 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. Still… we can't blame them for every misfortune that has befallen these people." He concluded as he placed his hand on

it. But, Rey, the solution I offered

been done to these people for over a decade

fact, she barely spent a week in each settlement, so

to join the Alliance and enjoy its benefits,

placed both hands on Esme's

don't

again—a mix of red and blue, reflecting in each

They both smiled.