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

the United Human Alliance is doing nothing to help them, but is that really

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

against the Dragons?"

"…"

nothing to the question. Perhaps because she

the war, and 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 the Nations

heard Rey refer to the very people she

"Re, you—"

them, or how 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

Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved into a potentially neutral scenario would often present themselves as being in the

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

could already think of a few reasons why that

possible that

had as the

better to rule in

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

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

leaders

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

silent

frown was yet to disappear, but she was also not as headstrong about

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 fed her was wrong, then the

unaware of. There's also the fact

why that information was kept secret. If the other Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense to divide the attention of their saviors

on the group that

in my mouth…' His eye

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

where his logic clashed with

are many unsavory parts about them. Still… we can't blame them for

the solution I

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

week in each settlement, so it wasn't like

to join the Alliance and enjoy

instsntly placed both hands

also don't want

met once again—a mix of red

They both smiled.