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

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

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

the war against the

"…"

the question. Perhaps because she already knew

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 in question are the ones

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

"Re, you—"

of the Dragons, while the Alliance was

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

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

few reasons why

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 would be nothing

the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a small land than to

was better to rule in hell than become a servant

can

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

the leaders were

with the deal and refused are already dead. It's

silent once

not as headstrong about her views as she

perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some

hidden motives I am unaware of. There's also the

and the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't

focused on the group that was

taste in my mouth…' His eye

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

logic clashed with his

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

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

had been done to these people for over a decade could not be resolved by Esme

fact, she barely spent a week in each settlement, so it wasn't like she could do much

that they weren't able to join the Alliance and enjoy its

hands

don't

again—a mix of

They both smiled.