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

the United Human Alliance is doing nothing to help

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

fighting in the war against the Dragons?"

"…"

to the question. Perhaps because she already knew the

It makes no logical sense that they would

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

"Re, you—"

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

as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective

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

could already think of a few reasons why that could be the

possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within the Alliance, and even their highest leaders would be nothing more than

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

rule in hell than

don't think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I also

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 were

the leaders were

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

silent

to disappear, but she was also not as headstrong about

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 could have some hidden motives I am unaware of. There's also the fact that they hid the information about those other Nations from us as Otherworlders—which

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

had to be focused on the group that was actively fighting

it leaves a bad taste in my mouth…'

front of Esme, he didn't like the fact

was where his logic clashed with

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

Rey, the solution I

these people for over a decade could not be resolved by Esme in only a matter of

settlement, so it wasn't like she

that they weren't able to join the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I don't want to sit

placed both hands on Esme's shoulders

also don't

again—a mix of red

They both smiled.