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 them, but

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone as

"…"

question. Perhaps because she already

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

the very people she saved—the ones who suffered before her

"Re, you—"

helpless against the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They said all those things, presenting themselves to be the

that suited their narrative. As long as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective

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

a few reasons why that

small nations, so chances are that they don't have much to offer in terms of resources or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within the Alliance,

the ruler of a small land than to merely be little fish

essence, it was better to rule in hell than become

lied to me? I don't think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I also know when

the leaders are aware of the deal with the Alliance, and they refused. The people were perhaps fed another narrative, which passed around until

the leaders

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 ten years since the Alliance formed, after

fell silent

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

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,

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

the other Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in

focused on the group that was actively fighting against the

bad taste in my mouth…' His eye

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

logic clashed

I'm not saying the framework is perfect. No, it's far from that. There are many unsavory parts about

solution I

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

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

join the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I

placed both hands on Esme's shoulders

don't

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

They both smiled.