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

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

currently fighting in the war against the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone as calm

"…"

the question. Perhaps because she already knew the

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 at fault

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

"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 off. They said all those things, presenting

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

people unless, for some reason, they refused to be

think of a few reasons why that could be the

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

such a scenario, some people would rather cling to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a

was better to rule in hell than become a

I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I also know when someone is being dishonest with

and they refused. The people were

leaders were

who were approached with the deal and refused are already dead. It's been over ten years

fell silent

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

if some were, if the narrative they fed her was wrong, then the Alliance was not the

I'm wrong. After all, 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 were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense to divide the attention

be focused on the group that

taste in my mouth…' His eye

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

where his logic clashed with his

the Alliance's existence 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."

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

people for over a decade could not be resolved by

week in each settlement, so it wasn't like she could

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

hands on Esme's shoulders and

don't

eyes met once again—a mix of red and blue,

They both smiled.