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 talking

is doing nothing to help them,

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

against the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone as calm as

"…"

Perhaps

fighting 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 in question

to the very people she

"Re, you—"

against the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They said

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

reason why the Alliance would abandon those people unless, for some

think of a few reasons

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, and

rather cling to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a small land than to merely be little fish in a much

to rule in

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

people were perhaps fed another narrative, which passed around until everuone believed they were right and the Alliance

leaders

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

fell silent

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

the victims she rescued were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were, if the narrative they fed

also the fact that they hid the information about those other Nations from us as Otherworlders—which

was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense to divide the attention of their saviors to those

to be focused on the group

leaves a bad taste in my

didn't like the fact that he was made

was where his logic

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 concluded as he placed his hand on

the solution I offered them was only

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

settlement, so it wasn't like she could do much work for

the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I

hands on Esme's shoulders and

also don't

met once again—a mix of red and

They both smiled.