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

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

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone as calm

"…"

nothing to the question. Perhaps because she already knew the

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

very people she saved—the ones

"Re, you—"

the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They

side would always tell a story that 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 be a

a few reasons why that could be

offer in terms of resources or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't

scenario, some people would rather cling to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a small land than to merely be little fish in a much faster

in hell than

Rey. I can see their Alignments,

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

leaders

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

fell silent once

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

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

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

If the other Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense to divide the attention of

had to be focused on the group that was actively fighting against

a bad taste in my

front of Esme, he didn't like the fact that

logic clashed

it's far from that. There are many unsavory parts about them. Still… we can't blame them

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

people for over a decade could not be resolved

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

the Alliance and enjoy its

both hands on Esme's shoulders

also don't

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

They both smiled.