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

Alliance is doing nothing to

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

against the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone

"…"

to the question. Perhaps because she

Alliance is actively 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 are the ones at

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

"Re, you—"

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

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 present themselves

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

already think of a few reasons why that could

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, and even their highest

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

it was better to rule in hell than become a servant in

me? I don't think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I also know when someone is being dishonest with

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

the leaders were

place that has such insecurity and crisis, it's possible that the previous leaders who were approached with the deal

fell silent once

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

were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were, if the narrative they fed her was wrong, then the Alliance was not the enemy

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 from us as

itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian sense

the group

bad taste in my mouth…'

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

where his logic clashed with his

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

But, Rey, the solution I offered

done to these people for over a decade could not be resolved by Esme in only

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

the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I

both hands

don't want

met once again—a mix of red

They both smiled.