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 talking

is doing nothing to

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

fighting in the war against the Dragons?" Rey

"…"

said nothing to the question. Perhaps because she

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

face twisted the moment she heard Rey refer to the very people she saved—the ones who suffered before

"Re, you—"

how the Alliance abandoned them, or how they were helpless against the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance

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 scenario would often present themselves

Alliance would abandon those people unless, for some reason, they refused to be a part

a few reasons why that could be the

resources or military power. It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control within the Alliance, and even their highest leaders would be nothing

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

to rule in hell than

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

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

the leaders

that has such 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,

fell silent

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

to believe that the victims she rescued were perhaps not as innocent as she thought. And even if some were,

there's a chance that 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

Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself 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 that was actively

taste in my mouth…' His eye

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

logic clashed

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

But, Rey, the solution I offered

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

settlement, so it wasn't like she

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

placed both hands on Esme's shoulders

don't

mix of red

They both smiled.