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

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

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

war against the Dragons?" Rey asked, his tone

"…"

question. Perhaps because she already knew the

do that they need all the help they can get. It makes no logical sense that they would ignore

to the very people she saved—the ones who suffered

"Re, you—"

the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They

As long as Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved into a potentially neutral scenario would often present

would abandon those people unless,

already think of a few reasons

power. It's possible that they wouldn't have much of governmental control

power they had as the

in

I can see

that only the leaders are aware of the deal with the Alliance, and they refused. The people were perhaps fed another narrative, which passed around until everuone believed they were right and the Alliance

leaders were

approached with the deal and refused are already dead. It's

silent once

also not as headstrong about her views

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

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

was kept secret. If the other Nations were uncooperative, and the Alliance itself was in a crisis, it wouldn't make any utilitarian

to be focused on the group that

taste in my

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

was where his logic clashed with

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

the solution I

done to these people for over a decade could

each settlement, so it

the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I don't want to

both hands on

don't

eyes met once again—a mix of red

They both smiled.