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

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

"Y-yeah. I mean…"

against the Dragons?" Rey asked,

"…"

nothing to the question. Perhaps

logical

Rey refer to the very people she saved—the ones who suffered before

"Re, you—"

the might of the Dragons, while the Alliance was better off. They said all those things, presenting themselves to be the victims… but is

Ingroup bias existed, the way their perspective would be shoved into a potentially neutral scenario

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

think of a few reasons why that could

are that they don't have much to offer in terms of resources or military power. It's possible that

rather cling to the ultimate power they had as the ruler of a

in hell than

think so, Rey. I can see their Alignments, rememeber? I

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

leaders

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

fell silent

disappear, but she was also not as headstrong about

she thought. And even if some were, if the

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

was kept secret. 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

be focused on the group

in my mouth…' His

Esme, he didn't like the fact that he

where his logic clashed with his

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

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

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

each settlement, so it wasn't like she

they weren't able to join the Alliance and enjoy its benefits, I don't want to sit by and let

hands on Esme's shoulders and

don't want

eyes met once again—a mix of red and

They both smiled.