User blog comment:Miskos3/Fairy Tail Chapter 486: The Fourth Guest, Review/@comment-70.179.149.246-20160523175724/@comment-24102956-20160524110843

One does not simply change the loyalties of someone devoted to the country and its ruler. The Alvarez Empire had greatly prospered and thrived well for years after Zeref unified the Western Continent with martial force and built a powerful nation they are proud to be a part of and loved their emperor for it.

They are only villains because they went to war against Ishgar and Fairy Tail by the emperor's orders. It's natural for them to obey the monarch and follow him even if the 'good guys' tried to tell them this was wrong.

Alvarez is determined to win the war for Zeref driven and motivated by LOYALTY.