Another Task

Events were slowly moving forward and different people were plotting in the background.

Whether it was the internal matters of the familia and the city that had yet to be solved or an external issue that was approaching, Mallory had tried her best to prepare for them in her own way.

She did not know what was coming exactly but she had used her time available to draw up all kinds of talismans and other useful things to overcome those future difficulties.

It did not take long before she was dragged back to the room of Seshat who had said. "Mallory, I have another task for you."

Mallory nodded calmly and asked. "What is it?"

Seshat showed a smile as she had replied. "There has been a drop in visitors to the city and among them are mainly business related visits. It has become so troubling recently that it has started to affect the city. I want you to lead a team this time to investigate the cause."

Carriages played a big role in transporting many goods from place to place and it was usually the travelling merchants that came by to trade things.

The city may have been able to maintain itself with the access to the farmlands that were nearby but they had to find other sources for different things that could not be found nearby.

With the loss of the main business that handled the making of potions and handled treatments, the city had to raise up others to replace such an important organisation and that could not just be done so easily.

Manpower, wealth and resources were needed along with the additional trades that had been ongoing for a long time with the previous group so that it would be able to reach such a state once again.

There were adventurers that could fill in for that role to search for some goods in the wild at the risk of their own lives and they would be compensated for doing so but it was not enough to match up to much larger groups that had a larger supply that they could trade or sell more regularly.

Mallory nodded. "Is there anything else? If not then I will begin preparing."

Seshat stopped her by pulling at her arm. "Yes.. we have been having a little trouble pulling over all of the smaller groups or individuals from different parts of the city. This is related to the project to create a better medicine association and one of the most recent things that have come up."

She thought back to a meeting that she had to take with several people a couple of days ago them spoke again. "There are some people that wish to join you instead of the association. How do you feel about that?"

Mallory shrugged. "If they are good people then I do not mind having them around me. Have they expressed an interest towards joining the Familia? Why are they so interested in me exactly?"

Seshat sighed as she looked a little helpless. "They said they had no interest in the association since it could just end up the same way if not managed properly and things could repeat themselves again.

They previously had no interest in joining a Familia and especially not this one since our Familia have done nothing to help them when they were having difficulties. The only reason why they had come to the Familia was to express that they wanted to get to know you.

You were the one that made things happen like that so there have been those that have taken an interest in you. Whether you accept and reject them, please let me know."

There had been many who would have been desperate enough to join her or other gods Familia in the past but the current situation had caused Seshat to become a little helpless towards it.

The group that had approached the Familia did not have any interest in joining or supporting the Familia and had expressed that if they did do so then it was only so they could help out the person that had made their lives better.

Mallory was the sole reason why they had even come forward and they had expressed that reason bluntly towards Seshat which had left her feeling a little flabbergasted.

If it was any other situation then she may have sent them away after being a little offended or upset that they had thought such things about her own Familia but with how things were developing in the city, she had to consider how turning something down would affect certain future events.

Each part of the Familia was made up of different factions while others went and did their own things inside or outside of the city.

If there was one person that held everyone together inside the city then it was Oars but with another faction suddenly appearing, it was about time that another faction would need to be developed in order to try to balance the power of those that had enough influence in the Familia.

Mallory had a lot of potential to become the leader of one of those main factions due to her fast growth but it was still too early for her to do so.

If she was able to build up her own power and influence then it would be a very big help to the Familia but she had too few followers and they were still low in levels.

The only person that could probably affect any change in the Familia would be Mallory but she could not do it all on her own.

Those supporting her were still much too weak and few to be able to cause others to take Mallory seriously and to move towards a direction that Mallory was leading them towards.

Oars may have had his own faction but some of his own people had already been drawn to the side of Clarice who had dangled various promises in front of them.

Clarice was slowly gaining control of the those in the Familia so the only way to deal with that was to openly start a dispute over it and to try to pull those people back or it was to start a new faction that Clarice would be unable to influence.

Seshat had added to what she had said. "There have been some others within that have expressed an interest in you from other places too and among them is a small group that may be able to get along with you."

Mallory thought it over before saying. "Hmm.. I would like to see them first before I come to a decision. So does that mean that you are willing to accept more people into the Familia for my sake?"

Seshat nodded. "No matter how much you grow, you will need supporters and there may be a time where this small city cannot be enough to hold you here. I am uncertain if I will even be able to keep you within this Familia… so the least I can do is help you get started."

Mallory had patted her shoulder and encouraged her. "Goddess Seshat.. I know that the things with Clarice have left you feeling upset and may have affected you in some way but I am not her. If we do not agree with each other then we just have to find an alternative solution."

Mallory was aware that her goddess was having some difficulties with Clarice and she was probably seeing similar things repeating themselves with her.

Mallory and Clarice were both children that she had taken in which had a difficult childhood and had come to dote on and care for deeply.

Clarice was more difficult to handle in her later years as the two had seen each other far less than before due to their differences in opinions on how the Familia should move forward and change.

Seshat did not wish to move while Clarice did and the only thing holding Clarice back from leaving completely was their past relationships and the lower talent that Clarice possessed that would make it difficult for her to join another Familia.

Just like the ambition of Clarice could not be contained or satisfied by Seshat, it could be the same for Mallory who actually possessed high talent to be able to do those things if she had the ambition for it.

Seshat had understood once Mallory had mentioned that Clarice had malicious feelings to Mallory that there could be some envy towards the talent she possessed.

Even if Goddess Seshat was willing to let Mallory go to let her talents flourish or came up with some kind of compromise, it was still difficult for her to change her mind about moving but even if Clarice did possess those talents then the result would have been the same.

The ambitions of Clarice and the talents of Mallory were a worry for Seshat who had seen those parts of both of them as something good but both could lead to there being a divide within the Familia and there being a need to say farewells eventually once their talents and ambitions outgrew their need to stay within the Seshat Familia.