Whats more odd is that you get an alternate quest if you dont have Pall in your group, which drops some unique items. The second you put Pall in, back to that corny trade route mission. I took her out, got the quest at the beidge, put her back in thinking she might be able to assist with the dialog at the end...no go.
You can still get that quest with Pallegina in your group. There's nothing odd about it. Pallegina tells you that the Vaillian Embassy could use you, and the ambassador gives you a quest that is distinct from Pallegina's personal quest.
