As Hydaelyn's Chosen, she had accepted her role and duty to the people without much of a protest. Had it been another Scion and Minfilia instead took on their role, what would Minfilia's like be like?

ALWAYS ACCEPTING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUSES!!

I think, if minfilia didn’t have the echo and had no direct connection to hydaelyn, she’d still have found a way to act for similar causes to the ones she holds canonically. the echo definitely has a very important role in her story, given it is the reason she ends up in a leadership role at all (because she starts going after other people with the same skill to learn more and put it to use, before the scions are formed). more than the echo, though, her father’s influence on her is very important on why she chooses to act in the first place.

if she wasn’t one of hydaelyn’s chosen, she would still have been greatly influenced by warburton to do what is right and stand for what she believes is a worthy cause, even at great personal risk. her dad was a spy who stood up against the empire, and he made enough enemies that he had to flee with minfilia (then ascilia) to ul’dah. it’s the reason why, even after he died, she adopted a new name, and f’lhammin started to pass minfilia as her adopted daughter. but harder as it might make things, not once does she seem to resent him and those choices (she shows much more resentment towards lhammin, for her part in the accident that took her father’s life, and even to thancred, for being there and not there as he is, than she ever shows towards her father, even if his role as a spy put her in danger).

but I think going towards a path more influenced by warburton would have led her to place different importance on what causes she chose to take on? like, as hydaelyn’s chosen, she shows concern towards the world at large, how primals affect the planet, how the empire threatens eorzea, the beast tribes that she’s always defended should be seen as people. in this other scenario, her goals may have been originally more limited, and leaned more towards ala mhigan liberation (which isn’t something her canonical story touches on at all, despite her roots) and going against the empire when it threatens eorzea than the primals and beast tribes part. 

I also think things may have been very different in regards to her being in the front lines as a result? because we know she isn’t in game, as her role has always been more of a leader/administrator than a fighter in any way, but without having the echo and founding the path of twelve, she wouldn’t have ended exactly the same way. personally, I think even in game it’s an oversight that she wouldn’t at least have picked something up to defend herself, considering she’s always been in danger pretty much. but regardless, not starting as the leader of a hidden organization would definitely lead her towards a different path, imo, and I can see minfilia being more capable of doing what she expresses the desire to do in canon: act directly rather than to send people to do things in her stead. 

ultimately, I think her goals and who she’d end up being would still be very much aligned with the scions, so I can totally see her having a place with them, even if the road to get there and her role in the organization would be very very different (without the echo, she wouldn’t have been in touch with louisoix for years, but her being close to thancred doesn’t depend on that, and it’s fairly easy to imagine he’d still have a part on why she ends up with the scions, much like he has a part canonically, considering he’s the one who introduces her and louisoix). echo or not, minfilia is deeply caring and compassionate, as well as ready to stand up for what she believes in and defend what she thinks is important, no matter what. she would want to act for eorzea and the world at large, even if her heritage would also factor more consistently when it comes to causes she cares about. and I think she might have done that more directly, had she not assumed the position she does canonically as hydaelyn’s chosen.