Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 21 - Old Acquaintances

I wake in the morning, slightly sore from the action yesterday. I stretch and bend for a bit, trying to get the worst of it out of my system. Changing back into my human form, I get clothed and head out of my room. A delightful scent from somewhere catches my attention.

Maneuvering through the clergy-house, which is surprisingly big, I find my way to the kitchen. I take note of the size of it, everything seems as if made for children. A vegetable soup is boiling on the oven, it smells amazing. As I step inside the room, a shadow leaps at me from behind the door!

I move to grab whatever it is that's leaping at me. I end up catching a heavy frying-pan with my hands, and dangling off the handle is a... small girl? No wait, she's a Changeling! Me halting her forward momentum sends her swinging into my chest. Not wasting the opportunity for damage, she kicks off of it, nearly knocking the breath out of me. She lands a bit away from me, taking a stance.

"Gleda! That's enough!" Brother Crym shouts as he comes running into the kitchen. His eyes widen as he sees me holding the frying pan, heaving for breath and massaging where she kicked me in the ribs. Though I took no damage, it still hurt! Gleda glares at me before demonstratively ignoring me. She then returns to tending the soup.

"I'm so very sorry for that. Gleda, she's..." "Not good with strangers entering her kitchen?" Brother Crym deflates slightly as he sighs. "I guess that's the truth of it. I hope you can forgive her." He bows his head in apology as I return the frying pan to its place on the wall. 

"She's been serving this house since the last Sister lived here. Never been outside, by now the poor thing is too afraid to go." He explains as he guides me out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Hey, World Knowledge, could I get the bio on Changelings now?

*Affirmative*
*Changeling:
A monster of unknown classification and origin. Most scholars agree that they are either a type of benign Undead, or some form of Elemental or Sprite. Uncannily humanoid in their appearance, they spontaneously generate after a woman has lost their child, either through still births or other means. The cut-off point for age seems to be around 5-6 years of age. As such, seeing a single woman with a Changeling in tow brings about all sorts of speculation in a community. This spontaneous generation happens even if the childs corpse was treated to prevent undeath prior to burial.
Most often raised as if they were the mothers biological child, though they never seem to grow beyond the physical appearance of a 7 year old child. Having a monsters longevity, some Changelings end up becoming a part of the household, even if their original family has long since died.*
*Rank: 2 Stars*

O-oh. That... That explains a lot. Especially seeing as Valena is like... fifteen years old. Yikes. I picked a bad disguise. 

"Is something the matter?" Brother Crym snaps me out of my thoughts. "Oh no, nothing." I tell him. Gleda comes into the dining room, carrying the pot of soup she was working on before I intruded into the kitchen. She sets it down on the table, before moving to ladle it into three bowls. 

"Uh, Gleda, I wanted to say sorry. I didn't know you don't like people entering your kitchen." I tell her as she hands me my portion of soup. She, of course, doesn't respond, but instead nods. I look to Crym for a translation. "She accepts your apology." He informs as he starts eating his soup. 

We finish our soup, it was quite lovely. Afterwards I had to wait a bit as Brother Crym finished his morning prayers, but once that's done, we head off to the Guild. With Cryms referral, I'd be able to tag along on hunts as a cleric. Basically I'll stay back and keep the others healthy. Less chance of me outing myself that way. 

As Crym takes care of the paperwork of getting me registered as an unlicensed cleric, I scan the Hall for potential hunting partners when a familiar sight catches my attention. Sitting around a table, enjoying a drink (non-alcoholic, I hope), is Germund, Merkiv and Seagrass. I thought those knuckleheads were suspended?