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

Chapter 30 - Field Study

I decide to head outside the cave. It's nearly the time Huldr said the researchers would arrive at, anyway. 
The Servants are hard at work with the Hillies. Seems the roofing to the sixth one is being worked on. A weave of sticks is placed atop a frame, then a layer of bark, then a layer of flat rocks. Then finally they add a decent layer of soil on top of that again. 

Currently, Huldr and two Gyger are weaving the sticks whilst some Jotun are carrying rocks from within the forest. They're probably sourced from the river. I walk over to the weavers. I see, the sticks are more like saplings. I guess the moment they fell a tree, my Boon of Fertility causes new ones to sprout very quickly.

"Are you okay, Master? You seem... a bit different." One of the Gyger asks. Is it that obvious? I mean, I have effectively split my personality in two, or maybe I'm finally complete as a person now that my monster instincts can be expressed freely?

"I'm fine, just a bit tired from the travelling." I reply. "Do you need help with anything?" I ask them. "Ah, we have everything covered here, so Master could just relax and recover from her travels." The Gyger smiles, inadvertently revealing a mouth full of needle-like teeth. I nod, and leave them to it.

I decide to lounge in the grass a bit. Just laying flat on my stomach, enjoying the smell of the earth and letting the sun warm my body. A while later, I pick up on a group of humanoids approaching the grove, so I get up and change into human form.

The Huldr and the two Gyger, as well as the three Jotun who were gathering rocks, hesitantly get behind me. I walk to in front of the hillies, and my Servants follow. "Ah, finally! The grove with the giant Elder-Oak in the middle." One of the humanoids exclaim, using a hand to shield their eyes from the sun in order to look towards the top of the tree.

So that's the species of tree I've been living under, huh. 
A group of six humanoids come into view, atop three... horses? Two on each horses'(?) back. I recognize one of the humanoids, though, it's Mina! The Servants and I wait until the researchers dismount the horses. Inspecting one of the horses, it's revealed to be a Hornhest.

*Hornhest
A Mammaloid monster distantly related to the mythical Unicorn. Often called False Unicorns, their mannerisms are far removed from the shy and peaceful nature of the real Unicorn. Ornery and prone to tantrums, though loyally devoted to anyone that it bonds with, the Hornhest is the preferred mount for Hunters when on expeditions. 
Omnivorous, it will mercilessly trample, bite and gore anything that's desperate or dumb enough to attack it. It will then usually eat the remains, leaving little but a pile of broken bones and muddy flesh. Because of this, Hunters can leave their mount unattended in most locales, provided nothing too big for the Hornhest to handle roams the area.
Like most domesticated monsters, there's a tame and a wild lineage. Oddly enough, the tame lineage is actually more aggressive than the wild ones.
Hornhests provide hides, bones and meat, though usually only wild ones end up this way. The horn is often crafted into spear-tips that will pierce even the thickest hides.
Rank: 4 Stars (Tame) 3 Stars (Wild)*

Aha, murder horses. I tell the Servants present to not rile up the Hornhests, just in case.  
"Look, a human, and a Beastfolk? A-are they witches? They seems allied with those monsters." One of the researchers whisper to Mina. Again with this witch thing...

*Witches are humanoids that for whatever reason lives among monsters in the wild. They're usually feared or hated due to their odd bond with monsters.*

Oh. Well, that explains that.
"Hello! We're the researchers that have come to conduct a field study in this Lair. Where might your Master be?" Mina speaks to us, seemingly ignoring the one whispering to her. I note surprise and confusion among the Jotun and Gyger. They, unlike the Huldr, don't know Common, so I suppose being able to understand Mina is strange to them.