Kobolds~

The valley alone wasn't the only part that changed, although it was definitely the most obvious one.

Although Kobolds didn't change visually, their behavior was completely different than before.

A little over a month passed, and all of them would wander the valley only to go into the mines in search of the tastiest rock or the place to poop.

Now, they all acted like members of the intelligent species, with different goals, objectives, and jobs.

Working together, bartering, and playing around in their free time.

The part that changed the least was that the Kobolds continued to act confused - although also excited - each time they would find an egg, even if they would 'find' it in their own house.

Similarly, they wouldn't care for the egg directly but instead take it to the hatchery, which was watched over by a single thin-tailed Kobold whose silver scales and wide paws with short claws looked particularly soft and delicate.

Speaking of which…

*THUMP*

"OUGH…!"

A silver-scaled Kobold bonked a horned brown-scaled one on the head, causing her to let out a screech and put up her shoulders defensively.

"What… What was that for…!? Me… I am on my way to show off the new accessory!"

The bonked Kobold cried out while showing off a beautifully ornate gold-and-silver necklace in its paws.

"You kicked an egg, you klutz!"

The silver-scaled Kobold scoffed at her while trotting away and picking up a brownish egg similar to an ostrich one.

"Egg? Egg! Ah…! No, but I am going to show off the accessory… Can you take it to the hatchery?"

The brown-scaled Kobold perked up instinctively but ended up shaking her head to point at the necklace in her paw.

"..."

The silver-scaled Kobold squinted her eyes and trotted back toward the brown-scaled one and…

*THUMP*

"OUGH!"

…bonked her on the head between her horns…

"You need to be more careful! You kicked the egg last week and it cracked and went bad! No little one, you understand? Until you all learn when you're about to lay an egg and not do it in random places, you have to watch where you step!"

"...I apologized already…"

The silver once scolded the brown-scaled one who lowered her head and grumbled.

"Apologizing isn't good enough! You have to start paying attention, too!"

"...I… okay. I will try…"

The brown-scaled Kobold opened her mouth with a look in her eyes that indicated she wanted to start to argue, but she ended up changing her mind and nodded her head.

"Good. Go show off the accessory. It looks very pretty."

"...! Right!? The last one was too plain! It had to be much, much prettier to match her!"

The silver-scaled one breathed out before nodding, causing the brown-scale one to perk up and chirp in delight before dashing off, although this time also paying attention where she stomped while she ran.

"Haaa… I hope a little one like me will hatch soon…"

The silver-scaled Kobold carefully held the new egg as she let out a sigh, turning around in order to carry it over to the hatchery.

"...hmm…?"

As she was passing the waterless fountain, she spotted a gray-scaled Kobold looking the most lizard-like amongst all of them, acting suspicious around the house built especially for their human friends.

"Ah! You! Are you about to lay an egg?!"

"!?!?"

The silver one let out a gasp and hurried over to the gray one, causing her to flinch and back off with her hands behind her back.

"You do! You look as if you were about to lay an egg, and know that you are about to lay an egg!"

"Wh-wha…?! N-no!"

The silver-scaled Kobold gasped with excitement, thinking that someone beside her awakened the instinct corresponding to that function, but the gray-scaled one shook screeched in confusion before shaking her head in denial.

"But you do! You feel a pressure right here right? And you feel that you have to find a safe place, that's why you moved out of sight of others!"

"...!"

The silver-scaled Kobold called out, reaching out and lightly pressing against the lower part of the gray-scaled one's tummy, making her flinch and back off awkwardly with her hands still behind her back.

"Huh…? It didn't feel like there was an egg there ready yet…"

The silver one titled her head, staring intently at the paw she pressed on the gray one's tummy.

"B-because there's not! I already…! Ah… umm… I… I have already laid an egg a few days ago! It would be too soon!"

The gray-scaled Kobold screeched out in embarrassment, flinching and changing her story in the middle of saying it.

"...you did…? But I don't remember you calling me about an egg?"

The silver-scaled one squinted her eyes and pointed out suspiciously, trying to pace around the gray-scaled one to see what she was trying to hide.

"I don't want to tell you about it!"

"EH?! Why not!? I am in charge of the hatchery!"

The gray-scaled Kobold cried out, stunning the silver one into screeching in disbelief.

"It's a secret! Go to the hatchery with the one you picked up! If I tell you when I will have another egg!"

The gray-scaled one screeched out loudly, without even looking at the shocked silver-scaled one.

"...ah…! Oh no! Did you lay a bad egg?! That happens when you don't eat enough mana!"

"!!!"

Suddenly, the silver-scaled Kobold gasped in understanding and asked, completely surprising the gray-scaled one with the assumption.

"But the plants by your house were the first ones to create mana crystal harvest… AH…! Did you give away all of them to the others and didn't have even one?! You shouldn't do that! If you feel that you will have an egg, you have to eat lots and lots of mana or the egg will turn bad!"

"...take the good egg to the hatchery already…"

The silver-scaled Kobold screeched with concern and compassion, but that only made the gray-scaled one lower her head and mutter under her breath.

"I'm sorry… I had a bad egg, too. Before we started harvesting mana crystals. Laying a bad egg makes you feel really, really bad, but it doesn't make you a bad Kobold!"

The silver-scaled one backed off, screeching reassuringly as she walked away respecting the gray-scaled one's wishes.

"...uuuu… it feels so bad to hide the truth from a nice Kobold like her…"

After the other one left, the gray-scaled Kobold let out a pitiful cry before looking around and making sure that the object she was holding on to the entire time was intact.