"So, let's do it this way," said the bully. "I'm going to beat this kid up. And if it turns out he's a noble's son, you can all blame me. Say I rebelled, and I'll take care of the situation myself. That way, leader, we won't waste our time with someone who could just be a nobody."
The idea seemed good to the leader, who replied:
"Alright. Go ahead and do as you please."
The soldier, who thought he was tough, advanced toward little Joe. However, before he got close, Joe smiled, feeling his confidence rise. He made a small gesture with his index finger, warning:
"You can try. But I suggest you mind your own business instead of meddling in mine. This will be my last warning."
The big guard, laughing, responded:
"Keep that warning to yourself and suffer the consequences!"
But before his hand could reach Joe, he took another step and fell to the ground, without anyone seeing what had hit him. The other guards, startled, began looking around, panicking. They moved forward with swords drawn, unsure if it was indeed the little Joe who had done that.
Joe then declared:
"You, you, and you… fall!"
Seconds later, four soldiers were lying motionless on the ground. The leader of the soldiers, now more wary than ever, insisted on asking:
"Kid, speak! Who are you? We can just forget this."
Little Joe simply replied:
"Let's do this: I'll give you ten seconds to get out of here and take your friends with you. However, when the countdown ends, if you're still here, you'll face the consequences."
The other soldiers, who had been coming from behind, hadn't seen the scene and didn't understand how four of their comrades had fallen. They rushed to attack Joe without waiting for their leader's orders. The result was the same: five new soldiers fell unconscious, piled on top of one another.
Then Joe began to count:
"One, two, three…"
The leader of the soldiers tried to renegotiate:
"Look, kid, what are you doing? We are many! Even if we don't know how you did this, we can't just run from a single child!"
The counting continued:
"Four, five, six…"
The leader of the soldiers insisted:
"You know that if even one of us catches you, you're dead, kid. Right?"
"Seven, eight, nine…"
"Stop that counting!" yelled the leader, desperate.
"Ten. Now you choose: either kneel or lie on the ground," said Joe.
That order seemed too absurd for the leader of the soldiers, who, in a shout, ordered:
"Attack this boy with everything you've got!"
But before he could repeat the order, the leader looked around and saw that he was the only one still standing.
"Boy, please, think again. Let's just pretend this never happened, alright?"
Joe approached the leader and said:
"I think it's too late for that."
Seeing his chance, the leader tried to strike Joe as fast as he could, but his arm was paralyzed. A sting from an ant, or at least that's what he thought, had immobilized his arm.
"You're really brave," said Joe. "Even in this situation, you still want to attack me?"
Suddenly, flying insects, which Joe couldn't identify, covered the soldier's face, though they didn't make him pass out. The leader screamed in pain, terrified, but Joe showed no signs of fear and ordered:
"From now on, you will be my slave."
With swollen eyes and bruised lips, fear kept the leader of the soldiers from reacting. Still, Joe could understand when he whispered, barely audible:
"Can you give me another chance?"
"Yes, but leave all your weapons here. Swords, spears, armor, and most importantly, all the coins you have, whether gold, silver, or bronze. Choose two of your subordinates who are in the best shape and have them collect those things from your friends. Put everything over in that corner. Then I'll figure out how to take it. Do you understand? That will be the price you'll pay for your freedom and that of your companions."
Though reluctant, the leader obeyed when he saw a huge yellow ant on his shoulder. Scared, he gave the order as best he could. His soldiers, limping from side to side, removed all the weaponry, armor, and coins and placed them where Joe had indicated. After twenty minutes, they started to leave, dragging themselves and leaning on each other.
When the big guard wanted to complain, Joe warned:
"If this guy opens his mouth to insult me again, you will all be at the mercy of the insects that bit him the first time. And this time, I won't interfere, leaving you to your fate."
Before the big guy could respond, the leader lunged at him, covering his mouth forcefully, making it clear that it was better for him to stay quiet. They all left, limping, after kneeling and apologizing to little Joe, promising not to return anytime soon. As they disappeared among the trees, Joe let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Feeling victorious, he turned back to the tunnel, ready to watch the work of the ants, while the dwarves talked among themselves, perplexed to see such a young boy defeat so many guards at once. Surely, this would be the most talked-about news among the dwarves in Dhaubania for a long time.
Little Joe wasn't happy with how things were going. After all, many hours had passed, and despite the number of ants working, there was still a lot to be done for the tunnel to be ready.
It was now 8:00 PM, and just like the day before, he left the ants to continue the digging while he accompanied the other dwarves to their village.
The dwarf Finerg, always very polite, once again invited him and took him to his home. Again, he prepared a large enough tub with hot water for little Joe's bath.
Afterward, he served a good meal to his guest, and they talked for two hours, until the dwarf Finerg bid him goodnight and went to sleep.