Rude, startled by such bravery and noticing the number of people disapproving of his less-than-noble actions, quickly left the scene.
"I counted 70 coins, Mr. Joe. Here is your change."
"No need to worry about that, Mr. Benki. Take ten more, and thank you very much for the discount you gave me."
The dwarf Benki Furger's eyes filled with tears, trickling down his long beard without Little Joe noticing. Such respect and courtesy, and in his ancestral language; it was something that couldn't go unrewarded.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Joe. I have a gift for you."
"It's not your daughter or niece, is it, sir?"
Surprised, Benki said:
"You already know them? Indeed, I have some lovely and well-mannered nieces. One is still very young, that's Guirllaf. If you have the patience to wait, she'll grow into a beautiful young lady. The other, Linarf, is already of age to date, if your father permits, of course. But the eldest would surely be perfect for you, strong in both beauty and temperament. I think you'd make a lovely couple, Mr. Joe. If you're interested in one of them, I can introduce you to them all. Ah yes, the eldest's name is..."
"Please, Mr. Benki, don't trouble yourself with such matters. I'm still too young to involve myself with any girl or young lady."
"Well then, the gift I have for you is a miniature replica of the warrior dwarf's lance, a hero known to all dwarves, the valiant Heron Goldfard. He mastered the martial technique of the 'unbeatable spear,' which became a symbol of hope for a better future among dwarves."
"Is he still alive, Mr. Benki? What happened to him?"
"He fought to the bitter end to prevent a massacre among the dwarves. But eventually, the union of nobles amassed an enormous force of soldiers, and with overwhelming numbers against us, our hero Heron Goldfard was forced to surrender to spare his people from being slaughtered. He was captured, and our people were defeated, left to blindly obey the laws created by the victorious nobles to oppress us even further. But let's leave that aside. After all, it's all history now. As for this little lance, I use it as a pendant and give it to you as a gift to use as you wish."
Suddenly, the micro-subsystem sent an alert, flashing yellow before Per Joe, stating: "[The dwarf Benki has developed a profound affinity with you; he is mentally prepared to receive a connection screen from you]."
"Mr. Benki, may I offer you a gift as well?"
"No, my young friend. You can't give me all your bronze coins; I would never accept that."
"No, Mr. Benki, I have something better."
Looking straight into the dwarf Benki's eyes, the message appeared on the micro-subsystem screen.
[Connection formed, enable screen creation. Do you wish to create a screen for the dwarf Benki?]
[ Yes / No ]
[ Yes /...]
[Notice: The full screen will become visible to him in 24 hours.]
"What was that, Mr. Joe? It feels like I'm seeing something written in front of my eyes, but when I try to look more closely, there's nothing there."
"Don't worry about it for now, Mr. Benki. It's something that will bring you great benefit. In 24 hours, I'll return and explain everything you need to know."
Likewise, after receiving a warm welcome from the dwarf artisan, they conversed at length about miniature inventions. The conversation grew so interesting that they were now discussing weaponry and armor for warrior ants and equipment for worker ants.
"Mr. Joe, what you're asking for isn't impossible, but for better efficiency, these ants would need to be at least 20 centimeters long so that the armor could fit them better. However, there are pieces they could use freely without armor."
Little Joe grew increasingly excited, already visualizing in his mind how his Florida would look in armor.
"For the worker ants, I'm sure I can make more efficient pickaxes so they can use greater force. And for those that carry debris, I could create a small bin that holds just the right amount and has a weight they can handle. This way, every trip would be well-used, speeding up their excavation or whatever they're doing."
Little Joe imagined how fast the ants would be if they used such equipment in their work. Meanwhile, excited by the idea of making things for ants, the artisan dwarf continued enthusiastically.
"For the soldier ants, I could create weapons like small spears or even mini swords, as long as they know how to handle them. I'm not sure if it's necessary, but if you want, I can also develop shields to further boost their defense."
"And what do you think, Mr. Benki, about making armor as soon as possible for an ant the size you mentioned?"
The dwarf Benki's eyes widened, and he nearly fell off his bench, so astonished was he by Little Joe's declaration.
"Do you really have an ant that's 20 centimeters in size?"
"For now, I only have one, but soon I'll have more. Would you like to see her?"
"Could you really show me, Mr. Joe?"
"Of course, as long as this remains a secret between us."
"Don't worry, Mr. Joe. I would never say a word without your permission."
Then Florida timidly emerged from the suitcase, climbing out and hiding in the boy's clothes, leaving only her head visible.
"This is incredible, Mr. Joe. I never imagined I'd see anything like this in my life. A rare Mortallis ant of this size. You are one lucky young man."
Then Florida spoke:
>Trik... Trik... Trok!<
"What do you think she meant by those sounds, young man?"
"She said she's lucky."
The dwarf's eyes widened even more upon hearing that.
"Besides speaking my ancestral language, you actually understand what she says, Mr. Joe?"
"Yes, perfectly, and she understands me as well."
"This is astonishing! Mr. Joe, forgive my disbelief, but can you at least prove what you said?"
"Mr. Benki, if we weren't in such a crowded place, I could have her dance for you."
>Trik... Trok... Trik!<
"What did she say now, Mr. Joe?"
"She said she doesn't know how to dance. Florida, lift one of your little legs, then the other, wiggle your antennas, and give a little wave to Mr. Benki like this."