Apolo followed Mateo to the outer entrance of the dungeon. This wasn't the only entrance, but it was the best one for moving heavy furniture inside, making it a convenient spot for the carriage drivers to place the coffins. Once the drivers finished their task, it would be easy for the servants to carry the coffins further in. An improvised ramp had even been built with planks to simplify things.

Upon arrival, Apolo immediately noticed the drivers unloading coffins from their carriages, while his servants watched from a distance.

—Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?— Apolo barked authoritatively.

—We don't want to die, that's what's happening!— one of the servants retorted angrily.

Hearing the insolent response from one of his servants, Apolo clenched his fist tightly and forced a smile on his face as he muttered to himself:

—No, Apolito, no, if you do that, we'll waste a lot of time finding new servants.

Hearing his lord's muttering, Mateo quickly explained the situation before things escalated. He knew well that this wasn't the emaciated Apolo from before. Now, Apolo was a two-meter mini-giant who had been trained as a war machine since birth. He could easily end up killing all the servants if he lost his temper, so it was better not to anger him too much.

—The servants are afraid to carry the bodies into the dungeon, my lord.

—But they did this no more than a day ago, and they've been transporting bodies for over a week— Apolo said, anger in his eyes as if they were a bunch of lazybones—Why the hell did they decide to stop now?

Mateo approached Apolo and whispered in his ear:

—Many of these bodies show symptoms of dying from the blue plague.

—Oh!... What a mess... What a small... big detail... I mean problem...— Apolo murmured slowly, losing his anger and looking concernedly at the working drivers.

Apolo walked over to the young head driver he had spoken to not long ago. Currently, the young man was sitting on a coffin, eating the food his servants had prepared for him. Apparently, the driver had finished emptying his carriage, and he was taking a break.

—Young man, can you explain to my servants why they shouldn't fear the corpses?— Apolo said with the smile of a loving grandfather.

—Of course, for you, anything, sir. And we could use some extra hands to lower the coffins, by the way— the young man said, standing up to approach the servants—The blue plague victims don't spread the disease; it dies with the victim. The real culprits for spreading the disease are the rats in the city.

—I don't believe you for a damn second, kid— one of the servants replied.

—Listen, why would someone who you've seen with your own eyes carrying bodies just a few minutes ago lie to you?— Apolo asked, looking at the servant who had just spoken as if he were an idiot.

—Well, he's right, the boy probably isn't intentionally lying to us...— the servant replied, looking at the drivers with pity—But I'm sure what the drivers are doing is a mistake; they were deceived by the people who hired them. These things happen to desperate fools for a few crystals.

—These youngsters were hired by a minister under the emperor's command!— Apolo shouted, waving his hands angrily—They weren't hired by some fourth-rate mercenary or a drunken bartender. Do you think the emperor would send his own people to die by deceit in such a cruel way?

—I don't know...— the servant said doubtfully.

—I'm telling you myself that you can't catch the blue plague by touching a corpse. It's common knowledge!— Apolo yelled angrily—Don't you believe your lord's word?

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—I... This... It's just that it's my life, sir! I have kids to feed; please understand my concerns!— the servant responded, sweat beginning to stain his face. He watched as the rest of the servants fell silent, leaving him as the scapegoat.

—Alright, it's understandable that as a father you'd want to take care of yourself...— Apolo said calmly, making the servant even more nervous—If you were to catch the blue plague, it would be a tragedy for your family. Surely your kids would have to work in some ignoble job just to survive. And what about your wife? She'd be forced to prostitute herself in the city's alleys, only to die at the hands of some wretched drunkard. Not to mention what would happen to your younger kids. They'd probably be abandoned to starve in the city streets by their older siblings, just so those older ones could increase their own share of food and survive their brutal childhood. Dying of the blue plague would truly be a great tragedy, but your lord is fully aware of all that. That's why I'm telling you that you should calm down and believe me. I'd never make you suffer such a tragedy. So, repeat after me: "The blue plague doesn't spread from the dead".

—The... The b-b-blue plague... doesn't sp-spread...from the d-dead —The servant stuttered, clearly unconvinced by Apolo's words. Cold sweat, like ice, started to stain his back as he looked around for support. Yet, the other servants avoided his gaze as if he carried the plague himself.

—Alright then, go arrange that beechwood c-c-coffin— Apolo said with a kindly smile, pointing to a coffin in one of the carriages.

—Th-this... I... I can't, sir: I just c-c-can't do it! Don't force me, please, I beg you for my children's sake! My wife's pregnant, and if I got infected now, nobody could bring food to my family!— The servant cried out desperately. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at his fellow workers, his expression pleading for their help. However, the other servants cruelly ignored him as if he were a ghost.

—Calm down, calm down. I'd never force you into anything...— Apolo reassured, stepping closer to the servant until he was right in front of him. He lowered his head to look the servant squarely in the eyes and gently patted his shoulder as if he were a child—But it seems you didn't understand a thing I've been saying. So, I'll demonstrate it myself. In my family, things are done by setting an example, and as Grandpa used to say, "A general has to lead the army from the front".

After saying that, Apolo turned around and grabbed the first coffin he came across. With a single swipe, he sent the lid of the coffin flying, astonishing everyone present with his inhuman strength. Inside the coffin, there lay the body of a girl, as if sleeping on a bed of petals as red as blood. The girl was finely dressed in a white dress embroidered with pink petals. Despite her charming attire, what stood out most were the large, incredibly beautiful blue circles around her eyes, and her extremely pale skin that accentuated the bluish hue of her lips. This beauty concealed the cruel fate the girl had endured; these were the symptoms of having been tormented by the blue plague for a long time, ultimately succumbing to death. The girl's corpse showed no signs of decomposition, making it seem as if she had died no more than a week ago. Apolo could even smell the perfume released by the rose petals that her family had used to fill the coffin alongside her.

Without the slightest bit of respect, Apolo grabbed the girl's corpse by her hair and lifted half of her body to face the servants.

—Alright, girl, repeat after me: "The blue plague isn't spread by the dead"— Apolo said with a wide grin. Immediately, he took the girl's head from her jaw and began moving her mouth while changing his voice to a more feminine tone and said:

—"The blue plague isn't spread by the dead", I died because of those wicked rats. So, listen to my friend Apolito and take me to rest in the comfortable dungeon.

Ignoring the dumbfounded looks of everyone present, Apolo casually dropped the girl's corpse into the coffin. With confident steps, emanating his aura of authority, the young nobleman approached until he was right in front of the servant he had been talking to. Then, he lowered his head to fix the unbelieving eyes of the servant and said authoritatively:

—So, what do you think now? Do you believe me now that the blue plague isn't spread by the dead? You and everyone else had better do your job right. Otherwise, just wait until the drivers finish their work. Leave with them and find yourselves another damn job!

With that, Apolo turned around and went back to Mateo's side, silently observing as the servants slowly began to help lower the coffins from the carriages. When Apolo finally realized that all the servants were working again, the young nobleman resumed his walk to the mansion to continue his tasks.

Meanwhile, Mateo looked on conspiratorially as his father remained silent throughout the young nobleman's speech. He watched passively from a distance as all the servants under his charge worked. He couldn't help but marvel at how straight his father stood, as firm as an oak and as serious as the deceased the servants were moving. He stood still, showing not even a hint of doubt or remorse. However, Mateo was finding it increasingly difficult to keep himself from telling these people the harsh truth: Apolo was the only one who didn't care about catching the blue plague in this mansion!