A child of humble birth, in his youth, Griffith is stricken with poverty, to the point where he at times can't even afford a slice of bread. In the cobblestone streets of alleyways, he plays with his fellow street urchins, procuring junk trinkets and calling them victories. Griffith's ambition proves to be higher than that of the other children, however; in the afternoons, with the sunlight blocked out by towering brothels and pubs, he gazes up at the sun-coated castle of the city he resides in. It is in these streets where Griffith decides that the acquisition of his own kingdom will be his real victory. He eventually receives his Crimson Behelit in these same streets from an old, gypsy fortune teller, who foretells his conquest of the world.