“Death on a battlefield doesn’t separate royalty, nobles, and commoners. Those defeated die.” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 6

Death was the great equalizer. Griffith was inspired by the impartiality of death in war, and took that mentality with him to the upscale arena of political intrigue. Since he was born a commoner, Griffith was often underestimated by the upper class, and he took full advantage of this fact. Although he was generally well-liked, there were some who saw his rapid rise in station as a threat not only to themselves, but to the very foundations of society. To Griffith, however, manipulating the interests of squabbling nobles was child’s play. He saw right trough the assassination plots laid down against him, and countered with his own.

“That look… As if his eyes were crushing me! As if he was looking down on me. Ridiculous…!? I’m the heir to the throne of Midland. My status is as far above his as the sky is above the filthy earth. But at the hunt, he stared at me like a hawk stares at its prey.” Yurius, Vol. 6 Ch. 3

It is important to note that Griffith never initiated violence, only exacted revenge. It was simply not worth his energy to do otherwise. Humble and sweet as his public face was, there was no doubt in Griffith’s mind that he was superior in every way to the overdressed monkeys that called themselves aristocrats. But when one stepped out of line, he would make sure they knew their place.

“You saw my eyes then. That was when I knew you wouldn’t tolerate my existence. For at that moment, your eyes were muddled with fear! People cannot ignore it when looking upon someone they fear. There are two actions one can take. Bowing down to the source of that fear, or getting rid of the fear by getting rid of that existence.” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 6

Nobody could withstand the true intensity of Griffith’s gaze. It stripped away the masks of etiquette and let him see a person’s underlying motives. He liked to test people from time to time, and if he sensed foul play, he moved quickly to sabotage any developing conspiracy. He would scout the terrain by gathering evidence, close in by enlisting turncoats or spies, and strike at the most opportune moment. It was very much like setting up a battlefield, except that afterwards there’d be no trace of his involvement. When all the pieces were in place, Griffith would unleash upon his enemies his ultimate weapon: Guts.