Disclaimer: Absolutely no copyright infringement intended in any way. Ragnarok Online belongs to its rightful owners, and this fanfiction is written purely for recreational purposes.

Author's note: This story takes place roughly 15 years before the first chapter of Into the Heart of Sograt. The events in this chapter are mentioned briefly in Chapter 6 of the story.

Chapter 1: Feast of the Noble Blood.

The City of Alberta. Year 417, Month of Iunius, Day fourteen.

Night of the tenth anniversary of King Tristan III's sovereign of Rune-Midgard.

In Manor Alberta, servants are scurrying about, busy with their responsibilities. The kitchen-maids are cleaning up the Main Dining Hall, scrubbing the tables spotless and polishing the silver cutleries. Stable-boys are busy grooming the horses, preparing them for their night's rest. In the Courtyard, the night guards are assembled, ready for their night patrol of the huge compound of the Manor. The Lord of Alberta, the Honourable Kou Shin has just arrived back in the Manor after a five-day expedition to the City of Prontera, the Capital of Rune-Midgard for the commemoration of King Tristan III's ten-year anniversary rule of the Kingdom. It had been a glorious celebration, attended by each and every member of the royal family, the eight ministers of the Kingdom, nobilities from all over the land, and over one hundred thousand commoners, some of whom made a journey of over a thousand miles from lands as far as Juno and Ayothaya. There was a banquet for three days and nights, brilliant performances from Midgard's best entertainers and sparring competitions between the kingdom's best fighters.

But perhaps the most celebrated event on this day is the King's success in sealing a treaty between the House of Jin and the House of Kou, the two most influential noble families in the southern half of Midgard. The House of Jin represents the people of Sograt, the land of desert in the southernmost part of the Mainland of Midgard. Traditionally, they have been members of the Thief class, who are well-adapted to live in the harsh, dry climate of the desert. Their main source of income seems to come from the sales of Morroccan silks, spices and various exotic potteries which are unique to Sograt alone. The supreme leader of the people of Sograt is their Lord, who holds a position equivalent to the most esteemed Dukes of Midgard. For the past six generations, the position of the Lord of Sograt has been held by the head of the House of Jin, which has an insurmountable source of wealth from their taxes on travellers who pass through the desert lands. It has proven to be a ludicrously profitable business for the Jins, since the lands of Sograt connect the Mainland of Midgard to the newer lands, such as the City of Comodo and the jungles and swamps of Umbala, and are thus important routes for both travel and trade. The Jins are also the most powerful members of the Thief class in the kingdom; they are assassins who practise the most formidable, deadliest skills known to humankind, and they do not hesitate in the use of poison. Legends say that the head of the House of Jin in every generation is known to be the most atrocious, ruthless, and thoroughly wicked man of Midgard, who is capable of slaying thousands of men, women and children without showing the slightest bit of remorse for his evil deeds. Whether the legend is true, it cannot be ascertained since there has not been a single individual who has survived the wrath of the Jins to live and tell the tale.

The House of Kou, on the other hand, consists of members of the Kou family who are mostly merchants and traders. They reside in the city of Alberta, to the south-western part of Midgard. Unlike the Thieves, the Merchants are a peace-loving community whose main concern is to make as much money as possible from their trades. In Alberta, the merchants may sell anything from foodstuffs to weapons and rare gemstones. The merchant community is governed by their leader, the Lord of Alberta. Unlike their thief counterpart, where the position of the Lord of Sograt is handed down by their ancestors, the position for the Lord of Alberta is chosen by the voice of majority where the people of Alberta may actually decide on the best candidate to be their Honourable Lord. However, since the founding of Rune-Midgard the position has always been held by members of the House of Kou. Perhaps this can be attributed to their immense wealth and power; they are the only family which is comparable to the Jins of Sograt. The Kous are also known to be masters of the sea; they are the best sailors, monopolising all the major trading routes by sea. The family owns over three hundred merchant trading vessels altogether, which consist of Midgard's fastest clippers and schooners.

However, for some reasons not entirely clear, the House of Jin and the House of Kou have always been at odds with each other. For the six generations since the founding of Midgard, there has been no peace in the southern part of the land due to the disputes between these two families. Lives have been lost on both sides, but their pride is too great to allow the two families to even consider reconciliation with each other. Perhaps one reason is due to the nature of their jobs; countless merchants have been ambushed and robbed by the thieves throughout Midgard. On the other hand, the Thieves consider robbing the rich and privileged Merchants, the most natural thing to do. The Merchants look down on the Thieves for their dishonest ways, while the Thieves consider Merchants as fools who live only for the sake of money.

However, on this historic day King Tristan III has finally united the two groups. While it is near impossible for each of the group to completely rid of their hatred for the other, it seems that there would be temporary peace in southern Midgard for the time being, at the very least. The conditions of the treaty are equally favourable to them; both Merchants and Thieves are obligated to cease all forms of offensive contact with the other, and any disagreement between them would be brought before the Court of Order to be judged accordingly. The Thieves are prohibited from raiding or plundering the Merchants, unless if they happen to trespass on the lands of Sograt. On the other hand, the Merchants would not be allowed to discriminate against the Thieves by refusing trades with them, or by charging exorbitant interest rates. It certainly seems as if Alberta and Morroc are heading towards the path of peace again, after four centuries.

However, nobody would foresee the calamity that looms ahead. Nobody would have thought that that particular night would be marked in history as one of the greatest tragedies of Midgard. It all starts on the midnight exactly, when the clock strikes twelve. About twenty of the Outlaws, or those who are known as the Jobless beings, those without a Lord and who are subject to no rules of the society, descend upon Manor Alberta and launch a deadly attack on its inhabitants. The group consists of some of the best assassins in the land, whose skills surpass that of ordinary warriors. Being taken completely off-guard, it takes only an hour or so before Manor Alberta is turned into a gruesome sea of human blood and flesh. One by one, members of the Kou family are slain and beheaded; the servants are not spared either, and soon the entire massacre is over. The total number of casualty has never been determined accurately, but it is said that over eighty lives were lost on that night.

In the midst of the chaos, three figures are seen running in the direction of the Main Quarters, away from the Courtyard. One of them, a lady of the Sorcerer class, seems to be carrying a child in her arms. The child, a girl of not more than three years of age, is crying and wailing loudly, as if lamenting the misfortune that has befallen them. The lady hushes her, lightly pressing the child's face to her breasts. Another of the escapee is the Kou family's royal retainer, a Whitesmith whose strength is unmatched by anyone but his Lord. He is seen carrying a large axe, clearing everything in their path, making a safe way for the party towards escape. The third runner is a boy of fifteen years of age, who would one day ascend to be the greatest Head of Merchants. However, all is lost if they cannot make it to safety on this night.

The party reaches the Main Quarters, and proceeds directly to the Lord's Chamber. Once inside, the loyal Whitesmith stands guard at the heavy wooden door, while the lady pushes aside the gratings at the fireplace, and further removes a block of soot-laden stone from the back. This reveals a narrow opening, the width just enough for a person to pass through at one time. She turns towards the children.

"Now go, Edward. Protect Yukari at all costs, and never come back again until it is completely safe. There will be a group of retainers waiting at the end of this tunnel, ready for emergencies such as tonight. Go to this address in the village of Payon as fast as you can, and seek the Head of the village, a wise old man named Han Jang. He shall provide shelter to you until the King clears this mess. It would be a difficult path for you two, but you have to make it somehow. For the sake of the family, of our people, of all the Merchants, we shall not go down without a fight. Now go, and may the Lord Odin be with you at all times".

The boy nods his head, and kisses his mother's hand. He bows his head, with tears of rage and dignity overflowing. "Someday, somehow... they shall pay for this. I swear on it, Mother".

"Leave that for another day. Do not think of revenge until you are able to stand on your own, Edward. Look to the future, and never let the past hold you back. Be clear in your judgements, and shrewd in your actions. Your honourable Father and I will be watching you always. Fly as high as you can, and bring great glory to the Merchants and the people of Alberta".

"I will, Mother. I will. Now let's go, Yukari", says the boy, while tugging at the other child.

"No! Mama... mama let's go together. I want to see Papa too. Let's go back to him".

"No, my child. Go with your brother for now. You can come back another time. Tonight you must go".

"Eh? Promise, mama? Promise that we can be together again when I come back?"

The lady smiles sadly. "Yes, my love... Now go. Think of this as an adventure. You have always wanted to explore this tunnel don't you? Tonight mama will let you do that. But you must stay with Edward no matter what, okay?"

The child looks confused, but she could sense that she must go, for some reason. "Okay... See you later, mama". The lady kisses the little girl's forehead, and hugs her for the last time.

Edward shoves the little girl into the tunnel, before turning back and nodding at his mother. "May God be with you all tonight too, Mother. I shall be back, no matter what it takes".

She smiles again, and hands the boy a box about the size of a palm. "The Royal Seal of the Kou family... Protect this with your life, Edward".

He takes the box, and turns towards the Whitesmith standing at the door. "Farewell, Uncle Brian... Thank you for everything".

The Whitesmith bows, and says nothing. The air is heavy with emotions, but time is precious to them. The boy looks at his mother for one last time, and disappears into the tunnel. The lady pushes back the stone and the gratings and heads towards the door.

"Now, Brian, we would have to buy them as much time as we can".

"Yes, my Lady. Worry not, Master Edward has been taught exactly what to do. Both of them shall reach Payon safely".

"Yes, Brian. And thank you".

The door bursts open suddenly; about five men storm into the room. By the time the two young children reach safety at the end of the tunnel, all has been lost for Manor Alberta.