-990- Balthazar Zaharias

Suddenly, there was a voice that sounded like it was intentionally dramatic and overly theatrical.

Hearing this voice, Rozen turned his head and looked toward the source. It wasn't just Rozen; everyone else present also turned their heads to see a man slowly approaching.

This man had a pointed beard, a dull complexion, and a pair of narrow eyes that revealed no clear emotions, reminiscent of a cunning fox. Applauding with one hand, he observed the chaotic scene and the Nosferata lying in pools of blood, expressing his amazement as if witnessing a spectacle.

"Never thought they would be so easily dealt with. I'm not sure whether I should be happy about it, considering I provided them with weapons," said the thin man, his voice lacking any hint of disappointment, only a very theatrical playfulness.

However, seeing this man, Veldiana, firmly bound by the white chains, widened her eyes and erupted in furious anger.

"Balthazar Zaharias!"

Veldiana called out this name.

Rozen had heard this name before, and so had anyone who followed the news to some extent.

"I've heard this name before..." mumbled Kojou.

Nagisa seemed to recall something and exclaimed, "Isn't he the chairman of the Nelapsi Provisional Autonomous Government?"

Exactly. The thin man named Zaharias was indeed the chairman of the Nelapsi Provisional Autonomous Government, the leader of the Nosferata.

Due to the Nosferata being shunned by the Demon race, they didn't have their own territory. Instead, they survived as tribes scattered around the world.

Moreover, there were long-standing conflicts among Nosferata tribes, making them internally divided. Hence, they resorted to violent means to plunder resources from other countries, living like bandits and marauders.

Zaharias managed to unite these Nosferata, secure victory in the war against the Caruana territory, ultimately gaining territory and establishing the Nosferata land called Nelapsi. He wasn't a Nosferata himself; rather, he was a death merchant engaged in the arms trade.

In other words, Zaharias was an arms dealer.

Naturally, the weapons he supplied were not just ordinary firearms; they included extraordinary magical devices.

The main reason Nosferata managed to defeat Caruana in their war was because Zaharias provided powerful magical devices. These devices were embedded in Nosferata bodies, enhancing both individual and collective combat capabilities.

Without Zaharias, the divided Nosferata tribes, surviving on violent resource plundering, wouldn't have had access to so many magical devices. They wouldn't have acquired the ability to fight against legitimate vampires like Caruana.

Therefore, even if Nosferata's fate changed because of Zaharias, it was entirely reasonable. Acknowledging the value of the weapons supplied by Zaharias, Nosferata obeyed him, considering him their chairman. They gained the strength to fight against Caruana territory, eventually seizing Count Caruana's land.

Given this context, it's no wonder Veldiana acted this way. If not for Zaharias, her father wouldn't have died, her family wouldn't have declined, her territory wouldn't have been lost, and she wouldn't have fallen into the situation of being hunted.

Hence, it's not an exaggeration to say that Zaharias is Veldiana's true enemy, responsible for the killing of her father, the rebellion against her family, and the destruction of her house.

The sisters of the Caruana family sought to awaken No. 12 through the "key" to become an Emperor candidate, participating in the banquet. One of their goals was to seek revenge against Zaharias.

Simultaneously, Zaharias was the initiator of this "Blazing Banquet."

To sum it up, the arms dealer before them was the source of all the turmoil.

"It's him...!?"

Understanding this, Kojou instinctively positioned himself to protect Nagisa.

On the contrary, Rozen paid no attention to Zaharias' appearance but instead directed his gaze behind him.

Behind Zaharias, two petite figures were following closely.

These were two figures of similar height to Nagisa, unlike the previously unusually tall and robust Nosferata. They were very small in stature, wearing cloaks like the Nosferata but without masks, keeping their heads lowered, making it impossible to see their faces.

From the outline of their bodies, these two figures seemed to be two young girls.

However, despite being two small girls, for some reason, they gave Rozen a sense of danger.

It wasn't just Rozen's feeling; even the Gyokuto ring worn on his left hand faintly transmitted a warning to Rozen after the appearance of these two girls, making him realize that these girls were not ordinary.

"Could it be..."

Rozen thought of a certain possibility, and his expression became serious.

"Zaharias!" Veldiana spoke with intense hatred. "How dare you show up in front of me!?"

While expressing her anger, Veldiana struggled again with renewed effort.

If not for the "Injunction Shackles" restraining Veldiana, this temperamental young lady would have undoubtedly rushed forward recklessly, right?

Zaharias observed this with interest.

However, what caught his interest wasn't Veldiana.

In the eyes of this arms dealer, there was no presence of Veldiana. Instead, he was fixated on the white chains on Veldiana, showing an unusual interest.

"Could that be the legendary 'Lawbinding Shackles' created by the gods?"

The arms dealer's eyes were solely focused on powerful weapons, with everything else completely irrelevant to him.

"What?" Rozen gestured for Kojou and Nagisa to step back while casually saying, "Does Chairman Zaharias want to imitate his Nosferata forces and use violence to seize what he wants?"

"No, no, no, how could that be?" Zaharias exaggeratedly shook his head, saying with an artificial smile, "I'm a businessman. If I want something, I'd naturally prefer to trade. Why would I resort to violence?"

"Is that so?" Rozen immediately responded with a sarcastic tone. "But your Nosferata forces seem to have violently attacked my place, haven't they?"

To this remark, Zaharias continued smiling without any reduction.

"I apologize for that. We only came to recover the property stolen by thieves. We didn't intend to offend anyone. If we caused any losses to you, I am willing to compensate. Please forgive us."

This arms dealer actually spoke such words.