Szilard Quates

Szilard Quates is a sadistic old alchemist and one of the Advenna Avis immortals who obtains immortality 200 years before the 1930s storyline. He was the main antagonist of 1930: The Rolling Bootlegs and has left a blinding legacy towards the character development of several characters, chiefly being Firo Prochainezo, Ennis, Felt Nibil and Phil. He is the creator of Ennis and her two deceased brothers; in the 2002 storyline he has a descendent named Bild Quates who bears a striking resemblance to him. In 1930, he is devoured by Firo, who had accidentally acquired immortality just recently.

Personality
While on the Advenna Avis, Szilard was not the most open-minded of the alchemists; he did not believe in the younger generation's abilities nor in the prospect that a demon could or should be summoned, while most other alchemists were intrigued by the prospect.

However, when he was proven wrong he soon attempted to gain the demon's knowledge at all costs, devouring thirteen immortals and attempting to devour Maiza Avaro to gain that knowledge. He is quick to anger and is not the most rational fellow, as he is easily swayed by his personal anger and hatred towards certain individuals as well as his obsessive lust for knowledge. This lust is probably the greatest driving force behind him and his actions. He wanted to make immortality available to the public so he could devour more people to gain their knowledge and attempts to create a homunculus to obtain its knowledge.

In the anime Szilard is portrayed even viler than in the Light Novels especially in regards to how he would come to hate Maiza. In the Light Novel Szilard did not specifically target Gretto but instead mistook him for Maiza and attacked him, while in the anime Szilard, for no reason other than revenge on Maiza, tied up Gretto and breifly tortured him before devouring him. However in both adaptations he lusted after Sylvie

Despite this even he would not dare to interfere with Huey Laforet.

Unspecific time period
Szilard, along with Victor Talbot was once a hired alchemist by the Dormentaire Family,a powerful and influential Italian Noble Family in Lotto Valentino.

1700s
Szilard did not appear during the school days of Elmer, Nikki, Huey and Monica, suggesting that he was either not in the area or to submerged in his work to have a social life, most likely the latter, however it is also possible that they simply never met despite being in the same town for a few different reasons.

None-the-less Szilard did join the other Lotto Valentino Alchemists on the Advenna Avis in order acquire immortality, however he personally felt that summoing a demon was heretical for an Alchemist, which begs the question of why he was even a part of the voyage to begin with.

Abilities
Though his appearance was brief Szilard's abilities should not be underestimated, as he was an unusually strong individual even by the standards of the immortals. Though he was quite old even before he drank the Grand Panacea Szilard was still a great and genius alchemist with years of experience and prowess in both alchemy and physical combat, the latter of which could've been preserved or enhanced by his alchemical abilities which would've been preserved upon being immortal.

When aboard the Advenna Avis he devoured seven other alchemists and the possibility of him coming after them prompted the rest of the Advenna Avis crew to scatter, during which time he hunted down and managed to slay eighteen alchemists leaving the remaining alive from the Advenna Avis generation a mere ten.

Over the years Szilard had created a vast network of limbs for his research that survived more than seventy years his post-mortem. Some of them were so well isolated and hidden that they remained active long after Szilard's demise. The fact that he could gather up so many powerful forerunning organizations that were organized enough to survive when he did not is proof of Szilard's own organizational skills and intelligence.

After Szilard developed the 'imperfect' immortal potion (where those who drink cannot be harmed but can age) he often fed it to others before 'eating' them. From doing that he has accumulated a lot of information without having to work for it. Firo admits that all of the joy he has ever felt seems to pale in comparison to Szilard's joy in 'eating' others.

He created several homunculi, all of which eventually betrayed him until at last he created Ennis, giving her only fighting abilities and obedience: no ethics, no morals, and no religious views.

Trivia

 * His name, Szilard, correctly pronounced in Hungarian (his original country) is See-laurd.
 * In the anime outro, he is only ever credited as Szilard.