Synopsis

At the northern edge of the world lies a land of snow and battle—The Kingdom of Svalbard.

Amidst harsh nature and a long conflict with the powerful Aurelian Empire to the south, Svalbard values valor and military merit above all else, taking it for granted that men take up the sword, conduct politics, and lead the nation.

There is another ancient tradition in the royal family.
A new monarch is granted a "Covenant Beast Egg," which they raise with their own mana and interaction. The beast that eventually hatches protects the kingdom alongside the monarch, and its strength is directly tied to the monarch's own prestige in this martial nation.

The late King Erik Valkhardt, who once ruled the land, was a strong king who stood on the battlefield himself. His brother Gald and Grand Marshal Gunnar also accumulated military merit as long-time comrades, eventually gaining undeniable popularity within the army.

Wary of power concentrating too much in the military, Erik engaged his only daughter Elena to Lucian, the second son of the prestigious House Eberhardt, from a young age.

Bind the royal family to a powerful noble house to check Gald and Gunnar.

—That was the balance the late king established.

However, Erik fell to illness.
Having no son, he entrusted the crown to his only daughter, Elena.

The Nineteen-Year-Old Queen—Elena Valkhardt

As the successor chosen by the late king himself, to flatly deny her throne would be tantamount to defying the late king's will and the authority of the Valkhardt royal family.

Still, in a country where patriarchy and martial values are deeply rooted, many were displeased by the ascension of a girl who knew nothing of the battlefield and had no army, faction, or backing sworn to her.

And after the late king's death, the former balance shifted into a struggle for the crown.

The Chancellor's Faction—House Eberhardt

The Eberhardt family, led by Chancellor Oswald, intends to first protect Elena's throne and person to finalize the marriage with Lucian, then force her to abdicate and transfer the throne to Lucian to make their house the new royalty.

Prince Gald's Faction

On the other hand, Prince Gald's faction was dissatisfied from the start that the late king entrusted the throne to his daughter instead of his brother Gald, and they desire Gald's enthronement.

Their distrust that Elena can protect the country from the Empire, and their fear that House Eberhardt will steal the throne, strengthens their cause.

If the Chancellor's faction rushes the wedding, the Prince's faction will move before they are overtaken.

Seizing the palace, house arrest, forced abdication—as the conflict intensifies, they may resort to even more drastic measures.

What the two factions want is not Elena.
It is the crown she wears.

Even so, the reason Elena remains on the throne now is because both factions are wary of each other. If one side makes a major move, the other will block it.

The balance her father built as a strong king is now being used by his daughter, who has nothing, just to survive.

To that end, Elena hides her intelligence and plays the "Puppet Queen" who follows the men's opinions and can decide nothing for herself.

It is to prevent either side from winning and to make both feel there is no need to move right now.

But that is not a solution.

She is merely buying time.

If her true talent or her will to hold royal power were discovered, the Chancellor's faction would rush the marriage and subsequent abdication, and the Prince's faction would lean toward hardline measures before it was too late.

Before that happens, she must build her own support base and gain prestige as a Queen.

Failure means losing not just the crown, but her freedom, and in the worst case, even her life.

The Unhatched Covenant Beast—Guest

By Elena's side is the unhatched white Covenant Beast egg—Guest.

Those around her have decided that a powerful beast could never hatch from a puppet queen, and they are hardly on guard.

But for Elena, Guest is the only one who belongs to neither the Chancellor's nor the Prince's faction.

Someday, they might become the one to support her—
Elena projects such a future onto the unhatched Guest.

And on that morning.

The Council Chamber, Svalbard Royal Castle.

As if to shake the precarious balance, Chancellor Oswald smiled gently.