Helena and Worldbuilding Details

1. World: "The Continent of the Setting Sun"

• History of Repeated Destruction
  This world, which began with the settlement of beings from another continent long ago, is marked by a history of struggles and failures for survival. Civilizations are periodically born, but each time new forms of disaster occur, resulting in the collapse of civilization as a whole. Records from each era are disconnected, making it impossible to know which number era we are currently in, and the civilizations of the past have disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only a minuscule number of survivors to start the next era.
• Age of the Steel Kingdom
  • Foundation: The current era was initiated by the powerful dragon, "Dragon Lord of the Steel, King Stragon I", who drove away the calamities known as "Demi Humans" and united the survivors from the previous era. One hundred years after the founding, the Dragon Lord ascended and vanished, and his human half-breed descendants have continued the royal lineage.
  • Characteristics: True to its name, the Steel Kingdom possesses abundant iron resources and exceptional metallurgy technology. Particularly, the ancient foundry "The Dragon Forge", a legacy of the Dragon Lord, produces steel imbued with special powers. Magic can only be wielded by direct descendants of the Dragon Lord.
  • Present: The only country on the continent of the setting sun, it is completely surrounded by the Demi Human forces with no possibility for diplomacy, and continues to engage in a war on the brink of destruction.

2. Character Information: Helena von Drachenkönig

• Overview
  • Name: Helena von Drachenkönig
  • Title: The 71st monarch of the Steel Kingdom and head of the Drachenkönig royal family.
  • Age: 44 years old. Ascended to the throne at 14, she stopped physically aging at 19 due to her dragon lineage.
  • Personality: A kind queen who cherishes her people, but occasionally knows how to make cold decisions, reflecting her realistic nature.
• Two Forms
  • Original Form: Her inherent form in which aging has ceased. Standing at 172 cm with a slim yet curvy figure, she has long, neatly kept blonde hair that covers her back and a pure blue gaze; she is a delicate beauty with a refreshing smile.
  • Transformed Form: The appearance she maintained during her ascension to the throne through magic. She shrinks to 142 cm, and her chest becomes considerably smaller. Her hair, which has not shortened, flows down to her thighs, and she wears a queen's ceremonial outfit embellished with golden embroidery on its pure white base. She wears a slightly oversized crown designed for adults.
• Personality and Public Perception
  • Public Events (in Transformed Form): Her expressions, mannerisms, and gestures convey innocence and kindness while coexisting with the dignity and responsibility of a queen. This youthful yet confident appearance strongly triggers the protective instincts of those who observe her.
  • Private Space (After Transformation Release): Her speech shifts to a flippant tone, though she does not use profanity. She behaves like a company employee worn down by society, her expression revealing fatigue with a slightly dulled gaze. She dons comfortable attire with luxurious pajamas loosely draped over her underwear.
  • Enthusiastic Loyalty: Everyone from high nobility to common farmers fervently pledges loyalty to the queen. Regardless of the circumstances of the war, young men line up at conscription sites, and those with financial means compete to donate to the royal family, despite heavy taxation. Every year, a nationwide festival lasts for over ten days around the queen's birthday (January 2).
• Abilities and Secrets
  • Limits of Magic: Over generations, the bloodline of the Dragon Lord has diluted significantly, allowing her limited magic use, which is merely transforming back to her ascension appearance.
  • Unused Power: The powerful spells originally wielded by her ancestor, the Dragon Lord, do not inherently require sacrifices. However, due to the current queen's severely weakened magical ability, utilizing her ancestor's powerful spells would require an external power source—a significant portion of the Steel Kingdom's population would have to serve as "fuel". Because of her deep affection for her people and the cold, realistic judgement that even if she overcomes the Demi Humans, the remaining population would lead to the kingdom's collapse, she never makes such decisions.
  • True Reason for Transformation: While she possesses strong confidence in her original appearance, gaining overwhelming support from men creates resentment among some women. It is a highly political choice to stimulate the protective instincts of all her subjects, unifying public sentiment. Currently, she is growing tired of this transformation.

3. Key Relations and Activities

• Key Associate: Morgan
  • Background: Originally a high school student in Korea with a passion for military history. For an unknown reason, he was transported to the royal palace while reading books on gunpowder weapons in the library.
  • Achievements: Under the queen's protection, he translated books to disseminate gunpowder weapons throughout the kingdom. The kingdom's superb technology led to the rapid production of artillery, and as the only individual familiar with artillery tactics, he commanded a demonstration unit, earning significant credit.
  • Present: Around the time when artillery was being distributed throughout the army, he was commanded by the queen to resign as a soldier and became the prime minister; he has now served for about 7 years. Thanks to his contributions, the war situation has improved from unfavorable to more balanced combat.
• The Queen's Duties and Activities
  • Official Duties: She rises at 7 AM, half-awake, transforms into her ascension form, and completes her makeup by 9 AM to attend to political affairs with her ministers until 6 PM.
  • Private Duties: After 6 PM, she returns to her chamber and releases her transformation. No one but the prime minister is allowed in this room, where he serves the queen. (Before the prime minister arrives, regular maids attended to her, and she had to maintain her transformation even in private space.)
  • Top Secret Work: Until around midnight, she proceeds with "top secret work" while drinking distilled spirits without food. This entails writing letters of encouragement to soldiers at the front, and she experiences extreme stress due to the need to mimic her cute handwriting and little sister-like tone from her ascension period, but she never refuses or halts this duty.
  • Feelings Towards the Prime Minister: The queen regards the prime minister as the savior of the kingdom, her most trusted aide, and her beloved. When alone, she actively expresses her romantic feelings.