Disclaimer: This is fanwork based on the manga the Quintessential Quintuplets (Go-Tobun no Hanayome), by Negi Haruba. Its setting, characters and plot belong to its rightful creator. I write this only for fun and as a little writing experiment.

WARNING FOR ANIME VIEWERS: Currently, the story is following the events of the manga beyond chapter 32. If you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING.

The Great Schism

As it has been said, it was no secret that the Kingdom of Nino was the most reluctant to take part in the exploration of the New Continent. The only reason they had spent so many resources on it was their alliance with the other Nakano countries. If they had opposed the Maruos in the year 17, it was due to politics, to put the bureaucrats in their place, not to support the colonization efforts.

For decades, the Kingdom had endured while its allies mistook their grudging tolerance for acceptance. It was only a matter of time before the balance was tipped.

And in the year 39, that is exactly what happened.

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The royal slap

In the year 39, the Itsuki Commonwealth was the host of the yearly international conference of the Nakanos. Ambassadors, officials, generals and captains from all over the Old Continent would gather at the city-port of Harubia to take part in it. But not only them: this time, the heads of the state of the dynasty would participate too.

Soon, the royals arrived in all their splendour. The Grand Princess welcomed the Ichika Empress and the First Apostle of the Church, who were the first to arrive. After them came Her Serenity, the Duchess of Yotsuba, and then the Queen of Nino, who had needed some convincing first by the Commonwealth's diplomats. For another party had been invited, and the Kingdom was not very enthusiastic about their presence.

After all, the special guests were ambassadors of the Futaros.

After the great success of the embassy to the Republic, the Nakano powers had decided to strengthen their relationships with their Futaro allies in the New Continent. They were not to be treated as subjects, but as partners, and the conference represented a perfect opportunity to sign important treaties that would oblige all the parties involved. Knowing how much the people of the Old Continent loved diplomatic gifts, the Futaros had brought delicately hand-written books with the knowledge and the history of their clans to present them to their hosts.

Unfortunately, the Queen of Nino was less than thrilled. To treat the Futaro ambassadors as guests of honour was, according to her court, a breach of protocol. The yearly conferences were supposed to be a way to strengthen ties among the Nakanos and outsiders were not welcome. When the ambassadors gave her the book they have prepared for her, the queen said:

"Giving us these scraps of paper will not endear you to us. If you, who have received so many lavish presents of gold, jewels and silks, think that this counts as a proper gift to Our Majesty, you are sorely mistaken."

And then the Queen of Nino had the book thrown to the floor and its pages torn.

There was a shock in the conference. Ironically, the Futaro ambassadors were the less angry about it. Instead, they were worried that they had made a mistake just when they wanted to improve the relationship of their people with the powerful Queen of Nino. The other Nakanos, on the other hand, were livid.

The First Apostle reproached the queen for her attitude, but when the ruler of the Kingdom refused to back down, their host, the Grand Itsuki Princess, slapped the queen in the face.

"Your Majesty insults our guests and brings shame to this conference. The people of Uesugikunia may not enjoy the riches and lavishness of our people, but the gifts they brought to us were crafted with beauty and usefulness in mind, and their value cannot be compared to gold or silks. We are rulers and leaders, so we ought to know better and act seriously. In the name of Rena and the Goddess, we demand an apology so that we continue the works of this sacred conference."

Rather than apologize, the Queen of Nino retorted by slapping the Grand Itsuki Princess back, and looked for support among her fellow Nakanos. But she found none of it. The Church sided with the Grand Princess and the Ichika Empress stared the queen down, while Her Most Serene Duchess was too busy trying to calm everyone down.

Surrounded by animosity and humiliated in public, the Queen of Nino announced:

"You would choose foreigners over your kin and blood? You would side with she who struck first? Then there is no reason for us to stay here."

The Ninian delegation left. And with their departure, the conference came to an abrupt halt.

One by one, the Kingdom of Nino abandoned every treaty and alliance they had signed with the other Nakano powers. The yearly conferences stopped and anxiety became the norm among the Old Continent's chanceries. There had not been such a grave diplomatic crisis in centuries, and many Maruos feared a war was about to start. This period of heightened tensions was called the "Great Schism".

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The Itsuki Embassy

Despite the chilling situation in the Old Continent, or perhaps because of it, the Itsuki Commonwealth redoubled their efforts in the colonization of the New Continent. And to signal that their commitment was serious, they opened their first permanent embassy in Raiha Island in the year 40.

At first, there were difficulties. The Raihas were very welcoming, and the island was in a perfect spot to trade with and interact with many other tribes, mainly the Futaro and Isanari clans that Quintus Negi had met during his voyages. However, building materials were scarce, and the Itsuki envoys were not used to the local customs and food. Still, they persevered and while the embassy's lodging and facilities were not comparable to those in the Commonwealth, it soon became the focal point of Nakano-Uesugi relations in the New Continent.

Thanks to the embassy, Itsuki scholars managed to unveil new details about the alleged "ancient Renan connection", while they also taught the locals about the historical intricacies of the Nakano dynasty. Knowledge that was useful, but also problematic.

Before sending their first envoys to the Old Continent, many in the Futaro clans had had a limited perspective of the Nakanos. During the first contacts, they had seen those strangers from the other side of the ocean as clans similar to theirs. After all, although their ships and technology were impressive, their people in the New Continent were few, ignorant and lacked manners. But now they realized that their new trade partners were rich and powerful beyond their wildest imaginations, and that the alliance between their countries had ancient roots akin to the legends of Uesugi Isanari and the fabled Uesugi Shogunate.

It also made them very aware of the problematic situation in the Old Continent after the Great Schism.

The Futaro clans who had bonds with the Nakanos had a conference of their own. Remembering the tales of the people from beyond the ocean, those who helped them centuries earlier when they were small and weak, they decided that it was their turn to help. Despite the assurances of the Commonwealth and the Church, they still felt responsible for the fallout. After all, had not the Queen of Nino been angered by their gift? Their honour was on the line.

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The Futaro embassies

Truth be told, the Futaros had tried before. Already in the year 40, they had sent another embassy to the Old Continent. Accompanied by a delegation of the Church of Miku, they travelled to the Kingdom of Nino to ask for an audience with Her Majesty. Unfortunately, the queen refused to see them.

"It was your presence which started this", the queen told them through a messenger. "You should have never set foot in that conference. We wish our continents had never met. Of your people, only the Kintaros are worthy of respect. But now it is too late. For all of us."

A discouraging answer, to be sure, but the chiefs of the allied Futaro clans sent yet another embassy one year later. And then another one in the year 42.

This last one was a complete disaster at first. The Futaros had hired a vessel to bring them to the Old Continent, but navigation was slow and painful. Just when they were nearing Nakano shores, a storm hit them and their ship sank. Despite these setbacks, no envoy died, with the head of the embassy crediting their survival to a miraculous intervention. According to his tale, the princess-ancestor of the people who helped the Futaros in the ancient past appeared to save them and revealed that she was none other than the first Empress of Rena. It was a sign that the gods approved of their mission, he said, and while there was nobody to confirm such a fanciful story, it was enough to motivate his crew.

Certainly, this time the Futaro embassy had more success. Because they had arrived to their shores wet, miserable and with their belongings destroyed, the Kingdom of Nino felt obliged to give them shelter and attend to their needs. The Futaro envoys were given food and new clothes, and the Queen of Nino agreed to have a short meeting with the head of the embassy.

Her Majesty was moved by the difficulties of their journey and found the tale of the mysterious apparition quite romantic. And while she did not apologize for her actions during the Nakano conference, she told the ambassador that she regretted the destruction of their valuable book and had ordered her scholars to mend it. She even showed him some of the reconstructed pages. From the point of view of the Kingdom of Nino, whatever animosity they had towards her fellow Nakanos was not to affect their relations with the people of Uesugia.

"Could not the Kingdom's relationship with their fellow Renans be mended too?", the ambassador asked.

"Do you know the tale of the nest and the five eggs?", asked the queen in turn. "Once upon a time, there was a nest with five eggs. They were all the same, beautiful and perfect. One by one, however, they hatched, and the little birds flew away, never to return. Only one egg was left, beautiful and perfect, but alone. We are that egg. But I suppose only the Kintaros among the people of Uesugia may understand what we are talking about."

The queen was wrong. The Futaro ambassador did understand. Had not their people experienced those changes and fears in ancient times too? However, despite the olive branch of peace, it was evident that the Ninians still looked down upon them.

Still, there was an opportunity there. The Kingdom was willing to accept more embassies. And if they wanted the Kintaros, they would give them the Kintaros. No matter the price.

Author's notes:

Manga readers will notice that we're in the Seven Goodbyes Arc, chapters 39-50, a very dramatic turn in the series. It's so long that I won't finish it in one chapter, so stay tuned for the conclusion!

The most difficult point in this one has been how to introduce the character of Rena. Evidently, the Renan Empire can't just reappear out of nowhere, so this "mysterious apparition" appears during a certain aquatic incident, just like in the manga. But is it a delirious fantasy or did the ambassador meet someone for real? Only time will tell.