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 Conquest Begins

The last years of the Age of Exploration were a time of peace and increased cooperation. Diplomatic ties and trade flourished among the Nakanos, and they poured their resources and energies into the settlement of the New Continent, in coordination with their Futaro partners and allies.

It was also a time of changes in the Old Continent.

In the Itsuki Commonwealth, the Renan Renaissance was taking place. As the country furthest from the craddle of Nakano civilization, the Commonwealth has always suffered from a complex regarding its Renan roots. Whereas the Ichikans claimed the imperial title, the Ninians built a new royalty, the Mikuists started a religion and the Yotsubans kept some of the ancient cities and libraries of Rena, the Itsukis had been content with their place as farmers and traders of the north. But now a new generation of artists and scholars was taking pride in their Renan heritage. Classical architecture, sculpture and literature were rediscovered and used as models for the Commonwealth's artistic production, and politicians studied the laws and customs of their forebears to analyse the country's governance. There was even a political movement arguing for the Grand Itsuki Princess to claim the imperial title for herself, but in the end cooler heads prevailed.

A similar retrospective was happening in the Republic of Yotsuba, although with a more sombre tone. The traumatic events of the Ekiden Crisis were still fresh in everyone's memories, and there was a general feeling that it was just the last in a long list of political failures. Indeed, while Yotsubans were master traders and diplomats, aided by excellent intelligence services, they lacked the military muscle of their surrounding nations and had relied time and time again on their fellow Nakanos for aid. A new, more aggressive policy had to be implemented.

Things were more positive in the Kingdom of Nino. They showed more genuine enthusiasm in the colonization efforts and, with the Empire acting as an intermediary, took a more active role in helping the Church with its missionary activities.

Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of Nino paled in comparison with the Church's and the Empire's.

Indeed, the Holy Church of Miku was redoubling its missions in the New Continent, aiming to convert all the Futaros to the one true faith of the Goddess. To achieve this, their scholars worked hard to understand native likes and dislikes, from religious arguments to gifts and food, and the Holy Knightly Orders of the Church were starting to build keeps in Futaria to protect the missionaries, guard the roads and offer assistance to the locals.

At the same time, the Ichika Empire was also making plans for the New Continent. Their goal was to create a stable colonial structure, with at least a proper city instead of small towns and outposts. However, all these efforts were straining the imperial treasury and, in many ways, clashed with the Church's plans for the region.

In an attempt to avoid a diplomatic fallout like the Great Schism of the year 39, the Ichika Empress and the First Apostle of Miku sent delegates to the imperial city of Examia to find a compromise.

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The Treaty of Examia

The first Treaty of Examia was signed in the year 55 and it divided the lands of the New Continent in areas of influence for the Church and the Empire. A second treaty was signed in 57, ratifying the previous one.

Instead of clashing about the rights to sign deals with this or that Futaro tribe, or bicker about where to settle, the treaties were devised as an instrument of peaceful cooperation. The Empire would help in the missionary work of the Church, and the Church would respect the Empire's preeminence in the international stage. After all, although the followers of the Goddess were doing their best, the Ichikans had a larger treasury and more numerous armies, and was more prepared to advance deeper into the New Continent.

In fact, one place in particular had convinced the Empire and the Church that such an entente was needed: the Confession Mountaints.

The longest mountain range in the world, the Confession Mountains were first noticed by Nakano explorers when a bold but poorly prepared Yotsuban expedition reached them in the year 21. After some attempts to climb them, they left, but recorded local stories about fertile plains at the other side of the range, full of rivers and rich in silver and gold. That spurred the Nakanos' imagination, but crossing the mountains was no walk in the park. Even today, with modern equipment, the Confession Mountains are harsh and dangerous, and many expeditions suffer or get lost, never fulfilling their goal.

That would not deter the Ichikans, though. Having ensured the Church's acquiescence, they planned a grand expedition to the Confession Mountains. Same as the treaties of Examia, the preparations of the expedition were kept in secret. They had a clear goal and the Empire would not be denied.

The problem was that someone else had just had the same idea.

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The Ninian expedition

Unbeknownst to the Church and the Empire, a different Nakano power had also chosen the Confession Mountains as its new prize. By order of the Queen of Nino, the Kingdom was making plans for their own expedition, unaware of the treaty signed by Mikuists and Ichikans.

From the start, it was a disaster. Like the aforementioned explorers of the Yotsuban Republic, what the Ninians had in passion and decisiveness, they lacked in resources and planning. While the Empire of Ichika was taking its time to be ready for the gruelling challenge, the Kingdom's expedition departed in the year 59 with only a few months of preparations. They were sensible enough to hire the local tribes, a Futaro clan of horse tamers and riders, to reach the mountains, which reduced their travelling time quite a bit. However, their brave attempts at finding a pathway across the cold and snowy mountain range failed miserably.

The leader of the Ninian expedition faced a terrible choice: she could either keep going, risking hypothermia and starvation, or go back. The answer was obvious: a hasty mission such as theirs was doomed to failure from the start. It was not worth the lives of the entire expedition, and since everyone knew how treacherous the Confession Mountains were, nobody, not even the Queen, would blame them for falling back.

And yet...

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The arrival of the Ichikans

In the summer of the year 60, the Empire's expedition finally reached the Confession Mountains. Blessed by the priestesses of the Church, they were in high spirits. Nobody had died during the journey, and they carried all the equipment and provisions they needed to conquer the infamous mountain range. Even if it would take months, they would rise their flag in the name of the Ichika Empress.

They were so confident in their chances that they ignored some reports by their scouts about a mysterious fort in the mountains until the moment when even the last pack mule of the expedition could see it.

Yes, it was a fort. Hastily built, but a fort nonetheless. And above it, a familiar flag could be seen. It bore the colours and the coat of arms of the Nakanos, but with butterflies and rabbits as part of its heraldic charges. The symbols of the Kingdom of Nino.

In the road to the fort, as poorly made as the rest of the facilities, a stone stela had been erected and carved with the following message:

"Let this stone be a testament to the bravery of the few. Those who in the face of death retreated, but came back. For we are the children of Rena, the children of Nino, and every time we fall, we will rise again.

By the grace of the Goddess, now we claim these lands in the name of Her Majesty, the Queen of Nino. May long she reign over them. All hail the Queen."

When she read the message, the leader of the Ichikan broke out in a cold sweat. She knew what the declaration meant, as well as its implications for the treaty the Church and the Empire had signed.

The Age of Exploration was over. The Age of Conquest had just begun.

Author's notes:

Late and busy, I needed a respite to write (not from writing, mind you). And now we're here: The Last Exam arc, a turning point in the manga and the moment that made the number of Nino's skyrocket. That is, chapter 60, whose title was precisely "The Conquest Begins".

(Now that I mention the manga, yes, I know it's just announced who the winner of the Fuutabowl is; please, I implore you not to spoil it in the reviews for those who haven't read about it yet).

The Treaty of Examia is obviously a reference to the Treaty of Tordesillas. In the manga, however, it was about Miku and Ichika competing about who'd get the best marks; whoever won, she would confess to Futarou without the other butting in. Pity a third player undermined them without realizing, just like how France and England didn't care too much about Spain's and Portugal's deal in real life.

As for the Yotsuban explorers in the year 21, that's a reference to the famous "Just kidding" scene in chapter 21.

By the way, I've just noticed that the site hasn't been sending PM alerts to my email. I wonder if others are having the same trouble, and I'm crossing fingers so that the same doesn't happen to new chapter or review alerts.