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.

Historical Background

In the beginning, there was the Renan Empire.

Founded at some unspecified date by the legendary Nakano dynasty, the Renan Empire rose from nothing to become the most powerful country in the Old Continent. One by one, its rivals and enemies fell, or were absorbed through diplomacy and arranged marriages. A proud matriarchy, the Renan empresses ruled with a combination of carrot and stick, an iron fist in a velvet glove.

At its peak, the Renan Empire occupied an area of 5 million square kilometres, had a population of over 50 million inhabitants and stood as the most advanced civilization on Earth. Their capital, the ancient city of Rena, was the most populous metropolis in the world. Ambitious infrastructure projects ensured a steady water and food supply to every citizen, authorities sponsored the arts and the sciences, a well-maintained road network kept the empire united, and the borders were defended by the largest and best armed military in the Old Continent.

The Renan Empire was impregnable from outside. It was only fitting that it fell from inside.

After the tragic death of Empress Rena the 57th, a vicious succession crisis ravaged the empire. The empress had five legitimate children, quintuplets that were sadly too young to take the crown and were used as political pawns by the warring factions. In the end, after the Treaty of Maruo, the empire was divided in five unequal parts, each ruled by a different princess.

Today, the Old Continent is still ruled by the heirs of the Renan Empire. Dynastic alliances and common goals have provided a modicum of stability and security, barring the usual border skirmishes that end without too much drama. However, scholars know that if an unexpected event altered the balance of power in the continent, it would be only a matter of time until the five Nakano superpowers declare war on their neighbours. The five countries can live in peace only as long as nobody is close to restoring the hegemony of the ancient Renan Empire.

The five Nakano countries, all named after their founder:

The Ichika Empire is the largest and the wealthiest, and considers itself the true heir to the Renan Empire, hence the abundant use of imperial titles in their court. While their army is impressive and previous Ichika empresses have entertained the idea of unifying the Nakano lands by force, past attempts ended in total failure. Nowadays, the Empire prefers to posit itself as the peacemaker of the region and the protector of its "lesser" allies, using their agents and the threat of armed intervention to keep the other Nakanos in line.

The Ichika Empire's official motto: "In Action and Truth".

The Kingdom of Nino is the Ichika Empire's greatest rival. Large and wealthy, the Kingdom is famous for its aggressiveness and has a reputation as the most volatile nation in the Old Continent. While not as big as the Empire's, the Kingdom's army has a fearsome reputation due to the quality of its cavalry. Ninian light cavalry is trained to harass the enemy's weak points, whereas their heavy knights charge and trample over those who stand in their way. The Kingdom's weakest point is diplomacy, which is not helped by their belligerent attitude.

The Kingdom of Nino's official motto: "All Hail the Queen".

Contrary to their aristocratic neighbours, the Holy Church of Miku is a theocracy devoted to the one true Goddess. According to Miku faith, Empress Rena's third daughter, who renounced her titles and preached love and peace among the common folk, was actually the reincarnation of the Goddess. While the Church only rules a relatively small country, its influence can be felt across the entire continent thanks to its extensive network of temples, abbeys, monasteries and holy sites, as well as the headquarters of their more militant orders. Female members of the Church are easily identified by their ritual necklaces, while male members are required to grow moustaches.

The Holy Church of Miku's official motto: "The Goddess Wills It".

In terms of area, the Republic of Yotsuba is the smallest of the Nakano countries. A collection of city-states under the rule of Her Most Serene Duchess and the Council of 428, the Republic is focused on trade and diplomacy rather than war, given that their armed forces are negligible in comparison with their neighbours. The Yotsuban merchant princesses are among the wealthiest families in the world and are well-known for their sponsorship of the arts, the sports, the sciences and other peaceful endeavours. That said, the Republic is also rumoured to employ the largest and most effective network of spies, assassins and saboteurs in the continent.

The Republic of Yotsuba's official motto: "For the Benefit of the World".

The last Nakano country is the Itsuki Commonwealth, which rules a vast and fertile region at the edge of the Old Continent. The basis of their national wealth is their astounding production of grain and other foodstuffs, which has earned them the title of "Breadbasket of the Continent". Thanks to their food exports, the Commonwealth has amassed a considerable treasury, and their merchant fleet is always on the lookout for new trade opportunities. Itsuki authorities have begun to invest in cartography and exploration, and their scholars talk of a long lost continent beyond the ocean that is waiting to be discovered.

And thus, in what would be known as Year 1 of the Discovery, a small fleet of three ships sets off from the port city of Harubia in search of a new world.

The Itsuki Commonwealth's official motto: "Freedom and Justice For All".

Author's notes:

After reading a certain post in Reddit that compared the Nakano sisters to different historical empires, I got this idea: what if the manga was retold as a history book? You know, male all the talk about ship wars into a tale of actual wars XD

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's crazy. Yet here I are. Because I love doing writing experiments. My plan is not to retell the story chapter by chapter, and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it only took me 5 chapters to reach the current content in the manga. Of course, anime-only viewers be warned that there will be MASSIVE SPOILERS if they keep reading beyond a certain point.

While my fictional Nakano countries don't really match the original post, nor are they complete translations of real nations, the main inspirations are:

-Renan Empire: A mix of the Roman and Carolingian Empires. The Treaty of Maruo is inspired by the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

-Ichika Empire: A mix of the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantines.

-Kingdom of Nino: A mix of France and Spain.

-Holy Church of Miku: The Catholic Church and the Papal States.

-Republic of Yotsuba: Italian city-states, mainly Florence and Venice.

-Itsuki Commonwealth: A strange mix of England, Portugal and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.