There are many things that he had to adjust to after finding himself thrown five centuries ahead of time. Of which, the one he had the greatest trouble adjusting to was the inequality between the rich and the poor.

He understands that the issue of rich-poor divide is a problem that can never be solved no matter the nation. It is a problem that even his archon acknowledged that she would never be able to solve and could only do her best to reduce that inequality gap to a minimum. Their nation is the nation of justice and the core belief of the notion of justice lies in the concept of "equality". All is equal in the eyes of the law, only then can justice be served; those were the words spoken by his archon. To truly be a nation of justice is to be able to uphold the belief of equality.

It was for this belief that his archon set in place many policies to give her people equal opportunities to strive for a better living, as much as she can reasonably be, as fair as she can to uphold the belief of equality. He wouldn't say that her methods were the best because it's true that they could have done better, but the income gap between the richest and the poorest was the smallest if they were to compare the situation across the seven nations back in their time.

Now, however, he's appalled at what he sees five hundred years into the future. People are living in sewers, a sight that was unthinkable back in his days in the thousands of years he had served his archon. What is Focalors doing? How did that immature pompous child attain the seat of the Hydro Archon anyway? What on earth happened after the demise of his archon? Where are the lochfolks?

He had so many questions but he had to put them aside for the moment. The sewers are the only place that can provide a shelter for them until he manages to find a better way.

"Are you hungry?" He asked the twins and they shook their heads immediately, but Lynette's stomach chose that exact moment to create a symphony which had her blushing in embarrassment. As an elemental being he had no real need for sustenance, but now that he suddenly found himself responsible for two children he had to constantly remind himself that mortals do need to eat in order to survive.

"You can be more honest with me in the future," he assured the girl and patted her head twice when he walked past her to head to the makeshift kitchen that they fashioned within the rundown shack that they called home in the sewers. The Grand Duelist Lucine Fontinas may have been a relic of the past and he had chosen to now walk the land of the water realm as Lucian, but some things will stay. His conviction to protect the people of Fontaine is not something that will disappear because it is something that he had been diligently doing for thousands of years. To right the wrongs and protect the innocent is a belief that had been carved into his bones and so he sees it as his responsibility to take good care of the two young charges that he had rescued and who had chosen to follow after him.

"L-Let me help!" Lyney was quick to offer his assistance and Lucian did not refuse. He understood that the siblings are quick to please due to their experience as orphans who wandered the streets and not knowing when their next meal will be. They saw him as his saviour, their only hope and are desperately clinging onto that straw of hope in hopes that they will finally be released from their living hell. If being able to help makes them feel more at ease then he wouldn't reject their gestures. He will help to ensure that they are able to grow up safe and sound as much as he can and only leave once he's sure that they are able to fend for themselves.

Unfortunately, they are pretty much running on a near empty wallet. He managed to cook them a duck confit based on his memories and thankfully it didn't turn out bad. He had wandered across Fontaine for the past few days and had a general understanding of how things are now in this nation.

The organisation known as the Adventurer Guild will be a good place to start earning mora.

Reality had eroded her childish innocence early. From their parents' deaths to wandering the streets and eventually falling into the hands of an abusive noble, her experience had forced her to wisen far earlier than her peers.

She had long since stopped praying to gods to answer her prayers when she understood that it wasn't of any use. The Hydro Archon has to oversee so many people in Fontaine and she's just a drop of water in the sea. She was prepared for the worst fate to befall her until he appeared.

It was pretty much like a scene from a fairy tale. If she narrated the story to somebody else they probably wouldn't believe her. He emerged from the waters of a fountain, the water coalescing and taking shape until it took the form of someone who looked just a few years her senior. His hair is greyish-white with a blue undertone, his eyes are coloured in dark blue similar to the depths of the sea. She found herself thinking that he bore some slight resemblance to their archon in some ways, at least in terms of appearance.

His cold merciless eyes bore into the eyes of the noble who seeked her harm and was about to commit the act of defilement onto her. He raised his hand and water rose to create a sword for him to wield. He swung his blade and she would forever remember the spray of blood that followed. It marked the end of her fear and suffering.

He brought her out and helped her reunite with her brother, who was going crazy trying to find and rescue her and would have probably done something reckless to do so if she didn't return back when she did. They followed after him from then on and he introduced himself by the name of Lucian when they finally mustered the courage to ask for his name.

It was obvious to them that he is someone with a story left untold but they did not dare to probe further. As such, they have no idea who he really is beyond knowing that he goes by the name of Lucian and that he's skilled with a sword. Where he learnt his bladework from, why he was able to manipulate the power of the hydro element without a vision, his origins and history; none of them had a clue and none of them dared to ask. They already counted themselves extremely fortunate that he was willing to take them in without asking for anything in return and they fear that they would be abandoned one day. They do not wish to go back to the living hell of wandering the streets without anywhere to call home.

That insecurity that took root within their hearts was why they were eager to assist in any way they can because they knew that there's very little that they can do to help him and they fear that he would see them as additional baggage or leeches. The fear of abandonment and loneliness spurred them to find ways to make themselves useful to him. He saw through their worries and promised them that he wouldn't be going anywhere soon, which assured them somewhat, but that irrational fear had never truly gone away.

Life in the sewers wasn't the best but they at least have a place to call home here. There were several occasions where they were being harassed by thugs but Lucian easily drove them off and the community soon learnt that he is not one to be messed with. The sewers were where she and her brother grew up under Lucian's protection and where some of her fondest memories were made. It was where she and her brother practised and honed their magic performances, the place where they made the resolve to be the greatest magicians of all time, where tales of their grand performances would one day not only spread across all corners of Fontaine, but to all of Teyvat.

She and her brother would busk within the sewers while Lucian went to work as an adventurer and complete commissions. Their financial situation gradually saw improvement and they were finally able to own a proper place that actually has proper walls and roof that they could comfortably live in. Their pockets started to grow a little bigger and they were finally able to indulge themselves in some small luxuries once in a while.

Life was finally starting to take a turn for the better.

"Can we go and take a look at the Opera Epiclese?"

It's been two years since they first met. Lucian is a man of few words but they had already known each other long enough to understand that he's simply not a very expressive individual despite having a good heart. They are curious about the famed Opera Epiclese because they had never seen or been there before and it's embarrassing to claim that they are citizens of Fontaine if they don't even know what it looks like.

He agreed to their request and the three of them took a break from work the next day to head to the main courthouse of Fontaine. She was awed by the sight and mesmerised by the beautiful garden and she's sure her brother was feeling the same too. If only they were able to hold their performance here one day…

"So many people are praying at the fountain."

"It's the Fountain of Lucine, a fountain built by the orders of the first Hydro Archon for the Grand Duelist. Not too sure how or why married couples ended up coming here to pray to have children, pretty sure the Grand Duelist doesn't preside over such a matter," a cameraman who they had befriended filled them in on the history of the fountain and answered their queries. Lynette and her brother listened to the stories with rapt attention. They may be citizens of Fontaine but they do not have a great understanding of their nation and its history because they were too busy trying to stay alive and fill their bellies in their earlier years, only having the luxury of learning more about their nation now.

"Who really is the Grand Duelist?"

"You know about the existence and role of the Champion Duelist?" The cameraman asked and the siblings nodded. "The Grand Duelist is the very first Champion Duelist. While many people have held the position of Champion Duelist over our nation's long history, only one person holds the title of Grand Duelist. He was our archon's strongest champion that serves as her sword and also serves as the sword of our nation. He defended our nation from many enemies and played pivotal roles in tiding us over many crises. He upholds our archon's and nation's values of justice by our archon's will and was one reason why we were able to prosper."

"Then where is he now?"

"Nobody knows. He disappeared during the cataclysm five hundred years ago and had never been seen or heard from since. We presume that he had also perished alongside our original archon, which is the most likely outcome given the circumstances back then. The only thing we found after things had settled down was his sword, the sword bestowed upon him by the original Hydro Archon and it now hangs in the courthouse above the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale."

"Oh, oh! I know about that one! The Sword of Temporal Justice!" Lyney raised his hand in excitement, eager to show what little he knew and recently learnt before coming over here to sightsee their nation's famed courthouse.

"Yes, the Sword of Temporal Justice," the cameraman nodded his head. "It is a sword that can only be wielded by the Hydro Archon and the Grand Duelist. Word has it that many Champion Duelists had tried to gain the sword's recognition and be its next wielder but not one had succeeded. Some say that the sword has a will of its own, some say that the sword had been enchanted by the first Hydro Archon such that only the Grand Duelist can wield that legendary sword, some say that the sword had been cursed since the cataclysm and it's best to leave it alone as a decorative ornament in the courthouse. Nobody really knows the truth but if you want to take a look at the legendary sword, it's just in the courthouse."

She and Lyney turned to look at Lucian in silent askance, who had been keeping silent ever since the kind and passionate cameraman offered to be their guide and show them around when he learnt that this was their first time here. He simply answered them with a silent nod and it was how they found themselves paying for three tickets to visit the Opera Epiclese. The cameraman did not follow as he had other things to do and so they thanked him for his help and bade farewell.

Unfortunately for them there aren't any trials or performances taking place in the courthouse now but that did not dampen their excitement in the slightest.

"Wow… beautiful," Lyney cannot help but exclaim in wonder when he lays his eyes on the legendary sword that had defended their nation since thousands of years ago under the hands of its wielder.

"It looks a lot like the one carved into the statue of the seven, the one that the original Hydro Archon is holding," Lynette pointed out. The elongated longsword bears striking resemblance to the one shown and wielded by the statue, even the blue crystal adorned at the centre of its handguard looked exactly the same as the one held by the statues.

"It's because the Temporal Sword was crafted with the intention of being the sibling sword of the one wielded by the original Hydro Archon, the Sword of Spiritual Justice. There is actually one more sword within that series, the Sword of Mercy, the only sword with a blunted tip. These three swords were created with the intention of embodying Fontaine's ideals and beliefs of justice," Lucian spoke up, surprising them both because he's not a man of many words. Over the years which they lived together they had learnt that Lucian seemed to know a great deal about Fontaine's history that nobody had ever heard about but he rarely talks about them and they never really pried. Thus, they were curious as to what he had revealed to them.

"Then where's the Sword of Spiritual Justice and the Sword of Mercy now?"

"The Sword of Spiritual Justice perished along with its wielder five hundred years ago. I have no idea where the Sword of Mercy vanished to," Lucian answered truthfully. He saw how his archon's weapon had shattered during the hellish nightmare where they combated against the Abyss shortly before his demise. The Sword of Mercy was still around then but it seemed that it had gone missing in between the time of his death and the birth of his newest lease of life.

"Will there be anyone who can wield the Sword of Temporal Justice again?"

"It's possible," Lucian conceded when Lyney asked. "The reason why nobody succeeded in wielding the Temporal Sword was because the wielder needs to have overwhelming mastery over the hydro element to be capable of unleashing its full potential. If the Temporal Sword judges you to have fallen short of its requirement it will not allow you to wield it, it's as simple as that."

"So only the Grand Duelist had the level of mastery over the hydro element needed to wield it?"

"If we exclude the archons and lochfolks, and considering that nobody wielded that sword again after five hundred years, I suppose so."

"Not even possessing a hydro vision is enough to gain the Temporal Sword's recognition, huh," Lyney looked back at the legendary sword in awe, his imagination filling in the blanks as he tried to envision how the legendary Grand Duelist would have looked like with that sword in hand.

"Did the original Hydro Archon bestow this sword to the Grand Duelist knowing that he will be able to wield it?" Lynette asked.

"This sword was created with the intention of having him as its wielder. It serves as a symbolism of their promise to each other and to Fontaine, that justice always prevails and will be upheld in our land. The Temporal Sword signifies the Grand Duelist's role and purpose of embodying the might of Fontaine, the Spiritual Sword represents the archon's will as defender of our faith in justice, and the Sword of Mercy symbolises the mercy of the justice that Fontaine upholds. There used to be a festival involving all three swords thousands of years ago but it seemed that this festival disappeared after the cataclysm, probably due to the disappearance of the two swords."

"Excuse me," a foreign voice interrupted their conversation and the trio turned their heads to the source of the voice. The owner of the voice was a girl looking to be slightly older than the twins with dark violet hair and purple eyes, her immaculate way of dressing giving her a very neat and somewhat slightly stern appearance.

"I apologise, but I cannot help but overhear your conversation and it piqued my interest. If you knew more about the Grand Duelist, even if it's just a small tidbit of information, do you mind sharing? I can compensate you for your time, I won't ask you to do this for free."

"You are…?"

"Ah, I should have introduced myself first, sorry about that," the girl looked slightly embarrassed when Lyney inquired who she was. "You can call me Clorinde. I too, grew up hearing about the heroic tales of the Grand Duelist and while I do not dare to dream of ever being able to reach the heights which he attained, I do aspire to be a Champion Duelist like him one day."

Lucian released a soft sigh in the confines of his mind. He does not see a reason why people should look up to him when all he ever knew is to swing a sword, but he doesn't mind indulging the children's requests. Children are a nation's future and this is the future that he and his archon had been trying their hardest to protect for thousands of years, hoping that Fontaine will grow more and more prosperous with the passing of every generation. As the Grand Duelist (albeit already "deceased"), he took it upon himself as his responsibility to guide and groom them to reach their full potential.

"What do you want to know?"

"There were many variations of how the Grand Duelist and the first Hydro Archon met. Which one is the truth?"

"I do not know what variations are circulating out there, but their first meeting was at the waters surrounding the city of the Court of Fontaine. There was heavy fluctuation of the hydro element in the surrounding waters which prompted the Hydro Archon to come out and see for herself what was wrong. She later found out that the fluctuation was due to the "birth" of the Grand Duelist and she offered him to take her hand and follow after her, which he did."

"Was it true that the Hydro Archon taught the Grand Duelist how to fight with a sword?"

"That is true. She was the one who introduced him to the art of combat, taught him the knowledge to wield the hydro element, among other things."

"They say that the Grand Duelist took on many different appearances over the course of history. Some say that he's a boy, some claim that he's a young man, others wrote that they faced an elder when they requested a duel before their trial. Why is this so?"

"It's because the Grand Duelist is someone who constantly undergoes rebirth. Like how water will fall onto the earth as rain, flow into the sea before evaporating and returning to the heavens as clouds in the sky in a continuous cycle, the Grand Duelist continuously undergoes the mortal process of birth and death. He was born from water and his death was through the dissolvement of his body into water, after which he will be absent from the planet for approximately one to three years before he's reborn anew again as a child, grow old and eventually die again, restarting the entire process in an eternal cycle. This was why he seemed to have taken on different appearances over the long course of history."

"Whoa, you sure know a lot, Lucian."

"You would have known this too if you actually read up on our nation's history," Lucian replied and while that explanation convinced the twins due to their ignorance of Fontaine's history, that didn't fool Clorinde. The information which he recited was not something that could be simply obtained through reading the history books because she's certain that this was not written anywhere.

Was he making things up or did he truly have knowledge of what many others don't?

"I have another question," Clorinde spoke up. "If the Grand Duelist is able to continuously undergo the process of birth and death then… why had he not appeared for the past five hundred years since the cataclysm? Is he… truly dead?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at him, waiting for an answer. He allowed himself a few moments of silence before formulating an answer. There's no longer a need for a Grand Duelist since his archon is dead. He also has no wish to serve under the child donning the title of the Hydro Archon and be subjected to her childish whims. He's already sorely disappointed at what he saw and discovered in Fontaine in the past two years since his last rebirth and the very thought of being at Focalors' beck and call simply irked him and to a certain extent, infuriated him.

"I do not know," he eventually answered Clorinde's question, "but if the Grand Duelist is somehow still alive and is living his life here somewhere, and if there comes a day where Fontaine finds herself in a crisis of unprecedented scale where even Lady Furina is unable to resolve, I do not doubt that he will step up once again to defend our nation. After all, this is the nation which he had swore upon his sword and to his archon to defend as her protector. If such a time really does come I believe the Temporal Sword will finally be wielded once more."

With that, he turned upon his heels and left, not even sparing a glance at the sword hanging in the middle of the courtroom which he once wielded for his archon. He had overstayed far longer than he intended to and he did not wish to have any accidental run-ins with the Chief Justice of Fontaine who frequents this place, one of the few remaining who is able to recognise him on sight.

"Enact justice upon the world for me, Lucine. Be my sword that smites all evil, be my will that uphold our beliefs and hopes for this land. Will you swear by that?"

"L-Lucian, wait up!" Footsteps were heard running after him and he slowed his steps a little, exiting the Opera Epiclese and walking past the Fountain of Lucine which she once built for him, the symbol of a promise made between an archon and her vassal thousands of years ago.

"I swear, my archon."

It was at this very place where they first made a pact with each other. They knew that there was no such thing as a perfect utopia but it was at this very place which they envisioned and dreamt of a nation of justice, a place where inequality can be reduced to the minimum and be a haven for humankind.

This was where Fontaine started out from.

"I swear to be your sword to enact justice upon the world."

AN: As this story was written at a point in time where we do not yet know the full history of Fontaine and its characters (patch 4 . 0), do expect the possibility of several elements/ characters to be AU-ish/ OOC respectively down the line (assuming that this story goes beyond these 2 chapters)