Nolan stood by the side as Liana spoke with the fat geezer. The owner's eyes eventually fell on Nolan once again, his expression and tone changing as he asked,
"Hey you, what do you want here, eh?"
"Oh, sorry. He's with me," Liana said, her words coming out slower than usual, but not too slow. She believed a slow voice was used for these kind of things.
'She's trying to sound sultry but she just sounds like she's falling asleep. Kind of girl is this?' Nolan thought to himself.
"Oh, is that so?" The owner smiled again as he returned his gaze to Liana.
"Yes. He is my uncle's adopted son," she explained.
Nolan couldn't help but laugh internally, shaking his head.
He would have just gotten the compass when the man was distracted, using his telekinesis, but the problem was… he couldn't.
[Switched Ability!]
[Ice Affinity > Divine Control]
Despite knowing it would be useless, Nolan still decided to try again. He raised his hand as if trying to scratch his hair and using his power to try get the compass.
The compass lifted up, but it was being held by a small chain connected to the shelf itself.
However, dropping it out of disappointment made a sound and the owner turned around, glancing up where the sound came from.
Liana looked there and spotted the compass. She immediately turned to Nolan, her questioning eyes asking if he did that.
Nolan shrugged and shook his head.
As the owner turned, Liana's smile returned. "What is that?" she asked, her eyes going to the compass.
"Oh, it's nothing," he replied.
Liana tapped on the counter twice then placed her hand on his, tilted her head and showing pleading eyes. "Are you sure?"
The man instantly felt butterflies in his stomach, his blood running cold. "Uh, yes—I mean, it's just a compass. Nothing serious."
"Can I see it?" she said, rubbing his hand with a finger.
"Yes, yes. Sure," he blurted, quickly turning to get it.
Nolan used his hand to show Liana that if the lock was opened, she should pick it and just walking out.
She was boiling inside. 'If I had not agreed to this, he would teach me anything. I can't lose the opportunity. Gahh, I hate this man.' she thought.
The smithy owner finally brought down the compass and showed it to her. "Looks good, mm?"
"Beautiful," she replied, slowly picking up the golden compass. It was nothing short of fancy. Why exactly would Nolan want it? Was he planning to be a thief now? No, he's making her the thief.
Her thumped.
She didn't have the guts to just turn and start leaving. What if he starts shouting 'thief' and everyone in the market traps her. What if she's reported to the king and she's sentenced to the dungeons for the rest of her life? Or maybe left for the demons to feast on? Or—
"Ahem," Nolan cleared his throat.
'Okay, okay. Calm down Liana. You just turn and walk away… you're a thief—I mean bold. Bold. Yes that, not a thief.' Her mind reeled.
Liana clutched the compass tightly and drew her hand back, turning to leave.
"Hey, don't take it with you," the owner called out, his expression becoming alarmed. "Bring it back."
Liana moved like someone under hypnosis, eyes focused on the door, taking fast steps, heart thumping.
The owner's became furious, rushing out from behind the counter. "You thief, I said stop!"
Liana flinched as he yelled, turning around abruptly. "No, no, it's not what—"
She was cut off by the sound of Nolan's fist slamming into the smithy owner's face.
Nolan stood there, his hand still in the owner's face. The man turned his head, moving Nolan's hand and locking eyes with him.
"I guess that didn't work as expected," Nolan muttered, gulping.
The man caught him by the collar and punched him, flinging him towards Liana. She looked down at Nolan and then back at the angered man, stepping back slowly as he approached her.
"Wait!" Nolan called out, pushing himself up. His nose was bleeding. "Goodness, you punch hard," he muttered to himself, touching the blood and looking at it.
This was the first time he was actually getting hit hard in this body and he realized it was even weaker than he already thought it was.
He didn't want to use any ability to avoid any controversies.
Liana and the smithy owner watched as he stood up. He gestured at the smithy owner to stop and then he looked down, counting steps as he walked back.
"1...2...3...4... I think that's enough," he whispered, stopping just behind Liana.
The other two looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Nolan then hopped up and down twice swatting a hand. On the third landing, he blitzed forward, catching the man of guard with his hand cocked back.
[Iron Tank Activated!]
A sickening punch connected with the man's face and for a moment he stood, before falling pack, knocked out cold.
"I should've done that instead the first time," Nolan said, rubbing his wrist.
Liana remained speechless, rooted in place. She honestly didn't know why she was here and why any of this was happening.
Nolan walked back to her and collected the compass, heading for the door. "Come along."
As they exited the smithy, Nolan looked at the golden compass. It was something he had first come across in regression 4. He sold it for good morning, because it wasn't an artifact as he believed.
He was going to give it to that witch in exchange for knowledge on how to expand his mana reserves, but… the golden compass wasn't 'just' a compass as he always believed.
It was indeed an artifact.
[Job Specific Artifact Obtained!]
[Name: The Pathfinder's Gold Compass.
• Purpose: Upgrades your occupation level, letting you see more paths and information about targets.
• Obtain difficulty: A]
[Use? Y/N]
Nolan stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. A job-specific artifact. For a thousand lifetimes, he'd treated it as a mere expensive object, sold it or traded it for something else.
The one thing he needed to understand his new power had been waiting for him all along, in the most obvious of places.
Liana was just a confused person walking on the road with the fear of not suddenly being called a thief from behind.
Her face was blank, eyes unfocused. She stopped as Nolan did, not bothering to ask any questions.
Nolan suddenly started to laugh, palming his face. "Things just got a little more interesting, didn't they?"
"He's completely lost it," Liana muttered.