Forced discussion is better than no discussion i guess

I never quite understood the whole compass thing. The unique thing about it seemed to be the fact that it always stayed horizontal (so we're assume that the world already has compasses). How hard is it to keep a compass flat? In fact, it's the first time I've even seen a compass that bothers to stay level.

The market Maou was opening up involved expansion opportunities in the northern, more arid lands.. so it doesnt' even have anything to do with maritime exploration (the only real application I can think of). Even then, can't you float the compass in some water?
It's amazing for them because of the gimbal, it allows for the compass to always lean perfectly north without worrying about the grounding of the needle while on a ship for example. It doesn't have to do with her immediate objectives but it's something the alliance can use, produce and sell for themselves for an hefty profit.