"But if this stuff costs pennies and it works on so many different things it's not alchemical and it's not a fancy specialty thing."

Prota replies to Nell. They argue that Nell's sealant is too effective to be both cheap and nonmagical, since the benchmarks that do the same thing are expensive and/or magical. 

You respond to Nell, "But if this stuff costs pennies and it works on so many different things it's not alchemical and it's not a fancy specialty thing."

Step 132

Prota's argument is hard to ignore. Nell believed her sealant was simply an innovation, and hadn't thought to strictly compare it to rare alchemicals. She expected that if she got a magic, it would be obvious, not subtle, since most well-known magics are. Glint, more well-traveled, has probably encountered a few subtler magics himself and will be quicker to see Prota's point. This should be enough to get Nell to at least take the possibility seriously. 

(This conversation could lead into Nell testing various ways for how her magic works. The details of this testing may or may not be interesting to the Player. Since they have reacted with interest to puzzles of this sort so far, it is worth staying in the current scene and seeing how far it plays out.) Prota might be able to help Nell figure out her actual magic, if they ask the right questions and suggest the right tests. Glint and Nell will not, in this moment, independently come up with those tests. Nell is still feeling gobsmacked and Glint has more interest in seeing how Prota handles the situation. 

Glint gives at least one example of magics that are subtle and hard for their owner to detect or control at first. 

"But I'm not - " Nell sputters. "Magics are obvious - I'd know - " 

"Emerald's got a point," Glint observes, grinning. "I've seen some pretty subtle magics before. I once knew a guy who controlled frogs. He lived on a snowy mountain, it was five years before he figured it out." 

"You think I - what, make magic sealant?" Nell sounds one part upset and one part wondering. 

"Maybe, maybe not." Your uncle frowns. "What do you think, Emerald? You'll soon have to figure out your own magic. How would you test this one?" 

None. 

"I guess you might be making the sealant magic, but frankly it looked like you rubbed it all off, I'm not sure it did anything but hide it for a moment. Do you have anything else you'd normally use it on?"

Prota asks Nell if she has other items that she would use the sealant to repair, but hasn't yet. The phrasing could also indicate that Prota is asking what else or what other objects Nell would use the sealant on, not if she currently has them. 

You speculate, "I guess you might be making the sealant magic, but frankly it looked like you rubbed it all off, I'm not sure it did anything but hide it for a moment. Do you have anything else you'd normally use it on?"

Step 133

Nell is used to applying her sealant to surface defects of wagons and furniture. She probably already used it on anything she's currently repairing, because her magic also helps her notice damage. She might be aware of small cracks or flaws deeper in a wagon's frame that she did not bother to try the sealant on because she didn't expect it to work. Those would not make good tests because there would be no visible change, and anyway Nell doesn't parse that knowledge as "there's a crack in this", but as "I've got a bad feeling about this drawer." Nell could suggest Prota's cart, because it does have scratches and surface flaws that Nell hasn't worked on. 

Prota didn't actually propose a test yet. Let's have Nell prompt them to see if they come up with something specific. 

"I...most of what I have is fixed already..." Nell chews her lip. "I noticed your cart had some surface defects I might fix, if I were doing a full repair. What do you have in mind?" 

None. 

"You could try - rubbing them or whatever - without the sealant?"

Prota suggests Nell try to remove defects without the sealant, presumably by rubbing the affected site with a cloth. This implies that Prota suspects Nell's actions, rather than the sealant, may be producing the "magic" effect. 

"You could try - rubbing them or whatever - without the sealant?" you suggest. 

Step 134

Nell remains skeptical, but is willing to test Prota's idea. She takes a clean cloth to Prota's cart and attempts to "wipe away" some of the surface cracks. Does it work? The relevant factor is Nell's concentration. A complication is possible whereby it fails if Nell doesn't expect it to work. (This may be frustrating to the Player, and is more difficult to model in an accurate and consistent way. If Nell failed at something she should be able to do, then later it was revealed that Nell simply didn't believe hard enough, this could feel unfair to the Player, who had no real way of inferring or influencing Nell's state of mind. There are also no prior examples of magic being belief-conditioned in this way. Because belief-conditioning complicates the rules of magic and runs the risk of seeming arbitrary to the Player, it is not a precedent worth setting unless it is to be a key piece of the puzzle magic poses. Further, introducing it now would steal a well-earned win from the Player.) Conclusion: Nell succeeds. In fact, because Nell can notice flaws with her defect-sense, it should feel to her just like it does when she uses the sealant, and she should sense the defect shrinking as she works. It may yet take her a bit to realize that she can sense it, but she'll definitely notice when it is gone. 

Glint is impressed with Prota's discovery. 

"I suppose..." Nell fetches a clean cloth and locates a small scratch on your cart's left side. Taking a deep breath, she brushes the cloth over the damage as though to wipe it away. For half a minute, nothing much seems to happen as she works. "This feels so silly - oh!" Nell lifts the cloth in sudden surprise. The scratch has vanished. 

"...well, I'll be," your uncle declares, his tone impressed. 

[Nell has realized she can magic away flaws in objects.]

"Ooh, cool!" I say, grinning and applauding.

Prota congratulates and applauds Nell. No further action is implied. 

"Ooh, cool!" you say, grinning and applauding.

Step 135

(This could be a good place to draw the scene to a conclusion.) Note that Nell has not yet figured out that she can also sense flaws and defects. This could be something Prota pushes her towards, or something Nell determines for herself by further testing, now that she is aware and motivated to try. (Which approach, if pushed for, best serves the plot? Consider some possible next steps.) Option 1: Nell asks for some time by herself to think through the implications. Glint and Prota go to bed. In the morning, Nell shares the results of her experimentation with Prota and Glint. (Pros: swift, realistic. Cons: passive from Player perspective, off-screen.) Option 2: Nell talks with Prota and Glint about her discovery. An opportunity is posed for Prota to contribute further to the experiments. (Pros: deepening character investment, potentially rewarding for the Player. Cons: takes longer, difficult to frame an appropriate reaction by Nell.) 

(Continuing the scene seems worthwhile to the story.) Nell responds with bittersweet wonder. She believed for years that the Blue took her fingers and gave her nothing in return. She's both shocked and excited, as well as embarrassed at failing to notice her own magic. She'll be mostly speechless for a bit. (See how Prota responds to an open-ended display of emotion. Are they going to engage with Nell's character in more depth? Say something consoling or insensitive? Wait in respectful silence? This could also give insight into Prota's character.) 

"By the Wall," Nell breathes, her eyes shining wetly. "I - I can't believe - all this time -" 

["By the Wall" is an exclamation locals sometimes use, referring to the Blue.]

"If it can happen without you even noticing it might be why you're so good with carts."