"...Petrification?"
Anar, the guide, understood what he meant, but wished she hadn't.
She was somewhat flustered—because she truly understood what was happening.
Many Transcendents on the Path of Twilight possessed the ability to petrify others, and some ancient ruins also contained curses that could turn people to stone. This actually wasn't particularly rare... But more importantly, she had heard of something similar before.
At that moment, Zhu Tang realized something and frowned slightly.
"I'll ask."
The one who spoke was Old Ritualist Ibn.
He sighed and stepped forward, beginning a rapid conversation with the Snakefolk Priestess in fluent Parthian.
Although Iver could understand some Parthian, and Priestess Dong Ya had always communicated with them in standard, slow Stibium Language, as though conducting a foreign-language listening exercise... something this important could still become ambiguous after even a single translation.
For example, the term "Good Lord" was the result of translating a word from Stibium Language. Its original meaning was closer to "the merciful, kind, noble, and holy master/lord."
The word Anar used to address Iver as "lord" was part of that term. It was also a relatively intimate and less solemn form of address used by slaves when referring to their master. That was why it had been translated as "lord"—it was the affectionate title Stibium servants used for their own nobles, more intimate than terms like "sir," "your Excellency," or "mister."
But between those two words, the former lost its sense of humility, obedience, and fear in translation, while the latter lost the implication of a master-servant relationship. That was the loss of information caused by translation.
Seeing that Ibn, a Parthian, was helping with the translation, Dong Ya visibly relaxed.
She was clearly worried that she might say something wrong and convey the wrong information. Ibn's attire also clearly