Time waited for no one, moving forward unbound by the events of the universe. Finally, the day of the second mana stone exchange arrived.
A welcoming fleet stood ready in an empty patch of space, patiently awaiting the arrival of the representatives. This was both a customary gesture and a security measure, though this time, the fleet was more than four times larger than at the last exchange. The reason was simple—the exact number of arriving ships remained unknown, but the empire was certain it would be at least triple the previous turnout. The increased mana stone quotas required a greater volume of materials for exchange, and, in addition, the Conclave representatives were expected to bring their own products to sell to the empire.