Meanwhile, just as the war in the northern part of the Genoa Peninsula was drawing to a close and the Chaos abominations had been routed, with the fighting turning into a pursuit and extermination campaign, the Cato region—which had been attacked by fishmen—was anything but peaceful.
The region had been under martial law ever since the Black Calamity broke out on the Genoa Peninsula and the Pioneer Legion moved in. Under the Capet family's direction, local industries had shifted to supporting the war effort. Several factories began producing wartime supplies at full capacity, achieving self-sufficiency. The result was not trouble, but a wave of "prosperity" as orders poured in.
The workers were especially satisfied. They had to work more overtime, but they were earning more, too.
That situation didn't last long. To be precise, things began to change when refugees from the Genoa Peninsula flooded into the region. A considerable number of them were skilled halflings, and they needed to support their families. The local factories took the opportunity to snap up a bargain.
Many workers were replaced by halflings, who were more attuned to machinery. Those newcomers also brought advanced technology from Chardo Port, leaving the factory owners grinning in their sleep. But the workers forced out of their jobs as casualties of this wave of "professional upgrades" were hardly pleased.
They took aim at the refugees who had stolen their jobs. There were no large-scale, open clashes between the two sides, but plenty of dirty tricks went on behind the scenes.
The halflings had it better. They possessed "core competencies."
Anyone with a skill could do quite well in the commercially minded Cato region, and factory owners treated them like treasures. But the Genoans who had come to Cato alongside the halflings found themselves in an awkward position.