Dias achieved great accomplishments in war, rising from an orphan to become a hero who saved the nation. Normally, one would expect him to be granted a grand castle and rich territory fitting for such achievements, beginning a glamorous life as a noble. However, “Ryoumin 0-nin Start no Henkyou Ryoushusama” begins by spectacularly defying those expectations. What the king granted him along with the status of a lord was the “Netzlos Grassland,” which spreads across the furthest edge of the kingdom. In that land bearing a name that means “unneeded” in old kingdom language, there are no villages, no houses, no fields, no food, and not even a single crucial territory resident. Even Dias, who had overcome numerous hardships on the battlefield, stands dumbfounded before the vast grassland where the wind simply blows through. Before even considering domain management, he has to start by thinking about “where to sleep tonight,” kicking off a lord's life that starts from absolute zero.

Appearing before Dias, who is at a loss in the empty grassland, is Alna, a girl with blue horns. Marking this encounter as a turning point, Dias's world, which truly had “0 villagers” until then, begins to move little by little. Connections with unique individuals starting with Alna are formed, people gather, items necessary for living increase, and the empty grassland gradually transforms into a “place where people live.” While this work is set in a medieval European-style fantasy world where magic and other races exist, the center of the story is not flashy magic battles or grand wars of conquest. Preparing a place to live, securing food, building relationships with people, and creating one piece of daily life today that wasn't there yesterday. Such steady accumulation is precisely the greatest charm of this work.

In works with the theme of territory development, developments where a giant city is rapidly built or an industrial revolution is triggered with overwhelming knowledge are not uncommon. However, this work is impressive because it depicts development from a perspective much closer to daily life. What is needed first is neither a luxurious castle nor a powerful army, but shelter to shield from wind and rain and daily food. From there, people gradually increase, what can be done increases, and the grassland scenery itself changes. Combined with the production where the development status of the village is summarized at each story milestone, there is a joy similar to playing a city-building game even though you are reading a manga. Precisely because you know the fact that “there was really nothing at first,” even small changes bring a strange sense of accomplishment, and before you know it, you find yourself rejoicing over the growth of the territory together with Dias and the others.

And above all, what attracted me was the existence of the protagonist Dias. Since he is the hero who saved the nation, he is undoubtedly a special person when viewed as a warrior. However, as a lord, he is a complete beginner, not an all-powerful ruler who knows everything from the start. Even so, the reason people gather around him is likely not because of titles or power, but because of his simplicity, sincerity, and personality that cherishes others. A man who became a hero in war now faces the challenge of “living with people,” which cannot be solved with a sword alone. This contrast is interesting, and a natural fondness arises for the way Dias walks forward step by step as a lord. The process where not only the territory's development but also relationships with the people gathering there are nurtured is a major reason to keep reading this work.

If I were to express the charm of “Ryoumin 0-nin Start no Henkyou Ryoushusama” in one word, I think it would be “a story where you can enjoy starting from zero itself.” If a grand castle, massive funds, and convenient facilities had been prepared from the start, the unique flavor of this work would not have been born. A house is built, people increase, meals become stable, and life becomes a little richer—events that would likely be mere stepping stones in ordinary works become genuine joys in this story. People's lives take root in a place that was a desolate grassland, growing into a single community. Precisely because you can witness that change from the beginning, it makes you want to turn the page, wondering, “What can be done next?” For people who like not only flashy success stories, but also heartwarming fantasies and steadily progressing development stories, it is a work that is particularly easy to enjoy.

Even though he is a hero, there are no villagers. Even though he is a lord, there is not even a house. From such an extreme starting point that almost makes you laugh, Dias's new life begins. A hero who saved the country on the battlefield now builds his own territory while protecting small lives one by one. While “Ryoumin 0-nin Start no Henkyou Ryoushusama” is a sword and sorcery fantasy, it is a development story that lets you feel the warmth that “a place becomes a hometown as people gather.” What kind of land will the empty grassland turn into from now on, and what kind of daily lives will Dias, Alna, and the others build? Wanting to enjoy the time itself during which a land that is not yet anything grows, rather than looking at a completed nation—this is a manga I want specifically such people to read.