Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life

Sub-Tags: OP, Strong Lead, Family, Heartwarming

A Warrior’s New Life on the Frontier!

The Ways of the Onikin

Written by Fuurou and illustrated by Kinta, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects marks the latest new license to finish its pre-pub for volume 1 on J-Novel Club.

Following the post-war adventures of Dias, this cute and comedic series finds him unexpectedly in charge of his own territory. While thinking territory management will pose a fresh challenge, Dias’ hopes are dashed when the plains he’s given are seemingly devoid of life. Unsure of where to go and what to do next, his saviour comes in the form of a young Onikin woman who shows him that there’s life on the frontier yet… 

Similar in style to other cute, fish-out-of-water fantasy series, The Frontier Lord is a particularly well-written example. This can be first observed in the effort made to show Dias’s survival on the frontier as believable.

In a land devoid of life beyond the tribes of the Onikin, there’s a lot for Dias to get used to in his new life. To survive in the plains, Dias must learn to live like those of the Onikin tribe. What’s most appreciated here is the author detailing the different dynamics between the citizens of the kingdom and members of the tribe. Sparing no detail, the differences between them are clear, from how they view others, thanks to their intention reading horn, to their insistence on survival skills over intelligence. That isn’t to say, however, there are numerous similarities as well.  

As it turns out, Dias is quite suited to survival on the plain. What he lacks in smarts, he more than makes up for in brawn. His skills in manual labour and hunting are unparalleled. These survival skills and ability to provide for his tribe earn him the respect of the Onikin early on. This respect also earns him his first citizen – his fiancé Alna.

Family Life and the Frontier

Survival isn’t Dias’ only purpose on the frontier. He also wants to increase the population of his territory, an aim that proves quite a difficult task in a territory filled with nothing but grass. Eventually, however, with the help of outside events and Dias’ simple charm, the population grows steadily throughout the volume.

The new population of Dias’ territory are a colourful cast of characters that add to the overall comedic undertone of the series. Two particular highlights from the first volume include the two Baars, Francis and Francoise, and Dias’ fiancé, Alna.

Alna is the brains of the territory. As well as being Dias’ fiancé, she’s his guide to life on the plains, guiding him through tribal life and providing protection when brute force won’t cut it. The two Baars, meanwhile, feel more like humans than fantasy sheep. Innately intelligent creatures, they always know the best moves to ensure all the pets and the love and affection they need.

Overall, The Frontier Lord makes for an excellent addition to JNC’s ever-growing list of cute fantasy series. What makes this series stand out, however, is the detail it goes through to make Dias’ life on the plains feel believable.

The detail it provides on tribal life and the Onikin species makes the comedic antics of the latter half of the volume all the more enjoyable, given that, as a reader, you feel more immersed in the world Fuurou has created and are more invested in the lives of the people on the frontier.