Poor enough to worry about dinner, the protagonist starts miles away from anything resembling a warlord. The early chores are oddly addictive: rice planting, ditch work, hauling cargo, whatever pays. Finishing the first light card also opens up better money, taking some of the sting out of those lean beginnings.
The climb gets more interesting once trust starts paying off. Better jobs appear, small comforts become affordable, and the grand ambition finally feels less absurd. It is a pleasantly scruffy way to build a life before chasing power.