Anca is the village herbalist from Coen’s home in the Vale Sangora, and she becomes an early companion in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Her romance runs through a chain of personal quests, and the payoff only lands if you keep picking the flirtatious replies at every stage. The romance is optional and does not change the main story, but it does affect a small part of the epilogue.
Quick answer: Complete Anca’s quest chain (starting in the prologue), choose the romantic dialogue at every step, tell her “I love you” during Stronger Than Achilles, then at the inn afterward pick “There’s a conversation we need to finish,” “I meant what I said,” “Screw decency. I want you, too,” and “Not sure I got that. One more time?” to trigger the scene.
Anca’s quest chain and time costs
The romance plays out across several linked quests. Each day and night in the game is divided into 8 time units, and staying with Anca often spends one or more of them, so plan around the 30-day deadline. Some quests appear far from your starting area and need a higher level, so explore and level up before chasing them.
| Order | Quest | Role in the romance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prologue (herbalist visit) | First flirtation, Latin lesson, tending her wound |
| 2 | Echoes of Silenced Bells | Required to unlock the next quest; the convent ritual |
| 3 | Between the Words | Short bonding quest deciphering book clues |
| 4 | Where Old Devils Lie | Romantic moments; Anca shares secrets |
| 5 | Stronger Than Achilles | The “I love you” line and the romance scene at the inn |
Two ways to lock yourself out of the romance
There are two clear fail states. Avoid both and the romance stays available.
| Fail state | How it happens |
|---|---|
| Anca dies | Coen speaks to her while in vampire form with low health, which can kill her. |
| Friends only | Coen picks the “just friends” replies instead of the romantic ones. |
Note: whenever a “just friends” style response appears in a conversation, do not choose it if you want the romance.
Prologue: start the flirtation
Use these responses during the prologue to push the mood.
| Prompt | Choose |
|---|---|
| Poem replies | “kisses,” then “grains of sand” |
| After tending the wound | “I enjoy the company more than the books.” |
| After Brencis takes Coen’s family | Stay kind, apologize for raising your voice, say you didn’t mean to scare her |
These prologue moments are romantic but not strictly required to start the path. They set the tone and keep Anca warm to Coen.
Echoes of Silenced Bells: the convent ritual
You receive this quest after clearing the debris that blocks the village entrance. It sits far from your position and expects a higher level, so prepare before meeting Anca at the abandoned inn and heading to St. Tyna’s Convent, where she once lived as a nun.
Little romance happens here, but you must finish it to unlock the quests that follow. Let Anca complete her ritual to save her fellow nuns’ souls. Give her the notes rather than burning them, which keeps her feeling better and affects a small portion of the epilogue.
| Prompt | Choose |
|---|---|
| If she opened up about her scars | “It must’ve been painful.” |
| After defeating Leonica in the catacombs | “Pity we couldn’t do more for her.” |
| Handing over the notes (costs 1x extra Time Segment) | “There, take them.” — do not throw the notes into the fire |
Between the Words: keep the tone romantic
This short quest has Coen and Anca decoding clues in books. Preparing a warm drink for her is optional and costs 1x Time Segment, but it fits the mood. Pick the replies below to steer the conversation toward feelings rather than faith.
- “Hope you had more luck than me.”
- “It’s my pleasure.”
- “There are better sources of joy than herbal brews.”
- “Always? What do you mean?”
- “Your feelings toward me–it’s more than just faith.”
Where Old Devils Lie: the bonding quest
Anca’s next quest opens after a day or two of waiting. It carries the strongest romantic beats yet, and she confesses more of her own secrets. Choose these lines at the marked moments.
| Location | Choose |
|---|---|
| In the inn | “Who knows what else I have in store for you?” |
| Sitting by the lake | “I care about you.” |
| In front of the ruins | “Nice to see you smile,” then “I’m enjoying your company, too.” |
Stronger Than Achilles: the confession and the Font of Life
Coen and Anca move deeper into the ruins for the decisive quest. The conversations turn serious, and you commit to the romance here before the scene can play out.
| Prompt | Choose |
|---|---|
| After Coen’s arm is injured by the blood sacrifice pillar | “Better me than you.” |
| Learning Anca wants to use the Font | “You were hoping to use the Font yourself,” then “I would, too, in your place.” |
| The confession | “I’d do anything for you,” then “I love you” — never tell her she’s just a friend |
In the final chamber you decide what happens with the Font of Life, since only one person can gain its power. You can have Coen drink it for a health regeneration perk, let Anca drink it, or destroy the structure to claim a legendary item instead. The choice does not block the romance scene. If Coen drinks, Anca seems more hesitant about the relationship afterward; if Anca drinks, she is more enthusiastic about pursuing it.
Trigger the Anca romance scene at the inn
The romance scene fires once the pair return to the inn at the end of Stronger Than Achilles. This last conversation still offers “friends only” replies, so follow the exact order below and skip anything that keeps them platonic.
- “There’s a conversation we need to finish.”
- “I meant what I said.”
- “Screw decency. I want you, too.”
- After the kiss: “Not sure I got that. One more time?”
That final line leads directly into the scene between Coen and Anca. You’ll know it worked when the kiss carries into the intimate scene rather than ending the talk on friendly terms. If it stops short, you selected one of the friends-only replies earlier in the chain, so a prior save is the only fix.
Anca isn’t the only companion Coen can grow close to, and pursuing her romance won’t change the outcome of the wider fight against Brencis. Keep her alive, keep choosing the warm replies, and the herbalist’s arc closes with the scene you’ve been building toward.
