In the Withering Away quest during The Blood of Dawnwalker prologue, Coen’s father sends him to Anca to get medicine for his mother Esme, after the failed attempt to feed her. Once she finishes brewing the herbs and Coen asks how much he owes her, she’ll try to charge you 50 Denarii, claiming the ingredients were rare even though her usual rate is 25 Denarii.
You’ll get three dialogue prompts, but if you’re worried about locking yourself out of story content or ruining a future romance, take a breath. The short answer? Pay her 25 Denarii.
Should You Pay Anca 50, 25, or 0 Denarii in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
You can pay Anca 50 Denarii, talk her down to 25, or take the herbs on credit for 0. None of these choices has any consequences on Esme’s fate or the story, but paying 25 Denarii is the best choice for your wallet and your standing.
| Payment Option | Dialogue Choice | Immediate Cost | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Denarii | “You know things are tight for us right now.” | 25 Denarii | Anca begrudgingly accepts the standard rate. You owe nothing. |
| 50 Denarii | “I understand.” | 50 Denarii | Anca is pleasantly surprised you didn’t argue over the marked up price. |
| 0 Denarii | “Sorry, can’t afford it.” | 0 Denarii | Anca gives the herbs on credit, but demands a large repayment later. |
Breakdown of Every Payment Choice
1. Pay 25 Denarii (“You know things are tight for us right now.”)
Anca sighs, complains a bit about money, but hands over the sachet for her usual fee. It keeps your coin purse intact during the tight early game, doesn’t damage your relationship, and you walk away with the debt settled.
2. Pay 50 Denarii (“I understand.”)
If you have the cash (which you can hoard by looting villagers’ houses early on), giving the asked price makes Anca pleasantly surprised. She notes that most people haggle with her and appreciates that Coen pays without a fuss. Beyond a brief warm response, it gives zero mechanical advantage. I would skip this unless you have money to burn and want the nice dialogue.
3. Pay 0 Denarii (“Sorry, can’t afford it.”)
If your pockets are empty, Anca gives you the herbs on trust. However, taking the credit puts a marker on you to pay her back during her later side quest, Where Old Devils Lie. When you go to settle up, the debt hikes up and, depending on your playthrough state, you’ll owe anywhere from 50 to 100 Denarii. Even if you refuse to pay her back for herbs, it won’t break the main story, but it’s an unnecessary debt trap.
When Does this Choice Appear?
Anca’s payment decision happens near the end of Withering Away. After you track Anca down near the river via Focus Mode and enter her house, she’ll give you the herbs and explain the brewing steps: use hot (not boiling) water and add three scoops of the mixture. Once you pass the payment choice, you can either stick around during the rainstorm for the optional Page-Turner quest or return to Pieter to save your mum.
This is only one of the many choices Coen has to make during his journey. Visit our The Blood of Dawnwalker walkthrough and guides for more quest solutions, decisions, and gameplay help.
