Usugumo Dayu is a geisha in the pleasure district, known for exceptional dance technique and love for cats, and with this romance and Favor guide, we’ll show you exactly how to progress your relationship.
For every character in Rise of the Ronin, the key to starting a relationship, or Veiled Vow, is to increase your Bond level and Favor bar. Each character has different interests and missions that are required to progress romances quicker than usual. Here is everything you need to know about romancing and building Favor with Usugumo Dayu.
When Do You Meet Usugumo Dayu?
You will meet Usugumo Dayu when you first go to the Miyozaki Pleasure District in Yokohama. She will be standing next to the railing and will talk to you about her love of cats. This becomes a core element of exploration in Rise of the Ronin, and you must return to Usugumo Dayu if you want to be rewarded for cat collecting.
Usugumo Dayu can also be found across the different pleasure districts as you progress in the game.
How to Romance and Build Favor with Usugumo Dayu
There are three ways to romance and build Favor with typical characters in Rise of the Ronin: Bond Missions, Gifts, and Positive Discussion. However, Usugumo Dayu is slightly different. While she features in many missions that you can utilize to increase your Favor and Bond with her, she doesn’t have any Bond Missions solely focused on her. Instead, you must locate her cats to increase your relationship.
Cats are scattered throughout the world in obscure locations, and you must approach them and hold R1 to catch them. Calico cats can be scared off if you aren’t sneaking around. While there are too many cats in the game for us to label the location of every single one, if you hover over an area on the map and toggle ‘Triangle’, you can see how many cats are in that particular area. Every snagged cat will increase both Bond and Favor with Usugumo Dayu.
Positive Discussion
There are two other ways that you can gain Favor and Bond with Usugumo Dayu in Rise of the Ronin, and that is with positive discussion and gifting her gifts.
After reaching particular levels of Favor and Bond with Usugumo Dayu, you will be notified that she wants to have a conversation. There are multiple conversations that can be had with her, and the first one is called “The Meaning of ‘Usugumo’.
The Meaning of ‘Usugumo’
The conversation begins with Usugumo Dayu stating, “I am delighted you so frequently make time to see me. We live in a disquieting world of late… I pray you are not getting yourself involved in anything too dangerous.”
You will be presented with two options: “I am” and “I’m not.” Both answers will increase your Bond and Favor with Usugumo Dayu, so there is no wrong option here. She will proceed to tell a story from The Tale of Genji and present you with two further options: “It’s Beautiful” and “It’s Sad.” Once again, both of these options positively impact your relationship with Usugumo Dayu.
A Fleeting Meeting
The second conversation is titled “A Fleeting Meeting“. Usugumo Dayu begins the conversation by saying, “I was just thinking how dearly I would like to talk to you! Let us forget about the cold, harsh world… For now, all we need is you and me. Would you be interested in watching me dance?“
You will be presented with three options:
- Yes, please.
- Let’s save it for next time.
- Can I expect something good to come after…
Unfortunately, she doesn’t dance and while all three of these options will improve your Bond and Favor, the best choice is: Can I expect something good to come after… However, there are no wrong answers in these conversations, and it’s highly recommended that you use the Testament of the Soul to return to the conversation to earn additional Favor and Bond by choosing the options you didn’t originally choose. This means you can gain further benefits and capitalize on all conversation options and all the rewards.
Favorite Gifts
Similar to Taka Murayama, Usugumo Dayu is a geisha, so she loves Edo Cosmetics. The Face Powder and Brush Consumables item is the best choice of item that you can give her. While this item is a little hard to come by, you can also gift her a Temari Ball or Japanese Poetry Anthology. You can find gift items from progressing Main Missions, but if you are looking to purchase specific items, we will keep the locations updated in the table below.
| Gift | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Face Powder and Brush | Sakura Inn (Yokohama) Koishikawa Botanical Garden (After Completing Robert Fortune Bond Mission) (Edo) Trader in Nihonbashi (Edo) | 14 Silver Coins |
| Japanese Poetry Anthology | Trader in Nihonbashi (Edo) | 15 Silver Coins |
| Temari Ball | Trader in Nihonbashi (Edo) | 15 Silver Coins |
Usugumo Dayu Bond Rewards
There are four Bond levels for every character in Rise of the Ronin, and increasing favor will also increase your Bond with that character. Here are all the rewards you can earn for increasing your Bond with Usugumo Dayu:
| Bond Level | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Acquainted | (No Rewards) |
| Friendly | Charm Points +1 Cat Concierge Client +1 |
| Inseparable | Cat Concierge Client +1 Dayu’s Kimono |
| Fated | Charm Points +1 Cat Concierge Client +2 |
Once your Favor bar reaches the maximum, you can ask Usugumo Dayu, “It would be nice to go outside for a while.” This will trigger a scene where you must tell her that you love her and you will become a Veiled Vow. You can have conversations once you become a Veiled Vow with Usugumo Dayu, and I will keep it spoiler-free. However, it is regarding the true meaning of the poem from which her name was derived.
That’s everything you need to know about becoming a Veiled Vow and romancing Usugumo Dayu in Rise of the Ronin. Make sure you check out our Guide Hub for more articles and news on the game.