In Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, you’ll face plenty of important decisions, but few are as impactful as the one in “The Black Dragon and Her Rider” quest. If you’re wondering whether you should save your childhood friend – and what the cost of that choice really is – this guide breaks it all down for you.
Table of Contents
Let’s take a closer look at your options, the consequences, and what each choice means for your journey going forward.
When Does This Choice Happen?
This key moment comes after you’ve completed the quests “A Heavenly Party” and “Breaking the Barrier.” Up until this point, dialogue options have mostly been flavor text – but now, your choice actually affects the story in a big way.
Once you confront the Black Dragon, you’re forced to decide: Will you make a pact to save your childhood friend, or let them die?
The game gives you two chances to say no, but everything about the scene is pushing you toward accepting. That’s because, despite the dramatic setup, the consequences for saving them aren’t as bad as they might sound.
If You Choose to Save Them: What You Sacrifice
Choosing to save your friend (either Kaguya or Subaru, depending on your character’s gender) triggers a second decision. You’ll have to give something up in return, and the game offers three choices:
Option 1: Sacrifice Trust
- What happens: Everyone’s bond level with you drops by 1, including any progress toward the next level.
- Why it matters: Bond levels affect friendships, romance paths, and villager performance.
- The verdict: This is arguably the worst choice. You can recover lost bonds, but it takes time – and you’re losing ground with everyone.
Option 2: Sacrifice Experience
- What happens: Your character’s level drops significantly. In our case, we went from Level 61 to 37 – a 24-level drop.
- The upside: Rune Factory has a nice EXP catch-up system – when you’re underleveled, you gain tons of experience fighting stronger enemies.
- The verdict: This is honestly the best option. The level drop looks scary, but you can bounce back quickly. Your gear and village upgrades matter more than raw levels anyway.
Option 3: Sacrifice Wealth
- What happens: You lose all your money, no matter how much you had saved.
- The upside: As your villages grow and you assign villagers to farming, trading, and gathering, the gold rolls in fairly quickly again.
- The verdict: A decent second choice. Also, if you know this is coming, you can spend your money beforehand to minimize the loss.
No matter which of the three you choose, your childhood friend will survive – and later becomes a recruitable villager, unlocking their Bond Quests and even romance and marriage options.
What If You Don’t Save Them?
If you decline the pact twice, your childhood friend dies – and they’re gone for good.
Here’s what that means:
- They won’t join your village.
- You lose access to their Bonding Quests and romance path.
- You’ll be locked out of the Seal of Approval achievement, which requires marrying them.
- The overall story continues with some altered dialogue, but there are no major gameplay benefits to letting them die.
Unless you’re role-playing a heartless character or aiming for a more tragic storyline, this path offers very little reward.
Which Sacrifice Is Best?
Here’s a quick comparison of the three options if you choose to save them:
| Sacrifice | Impact | Recovery Difficulty | Best For |
| Trust | -1 Bond Level with everyone | Medium | Players early in the game, with few relationships |
| Experience | Big level drop (e.g., 24 levels) | Low | Most players—XP rebounds fast |
| Wealth | Lose all money | Low to Medium | Players with solid income or prepped gear |
If you want to keep progressing smoothly and still unlock romance and late-game content, saving your friend is 100% worth it.
Final Thoughts
It’s rare for Rune Factory to throw a morally weighty decision at you, but this one is handled pretty gently. The cost of saving someone important to your character isn’t that steep – and the reward is much more fulfilling. You get to see your childhood friend again, bond with them, and even pursue a romantic future if you want to.
So go ahead – make the pact. Just be smart about which price you’re willing to pay.
Let us know what choice you went with, and how it played out in your adventure!
