Story spoiler: this guide names Caldarus's Mine and relationship gates.

What is blocking you?What to check next
Daily conversations do not raise heartsUse the story milestones below; Caldarus does not gain heart points from talking.
You cannot give him a giftComplete Breaking The Fire Seal first.
Eight hearts but no Dating statusRead Life in This Form, visit his Deep Woods temple and choose Romantic Path.
He says the timing is not right for marriageComplete Breaking The Final Seal, then return with the Engagement Ring.
You received Dragonsworn StatueCheck whether you actually confirmed the proposal; the gift alone does not mean you are engaged.

Heart milestones

Caldarus differs from regular townsfolk: talking does not add heart points. His early hearts are tied to story progress: complete The Water Tablet, complete The Earth Tablet, start The Fire Tablet, then complete Breaking The Fire Seal. Do not assign a normal daily-talk point value to him.

Heart level reachedRequired milestone
2Complete The Water Tablet
3Complete The Earth Tablet
4Start The Fire Tablet
6Complete Breaking The Fire Seal

Use the seal walkthrough to finish the matching objective. Starting The Fire Tablet and completing Breaking The Fire Seal are different milestones.

After Breaking The Fire Seal, he can receive gifts. His six-heart birthday letter also requires that quest. At eight hearts, his Life in This Form letter asks you to meet him at his Deep Woods temple; finish that heart quest and choose the romantic route to date him.

After the gift gate, the source lists these loved dishes: Apple Honey Curry, Fried Rice, Harvest Plate, Mont Blanc, Seafood Boil, Seafood Snow Pea Noodles, Spring Galette, Sushi Platter and Veggie Sub Sandwich. Choose one you can obtain and respect the daily gift limit; preparing it before the Fire Seal does not bypass the gate.

Dating route

  1. Reach eight hearts after the story and gifting gates above.
  2. Read the Life in This Form letter and meet Caldarus at his Deep Woods temple.
  3. Complete the heart quest and select the Romantic Path; confirm Dating in the relationship screen.
  4. Speak to him on Saturday or Sunday and choose an unlocked Date.

For the romantic choice in step 3, select “I think it's because we have... romantic feelings for each other.” Choosing the best-friends answer follows the friendship route. You do not need to have attended the Shooting Star Festival together; that history changes some dialogue, not the available relationship outcome. See the eight-heart event transcript.

Once Dating, use the normal weekend Date rule: Saturday or Sunday, once per week per partner. Caldarus can use the published Date Inspiration system, but this does not establish a universal clock-time schedule; no schedule is listed here. Keep the weekend invitation check separate from the tablet and seal objectives that control his earlier progression.

Proposal gate

At ten hearts, make the Engagement Ring and use it to begin the discussion. The proposal option specifically requires Breaking The Final Seal. Before that, the game says the timing is not right because Caldarus remains bound to the Deep Woods. The discussion can be postponed; confirming the proposal is the commitment choice.

The ten-heart discussion grants the Dragonsworn Statue, but receiving the gift is not the same as confirming engagement. If the proposal is blocked, finish the Final Seal and return with the ring rather than crafting a second ring or repeating daily conversations.

Date exception

If Caldarus is Dating before the main storyline is complete, a Date Inspiration destination marked with an asterisk uses the Deep Woods instead. This is a location exception, not a replacement for the unlock item or weekend invitation rule. It changes where the listed Date happens, while the Dating status and once-per-week limit remain in force.

Use the romance guide for the shared ring route. Use the gift guide for confirmed loved gifts. Keep those shared references separate from Caldarus's tablet, seal, and Deep Woods exceptions.