Red was nervous without a doubt. He felt the strength behind the grip. It was strong even though she was a woman and old. He figured it out that it might be because of the level and attributes.
All kinds of scenarios played in his head. The worst scenario would be him getting executed for what he did if he told the truth. The thoughts made him hesitate to tell the truth.
He could tell the Matron that he picked the weapon after they were killed by the beasts. He believed they had no way to find the truth if he didn't tell them the truth.
That might lower the risk of getting even more ostracized by the tribe, but that might have the opposite effect. For example, the Matrons might have a way to detect lies, a skill that might detect lies just as he could identify stuff.
On top of that, his instinct, gut feeling told him that he should tell the truth. He didn't know why, but even with Level 10 Levelheaded, the instinct was so strong to overcome his rational thoughts.
"I killed them."
That came out of his mouth, and his heart jumped. He was nervous because this might be his last day in the tribe. His confidence was gone as he faced the Matron.
"Why?" The Matron inquired, not immediately judging him for his actions.
Red was unsure whether this was a good thing or not, but since he had told them the truth, he might as well answer everything with the truth.
"They asked me to hand over my prey," He glanced at the five rabbon on the table, "I refused their demand, and they started attacking…"
He spilled everything, even telling Matron how the fight went.
The Matron scanned his body from top to bottom. The smell of blood was strong, and she spotted the dried blood even though he tried to get rid of it. Then she released him.
"Good thing you are telling the truth. If I find a single lie in your word. I will have to confine you and torture you to get the truth. I believe The Shaman would love to do it."
Red shuddered when the Matron mentioned the Shaman. It seemed the Matron was aware of the Shaman's attempt to kill him.
"But I want to know why you kill them all? From your story, you can leave two of them alive. Why do you kill them even though they don't have the will to fight you anymore?"
The questioning was not over; it was just less intense. There was no more pressure on her words.
"To teach others a lesson about what will happen if they try to pick a fight against me. If I leave them alive, they will come back with the other kids. So I killed them."
Red observed the Matron's expression, but he could not read anything from her expression.
The Matron nodded, "Bold and merciless yet witty. You indeed will become a good asset for the tribe."
"You don't need to worry about punishment for killing those kids. It's bound to happen anyway. However, I want you to spare the kids that come after you starting today. I can't let you kill all those foolish children. We need manpower to expand our tribe, unless you want to take the menial job."
Red didn't like it when the Matron said he should spare the kids who wanted to kill him. If they wanted to kill him, they must be prepared to be killed.
"I am not saying you can't kill them. You can fight back if your life is in danger, but you must spare those who are no longer a threat to you."
The Matron let out a chuckle, "Don't be disappointed. From today, you will be appointed as a Hunter. You know what it means, right?"
Red's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting to hear that from the matron. Of course, he knew what that meant. Hunter was a candidate for the warrior. Every warrior went through the same step.
The way for the tribe to choose the warrior was from the list of hunters in the tribe. The hunter with the most contribution to the tribe would be recruited as a warrior, replacing the dead warrior.
It was the dream of all the children in the tribe. Not just the honor, but also the privilege. They get to pick better weapons and don't need to worry about hunting anymore.
Of course, the warrior must take the biggest risk, going out of the tribe to plunder, bringing back better weapons and armor for the tribe. There were more privileges that he didn't know, but he didn't care about the privileges.
The reason he wanted to be a warrior was not for those things. What he wanted was recognition from the tribe, a place for him in the tribe where people no longer isolate them, accepting him as one of them. That was what he wanted, and becoming a warrior would help him.
"You will get a better quality weapon as a hunter, and you can exchange two prey for loot so you can get stronger."
"Of course, you don't need to worry about your food anymore. As a hunter, you will be guaranteed that you can eat two times a day, even if you don't bring back prey, and you can get more food if you bring back prey."
What the Matron listed was just a plus point for him. He had not changed his mind about wanting to get recognition from his tribe. He wanted the others to accept him as he was, a place.
"However, if you fail to bring back prey for seven nights in a row, you will lose your status as a hunter. If that happens, then you should forget about becoming a warrior."
Red almost jumped in joy, but he held back. Deep inside, he was happy that he finally took the first step.
'The two marget yesterday might help me to smooth the way…'
"Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Red instantly replied.
"Good," The Matron nodded and threw something at him.
Red caught the string with a small tooth attached to it. It was the necklace a hunter wore, an identity. That was a way to prove that they were hunters.
"Wear that proudly. From today, you are one of the Hunters!"
Red nodded as he wore the tooth necklace. He tried his best to hold his smile, but he finally broke into a smile when he saw the necklace on his chest.
"Good, you can bring back all those weapons to the weapon storage and exchange them for a proper weapon that fits with your new status! And make sure to wash your body as well, and you will move into your new lodging in a week if you don't lose your status as a hunter."
Red's eyes widened in surprise when he heard the last part. A lodging provided by the tribe, meaning he didn't need to stay in that isolated place anymore. That meant his bed would not get wet anymore when it rained.
"Yes, Matron!"