Aptitude Test

The morning was time for the aptitude test. For better or worse, the number of examinees was a lot. Without the figure of Roman and Lumine around, my mind was finally at peace.

However, a part of those examinees engaged in various whispers while staring at me. They're most likely gossiping about the incident with that idiotic prince. Had I known I would become such an attention magnet, I would have avoided overdoing it. Well, let's just ignore these curious onlookers.

The aptitude test ended in a similar way as it started.

The first test was the measurement of my magical power. Since things might become really troublesome if I, the owner of 『The Most Incompetent in This World』 gift, had magical power rivalling that of an A-rank hunter, I set the average of my stats to 1 with [Glove of Sealing God] and managed to pass without a hitch.

The second test was a magic invocation. some people managed to invoke magic even without the assistance of a gift like mine, though their number was small. Finding such talents was the reason for this test, as for what kind of invoked magic, it didn't really matter. Naturally, I received a sympathetic gaze from the examiner when I told them I couldn't use attribute magic and was sneered upon by the other examinees who eavesdropped. Yeah, their reaction was as predicted.

The third test was physical strength measurement, a test to measure one's physical strength and stamina. It was completed without a hitch since I suppressed my abilities with [Glove of Sealing God].

The next test was summoned aptitude test.

It was a test to see whether you're liked by a giant dog-like creature with beautiful white fur. According to the pamphlet, the name of the test was―― Friendship with Kouma―― that 『Kouma』 seemed to be the name of that giant dog-like creature.

When a student with cropped hair tried to pet it, the dog-like creature called Kouma growled at the examinee.

The same went for the next examinee. Rather, no one had managed to touch the dog-like creature called 『Kouma』 so far. Since they always snarled at anyone who tried to touch them, the test turned into 'who could get closest to 『Kaouma』'.

And the next turn was of the blonde-haired girl with a bob cut, Lumine.

Lumine always loved to fluff adorable creatures. And just as I thought, she embraced Kouma with sparkling eyes.

Even that 『Kouma』 never expected such a reaction. Though its eyes darted for a while after that, upon seeing Lumine raise a strange voice as she buried her face into its pure white fur, Kouma could only heave a sigh and accept its fate.

Cheers resounded in the surrounding. Rather than being liked, Kouma just looked dumbfounded. I mean, Lumine did have a mind of steel when it comes to fluffing adorable creatures. Anyhow, since Kouma had always brushed off or snarled at the other examinees before Lumine, its current reaction could be considered favourable.

Even now, the troubled staff of Babel was trying to separate Lumine, who clung to Kouma like glue, thus ending Lumine's test.

And then―― My turn had come at last.

「Next, number [20456]!」

I came forward when my number got called.

Would that dog-like creature accept me? I mean, the only dog-like creature in that easy dungeon was Fen. And he was the creature of the easy dungeon on top of that.

This Kouma didn't seem to be that strong, but it is still the sacred beast chosen by the examiners from the tower. I did say it didn't seem to be that strong, but in the end, it was just my guts, there was no evidence to back it up. This fella might've some sort of hidden power that Fen and co lacked… right…?

When I approached a Kouma with a smile, who lay on the ground with boring look――

『Master! I'm hungry!』

Fen, the wolf puppy, suddenly appeared from inside my clothes, his tail swung happily as he made his usual request. Come to think of it, it was about time for lunch.

「My bad. I'm a little busy now. Go ask Kyuubi to make your lunch for now. In exchange, I'll make your favourite hamburger tonight, Be a good boy.」

I dismissed him as I brush his head like a child.

『U~h, I'll do my best!』

「Good, Fen is a good child.」

I fluffed him and added a pat on his head, Fen closed his eyes in joy, enjoying this moment,

『Instead, I'll get the hamburger, right? It's a promise!』

Fen raised his small paw as he told me his usual demand.

「Yeah, it's a promise.」

Maybe he was satisfied with my answer, as Fen went back into the picture book immediately. I faced the Kouma again with a wry smile on my face, due to Fen's sudden interruption.

Kouma's jaw opened as if completely dumbfounded, but then, its entire body stiffened as its gaze met mine. Suddenly, it retreated as if trying to get away from me, its teeth clattering.

Uhm, no matter how you look at it, it seems to be scared of me. How strange. I shouldn't have an outer appearance that made the dog-like creature scared shi*tless. Though Asta and Zack teased me that my smile was enough to scare even the demon king, could it be that my appearance and face were actually atrocious? No, that must be not the reason. Their senses were just abnormal. Yeah, that must be the reason.

Okay, now let's tell it that I am not its enemy with this brilliant smile of mine.

And when the tips of my lips rose up, revealing the best smile I could muster,

「Lookie lookie, I'm not scary at all.」

I spread my arms, approaching it as I called it with a voice that I use to coax a stray cat.

『HIIIIIIIIII!』

At that moment, Kouma shrieked in fear, and escaped in a flash, hiding behind the female, navy-robe-donning Babel examiner. It covered its head with its paws as if prostrating toward me.

My smile turned rigid,

「Look! That creepy smile of yours even made this child scared! Leave this poor child now!」

Lumine, who was about to leave the room, ran back with an angry look on her face and stood between me and the trembling Kouma, as if she trying to protect it.

Uhm, it seems my skinship plan was a huge failure. This test was to see whether that dog-like creature liked me or not, and since they ended up scared shitless instead, you might say that I failed this test.

Well, this test was only a trivial matter that was forced on me by Rose anyway.

Well, this added even more points to the fact that Zack's joke about my smile being similar to a demon king might be true, and I couldn't help but feel sad.

「Is the test finished?」

When I asked the female examiner, still bewildered by Kouma's reaction,

「Y-Yes.」

She nodded and I left the summon aptitude venue.