Nearby teams, noticing the boys' success, followed suit. By the end of the half hour, every student had found their team except one group, which was missing a student. Persimmon chuckled as a sweat-drenched boy frantically sprinted through the door, screaming apologies and waving the artifact found under the rocks.
As if sensing the students' jubilation at finding their teams, the man from earlier swiftly took his place back at the front of the room and put an end to their celebrations. "Attention students: Assuming you have found your teammates, you are to line up by the right of stage. You will receive further instructions once your relics have been checked." He gestured to a ramp on stage right, where a woman with a clipboard waved sheepishly to the students, a look in her eyes that said "I apologize for him."
The four boys made their way to the line as several groups stepped aside, allowing them to go first. Whether this was out of gratitude for figuring out the puzzle with the relics or simply as an excuse not to go first, Persimmon didn't know, but he made a point of smiling broadly and verbally thanking all the ladies that stepped aside for him.
...Gracious eyes turned to icy stares when they fell on him after that.
Regardless, the four made it to stage right unharmed. The woman at the ramp checked the completed picture in Sherwood's hands against something on her clipboard, circled that something, then handed the clipboard to the man on stage. She then took the jade slab in one hand and shook Sherwood's hand with the other as she whispered, "Congrats, boys. Put up with just a little more, alright?"
The four boys stepped up on stage and walked forward until they were instructed to stop by the unpleasant man. They were then arranged in a line, shoulder-to-shoulder, in order from left to right: Argent, Sherwood, Persimmon, Noctis. Their jade tablet was displayed on center stage underneath blown-up digital versions of the pictures they were required to submit with their transcripts when applying to Beacon. The man wasted no time with his announcement. "Our first team today is... Team ASPN, of Argent Grae, Persimmon Burhan, Noctis Quartz, and leader Sherwood Cathasaigh. May Beacon treat you well." The room erupted in cheers, and Persimmon pulled his hood up. The speaker actually cracked a smile, but the four stooges quickly realized he wasn't looking at them, but something behind them.
"Guess we made it, huh? We're a pretty cool team." Persimmon lightly elbowed Sherwood in the stomach. "Got anything to say, fearless leader?" he asked with his now near-iconic smirk.