A few minutes passed as the warmth from the bed hadn't faded, and the morning lights hadn't reached the windows yet, but the silence had already been broken.
A soft voice stirred the quiet.
"…We should get up."
Hearing this, the man blinked once, still half asleep, and glanced slightly down at the girl resting on his chest.
She was still close, curled around him the same way she had been when he fell asleep, her voice low and quiet due to waking up not too long ago.
Her hand gently tapped his chest again as she spoke.
"Today's the day," she said, eyes still half-lidded, her cheek pressed against his skin. "Our future partners are waiting for us."
His gaze met hers for a moment, and then his lips tugged into a faint smile.
"I know," he mumbled, voice deeper and softer than usual. "I didn't forget."
The others began to stir beside him, though slowly. The warmth of the bed and the comfort of being tangled together made it hard to move.
"You're excited, aren't you?" the one on his right asked, yawning slightly. "You dreamed about it, didn't you?"
He hesitated for a second, then gave a small nod with a wry smile. "Yeah."
A dream about a battle. About the command. About something far from here, but still close to his heart.
It made sense now. Today, they were finally going to awaken their shipgirls. A moment they'd been looking forward to since they first enrolled.
For people like them, this was the first real step into the life they'd been born to live.
"I guess that explains it," he muttered under his breath.
"Then get up already," the girl on his left said with a sleepy pout, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. "Or do you want to be late and miss it?"
He groaned lightly, not from irritation but reluctance. "It's still early…"
"Young Master," came the voice from beyond the door again, just as calm and polite as before, "your parents are waiting."
That changed things.
With another slow breath, he nodded once and shifted. The three girls groaned softly but moved as well, slipping away from him one by one.
They were quiet but quick. They'd done this many times, woken up in each other's arms and moved without fuss.
As the girls rose and padded toward the bathroom, they didn't say much, just a few glances and soft brushes of fingers, simple little habits that had formed naturally over time.
All three walked in together, the door sliding shut behind them.
He waited a few more moments, breathing in the leftover warmth of their bodies before he got up too.
The room was still the same, soft lighting, soft air, everything exactly where it should be.
But today was important.
He entered the bathroom after the girls finished, his mind already clearing with the wash of cold water on his face.
The scent of their perfume still lingered faintly in the air, soft and familiar.
He didn't take long. The shower was quick, and the drying even quicker.
His clothes had already been laid out. Clean, neatly pressed academy uniform in muted navy, silver trim, and the family crest stitched lightly into the collar, along with the academy crest on the other side.
It fit well, formal without being over the top, and he put it on without thinking.
When he stepped out, the three of them were already dressed.
They wore the female version of the academy uniform, clean lines with short skirts and long coats.
Each wore theirs differently. Yelena, who was the girl who was lying on top of him a few minutes ago, buttoned everything to the top.
Mirei was the girl sleeping on his right side, leaving the middle open just enough to show skin, and Rei, on the left, wore hers perfectly centered and unstyled.
Their hair was done, their movements quiet and efficient.
As he approached them, Mirei smiled and reached over to fix the line of his collar, smoothing it down with her fingers. "There. Now you look like you didn't just crawl out of bed with three girls on top of you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do I ever look like that?"
Yelena glanced sideways at him. "Not unless you want to."
Rei didn't say anything, but she took his hand as they moved toward the door, holding it with her fingers laced between his.
The door slid open soundlessly.
Waiting just outside was a tall woman dressed in a crisp black-and-white uniform. Her presence was sharp, but her eyes held a softness that came from loyalty, not weakness.
Her hair was silver-white, smooth, and tied neatly behind her head. Her posture was perfect, every motion deliberate.
She stood at ease, but with the kind of readiness that said she could react at any moment.
"Good morning, Young Master," she said, offering a short bow, then turned slightly to acknowledge the triplets. "Ladies."
"Morning, Lysia," he replied casually.
She gave him a faint smile. "Your parents are in the main dining hall. They asked that you join them immediately. I believe they are quite eager to see you today."
That last part held a hint of amusement, as if she already knew why.
He nodded. "We figured."
Yelena looked up. "They came back early?"
"They did," Lysia said, folding her hands neatly behind her back. "The Mistress wanted to witness the awakening herself. And the Master... well, he insisted."
He didn't hide the grin that pulled at his lips. "Of course he did."
Rei's grip on his hand tightened slightly, and Mirei gave a small skip in her step beside them.
As they followed Lysia down the hallway, the house around them began to wake up, too.
Lights shifted brighter. Servants moved without making any noise. The glass walls lining the hall showed the outside view, endless gardens, towers in the distance, and the spires of the academy barely visible beyond the estate walls.
Everything looked clean and calm, but beneath it was something more. Today wasn't just a formality.
Today will be the day when he becomes a commander.