If you can check any given bitstring for whether it encodes a valid ZFC proof of the (in)consistency of ZFC in finite time, then you can write a program to enumerate over all possible bit strings in shortlex order and halt the first time you see a valid proof.
There are infinite many such strings, so that alone can't be used to prove the Turing machine of k states can check all strings. So that leaves open the original question, how do we know that a Turing machine of k states is able to have one of the stated outcomes for any possible bit string?
"Now, draw the rest of the owl." Not saying you're wrong, just, this jump is super non-obvious even to most mathematicians.