"So this is the little one that Lord Alkanphel informed us about," Lord Shin stated, looking over Imakarum’s shoulder at Kenji. "What is your name, child?"

Turning slightly, Imakarum took Kenji by the left shoulder and gently guided his son to stand in front of him. Kenji’s shyness among new people in large groups, while endearing in its own way, would not be at all likely to act in his favor with the Council of Twelve.

"My name is Ingriam Mirabilis, sir. Who are you?"

"I am Shin Rubeo Amniculus," he said with his usual calmness, the lights of the Celestial Hall highlighting the Fourth Zoalord’s brown hair.

Imakarum wondered for a moment about the name Kenji had used—it sounded almost like a derivation of his own. Perhaps Lord Alkanphel had already taken the time to give Kenji the name that he would be known by as a Zoalord, as was his right.

"Lord Alkanphel explained to us the circumstances of your transformation, child," Lord Fried’rich stated, looking more closely at Kenji than Lord Shin or any of the others had. "I would like to apologize for that. I assure you that not one of us here would have ever done what the late Commander Gyou did to you."

"Late?" Kenji asked, radiating confusion. "What do you mean late? What happened to him?"

"Gyou was executed for betraying our Lord Alkanphel," Lord Fried’rich explained kindly, the light casting a halo on his silver hair. "I would have expected that your father would have explained it to you, since you were asleep while all of this was happening."

"So Gyou’s dead now?"

Imakarum could sense that his son looked only for confirmation, not denial. For that matter, he was almost certain that all of the other Zoalords could sense it as well and made a mental note to instruct Kenji on forming his own mental barrier at the first available opportunity.

-Dad, that guy with the beard and that thing on his forehead—is he related to Santa Clause?-

Even as Imakarum was about to explain to Kenji just who Lord Hamilcal was and what his position within Chronos entailed, he noticed that all of the other Zoalords were staring—at Kenji. The other members of the Twelve Overlords looked as if they did not know how to react, and it was at that moment that Imakarum realized that Kenji had just – completely inadvertently, he was sure – broadcast his question about Lord Hamilcal to the entire Council of Twelve.

Lord Alkanphel seemed to be struggling to contain his reaction, and Imakarum wondered just how severe a reprimand Kenji would get for his insult. It may have been completely innocent, but the fact remained that Kenji had just shown a great deal of disrespect to the Second Zoalord. Then Lord Alkanphel did a most unexpected thing: he started to chuckle.

The rest of the Council, Imakarum himself included, was confused by this seemingly sudden change of moods. They all knew that Lord Alkanphel tended to be capricious in most things, but none of them would have ever thought that the Supreme Zoalord of Chronos would have been so willing to forgive even an unintentional insult to one of his oldest friends and companions.

"I can see that you still have a great deal to learn, little one," Lord Alkanphel said, smiling benevolently at Kenji, his luminous eyes shining. "Your father and I will help you with that, of course."

"Lord Alkanphel?"

"Yes, Edward?" Lord Alkanphel turned to regard the red-haired form of the Sixth Zoalord. "What is it?"

"Are you certain that we can trust this child to aid rather than oppose our glorious cause?" he asked, his liquid green eyes briefly flickering over Kenji. "You yourself informed us of how he was raised by the rebel Masaki Murakami, my Lord. Are you truly certain of his intentions, Lord Alkanphel?"

"Yes, Edward, I am very certain," Chronos’ Supreme Lord stated flatly as Imakarum stepped forward and draped his right arm around Kenji’s shoulders.

"I am not trying to impugn your judgment, my Lord Alkanphel," the Sixth Zoalord said, his long, dark red hair moving slightly as he bowed to indicate his submission to Lord Alkanphel’s will. "Still, I do have my doubts about this young one. This Ingriam, as you have chosen to call him—was he not once Kenji Murakami?"

"Edward…" Lord Alkanphel began, and Imakarum noted there was a slight note of warning in the Supreme Zoalord’s voice.

"I have my doubts about Ingriam, as well."

"Hamilcal?"

"I apologize for speaking out of turn. However, the fact does remain that this child has been fighting against Chronos for most of his life," the white-bearded Lord stated calmly.

"What would you suggest we do then, Hamilcal?" Lord Alkanphel asked, raising one elegant brow.

"I would suggest that we simply look inside the child’s mind. If he has nothing to hide, then he has nothing to fear," Chronos’ Second Zoalord stated flatly.

Imakarum found himself completely unable to argue with the logic of the Second Zoalord’s argument. Anything he said—any way that he tried to keep them from violating Kenji’s mind—would make it appear as if the both of them had something to hide. In the end, Imakarum was forced to cede the argument before it had even started.

Gently placing his fingers on Kenji’s temples, Imakarum gently massaged his son’s head. It had always served to calm Kenji down in the past, and calmness was exactly what was required at the moment. Even though Kenji’s mental defense was all but nonexistent, there was still the matter of the telepathic contact itself. If Kenji got too frightened, there was a chance that his mind would shut down in self-defense.

Imakarum wanted to minimize the chances of that happening, if not eliminate them outright, so when Kenji tensed slightly, in spite of his father’s efforts to keep him calm, Imakarum opened his own mind to the other Zoalords. If they were going to go through Kenji’s memories, he wanted to make sure that they would not harm his son because of anything they had seen.