[shmaster]

Originally Posted by Endscape

What do you want him to try in less than a month, especially with how busy he is? To begin with, what could he even learn that would be useful?

He doesn't have her number.

I think you just prove my point he didn't even try.
He really can begin with asking his peers to find her number.

Have you been reading too many fanfics or something? Who in their right mind would even pay to use IB in any scientific research?

You argued that the situation changed. Then you should know the understanding around IB changed.
We are in a time we know IB is tied to AC's foundational designs. And AC's new boss is doing the best he can to improve his options in mastering what the old boss left behind.
Seriously, do you think the black box of AC should be left sitting there and continue to be a black box?
Do you think continuing to neglect IT is a responsible way of running the AC?

No way Aleister automated his plan or left any data behind, so it's currently dead in the water.

Your guess is as good as mine?
But either way it does not change the fact it is about time they take proactive action to explore IB themselves.

How can she use something better than him if she doesn't even know what it is.

You forget she did use it once? After she kill Touma, she give up restoring the phase she came from and restore the current phase instead.

Don't put words in my mouth, I didn't say his words were bullshit, I said the situation changed enough that he was forced to do something he didn't really want to.

Should he have kept up the kayfabe even if people died as a result? Is that not bullshitting his main desire to protect people's smiles. That's his first priority.

His identity crisis is a result of him building his identity on a foundation of lies which is what caused this whole problem. Slowly but surely over the course of the series he's been working on creating a foundation for his own life based on what he wants.

Ipartially agree on the last part.
But I don't believe he made any meaningful progress or knows what he wants to do with himself at all.
He has no vision on what he wants to become and just flip flop whenever a new threat shows up.
Sure, he is building a new foundation, but that's not because he has vision on what he wants to become and take proactive steps to change. It is just him adjusting to reality differently from before, with himself if it is for the better or not.
Then his messed up priority where he is willing to risk a person's safety to save another. And then hopefully he can get away with it by relying on things not of his merit.
If anything, I felt his messed up priority has gotten worse. And he himself has no idea on how to deal it with either. That's one reason he messed up on handling Alice two volumes ago.
Everyone's smile? He can't even properly tell what this "everyone" encompass.