The implication that the same young man who, roughly a few months prior from Rezo’s perspective, had intended to throw Rezo into the ocean now has the preference that Rezo not die, has not been missed. Which is somewhat baffling because Rezo has no clue what could have prompted this change, but he suspects Zelgadis would bristle further if he tried asking directly. Leaving Rezo with little to do but speculate on Zelgadis’s motives.

“I have no plans to run any tests,” Rezo says. “Very well, I’ll see if there’s anyone available for backup when I return to the Medborough base.”

(He briefly wonders if this might be some of Zelgadis’s youthful altruism reemerging. Some years have passed between when Zelgadis was working under him and now, and perhaps some distance from the emotional turmoil of his adolescence as well as having his curse removed has restored a bit of faith in the world at large.

...Or Zelgadis is pragmatically concerned about how being short a highly powerful sorcerer and healer may negatively affect the mission. That seems far more likely.)