It's a question he's been wondering himself, but still hasn't come up with an answer. So he poses a question of his own. "Would you like me to be? I won't leave without telling you first. I can stay a bit longer, though." 'If you need me to,' goes unspoken, but implied.

Only for a short while, though, and not because the journey is extremely long; no, if he stays much longer, he won't want to leave, and that's unthinkable.