A little help with a sentence and also the meaning of だと


[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aQ3mH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aQ3mH.png)

I'm having a small problem with the second line said by a character. (context:
the two main protagonists came to look for someone, they reach this person's
house, but is not there. The protagonists, very tired decide to wait near the
outside. It becomes dark and the person they were looking still did not come
back)

One of the characters says "Is he really not here?". I get the first line, but
the second not so much.  

> ここ以外だと

First of all, this means 'except for here' or 'other than here' or 'aside
from'. But, what does だと mean in this case? I read about it, but not sure if
understand it well. (it can have the meanings of 'if' and 'when, right?)  
Then, is it "If it's aside from here..."?  
  
Then is the following part

> 結構遠くなるし

"it's going to get pretty distant"...? I don't know just what is supposed to
become that, I'm stumped, thus I'm kindly asking for opinions/interpretations.
Thank you!




～以外 can **serve as a noun** as well as an adverb. It can mean
"something/someone/somewhere other than ～". For example:

  * ここ以外 **は** 危険です。 It's dangerous except for here.
  * 東京以外 **に** 住みたい。 I want to live somewhere other than Tokyo.
  * リーダーは彼以外 **が** いい。 I want anyone but him as the leader.
  * ボス以外 **を** 全員倒した。 I defeated everyone except the boss.

Naturally, a noun can be followed by だと because [this だ is a
copula](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/52932/5010). Also note that だ/です
can directly follow a place name in Japanese (e.g., 彼女は学校です "She is _at_
school."). Thus, the literal translation of ここ以外だと is "If s/he is at somewhere
other than here".

As for し, it's used to casually list a reason. See: [し grammar
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/55597/5010)




～以外 can **serve as a noun** as well as an adverb. It can mean
"something/someone/somewhere other than ～". For example:

  * ここ以外 **は** 危険です。 It's dangerous except for here.
  * 東京以外 **に** 住みたい。 I want to live somewhere other than Tokyo.
  * リーダーは彼以外 **が** いい。 I want anyone but him as the leader.
  * ボス以外 **を** 全員倒した。 I defeated everyone except the boss.

Naturally, a noun can be followed by だと because [this だ is a
copula](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/52932/5010). Also note that だ/です
can directly follow a place name in Japanese (e.g., 彼女は学校です "She is _at_
school."). Thus, the literal translation of ここ以外だと is "If s/he is at somewhere
other than here".

As for し, it's used to casually list a reason. See: [し grammar
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/55597/5010)

