The fully grown Gihicho was about the size of an apple. Its round and flat leaves wrapped around the center fruit, much like a cabbage.

“If you cover the wounded areas with the leaves, the bleeding stops, and the pain decreases.”

“Really? It’s truly a miraculous herb.”

As Stella sincerely expressed her admiration, the excited Esta continued to explain.

“Moreover, if you dry the center fruit and make tea with it, it can alleviate pain. You just need to adjust the concentration based on the severity of the patient’s condition. For severely ill patients, brew it strongly, and for those with less severe conditions, brew it lightly.”

The detailed efficacy of Gihicho was not extensively covered in the noble farmer’s book. It only mentioned that it was used to “reduce the patient’s suffering.” Therefore, Esta’s explanation fascinated Stella.

“That’s not all. Powder made from Gihicho roots has the effect of neutralizing toxic substances.”

“It’s an herb where every part, from the roots to the fruit, is useful.”

Stella, who had now realized how remarkable Gihicho was, looked at the round and fully grown Gihicho with a newfound appreciation.

Only now did she truly grasp how extraordinary a plant she had cultivated.

“After drying, it’s not easy to separate the roots, fruit, and leaves. They become completely hardened. So, when harvesting, you need to carefully separate the leaves, fruit, and roots right away; otherwise, it will be quite troublesome later on.”
After completing the explanation, Esta went to Gihicho and demonstrated directly. Esta, who approached Gihicho, which was as big as her body, began to pluck the leaves one by one, making a creaking sound.

The three earth fairies who were watching nearby also joined in. The Gihicho leaves quickly fell and piled up on one side.

Once all the green leaves had fallen, the hidden fruits were revealed.

“The fruits look like corn, don’t they?”

The fruits that came out of the Gihicho leaves had round kernels embedded in them, much like corn. The only difference from corn was that they were slightly rounder and closer to orange in color.

“Yeah. To harvest Gihicho fruits, you have to twist them round and pick them. Like this!”

As Esta spoke, suddenly, Iber and Ark grabbed the Gihicho fruits and turned them to the right. Then, with a firm attachment, the orange fruits made a popping sound as they broke off.

“If you twist them in the opposite direction, they won’t come off at all, so you have to turn them like this! Understand?”

“Yeah.”

Listening to the kind explanation of the earth fairies, Stella nodded her head like an attentive student. The more she listened to the explanation, the more her interest in Gihicho grew.

“Pulling out the roots is the most challenging. They grow at least three times longer than Gihicho leaves. Moreover, they have many fine roots and are extremely tough, making them hard to pull out by hand.”

“So that’s why you told me to bring a pickaxe.”
As if she had been waiting, Stella swung the pickaxe near the remaining roots of Gihicho. The pickaxe, shining more brilliantly under the moonlight, not only exerted force but also penetrated deep into the ground.

When the silvery blade entered the soil, Stella felt a delightful shiver all over her body. At this moment, she felt like a earth fairy who could fully sense the energy of the earth, not just a human.

“Wow! Stella, you’re good!”

“Stella, you’re awesome!”

Encouraged by the compliments of the earth fairies, Stella’s pickaxe work gained momentum.

“Wow! It’s really long!”

As Esta said, the pulled-out roots were about three times longer than Gihicho leaves.

While marveling at the neatly pulled roots, earth fairies appeared here and there.

There were earth fairies appearing like moles with soil all over their foreheads, and others appearing with juices dripping all over their bodies.

Of course, there were fairies who revealed themselves in a perfectly normal way, and Uhu was among them. He couldn’t hide his proud expression while looking at the fully grown Gihicho.

“It grew very well. Stella, you raised it well.”

“I didn’t do much. It’s all thanks to them helping.”

Stella wasn’t being modest; she hadn’t done much apart from planting.

The earth fairies went around taking care of Gihicho, and perhaps due to the blessing of Terra, there were no pests at all. The saying that it grew well once planted was perfectly fitting.
“If it weren’t for Stella, we wouldn’t have been able to plant like this.”

Uhu willingly praised Stella’s efforts, saying it wasn’t Uhu’s merit.

“Now, shall we begin?”

Uhu applauded and called out to the earth fairies. The fairies, excited about the rare harvest, gathered in a group of about three and stuck to Gihicho, shouting, “Wow!”

In an instant, Gihicho leaves piled up, revealing the orange fruits. The earth fairies were very efficient workers.