After returning to Piacenza, Eric waited for two more days. The following day, Terraldo—the Lord of Parma and a border official of the Tuscan Duchy whom Eric had contacted—arrived in Piacenza with his Knights.
His domain of Parma was practically adjacent to Piacenza, so Eric planned to have him help defend the city.
Eric also contacted the inhabitants of the villages near Piacenza.
The villagers had already united, so it was easy to seek their help.
The negotiations went smoothly.
The villagers were trying to fight back against the harassment and plundering by the city-dwellers, so they shared a common goal with Eric and agreed to his request to hire them.
They had no reason to disagree, as Eric had already made it clear that the villagers joining his army wouldn't have to fight. They only needed to swell the ranks and make a show of force.
