Ticino claimed to have an army of over ten thousand, yet they had failed to occupy the strategically vital St. Gotthard Pass in advance.
That meant either they lacked the manpower or their commander was arrogant and foolish. In any case, this would most likely be an uneven fight for both sides.
In fact, Austrian intelligence confirmed that Ticino's total forces numbered over ten thousand, just as they claimed. But those troops had not actually been mobilized.
Where had this intelligence come from? Naturally, from Ticino itself. Franz had planted over a thousand mercenaries and intelligence operatives there long ago. He would never truly let Archduke Charles be put in danger—or die in Switzerland.
Of course, in theory, Archduke Charles's death in Switzerland would give Austria an excellent pretext to send in troops. But the consequences would be devastatingly negative, and it would also stain the war's record with dishonor. All in all, it would hardly be worth the cost.
Ticino wasn't the only place where Franz had planted operatives. He had also placed agents in St. Gallen. For Austria, establishing a presence in those two regions was no problem at all. After all, Germans and Italians were Austria's two largest ethnic groups.
As for Charles Duchatelet's identity, that was easy to verify as well. Louis Philippe had written very few letters by hand, so few people could recognize his handwriting—but Archduke Charles happened to be one of them.
The paper, ink, stationery, and seals were also extremely difficult to counterfeit. Archduke Charles could therefore be certain that the young man before him had been personally appointed by Louis Philippe.
Archduke Charles's identity was just as easy to verify. The Austrian royal family had many items reserved exclusively for its use, and people generally wouldn't dare forge them.
Besides, anyone