La Rose et le Glaive
When a progressive female bard arrives from Lutetia to modernize the village school, her presence sparks a comedic clash of the sexes that drives the Gaulish men into the woods. However, the village must quickly reunite when Caesar sends a secret legion of female soldiers to conquer the indomitable Gauls. Asterix and Obelix find themselves in a unique predicament where their usual brawn might not be the answer.
This volume functions as a self-contained narrative within the series, meaning it can be enjoyed without having read the preceding twenty-eight albums.
Albert Uderzo developed this plot in response to long-standing reader feedback suggesting that the Gaulish village was portrayed as misogynistic, leading him to introduce a female bard to address these concerns.